Simony, nepotism, absenteeism, and other practices

Question 1

What were the most criticised practices of the Church relating to?

Answer 1

The desire to increase wealth and property

Question 2

When did simony most frequently occur?

Answer 2

When a priest of a rich parish sold his position to the highest payer

Question 3

Give an example of nepotism

Answer 3

Cardinal Wolsey, he had 2 children even though he had taken a vow of chastity and made Thomas Wynter (son) Provost of Beverly Minister and Dean of Wells

Question 4

Why was absenteeism heavily opposed?

Answer 4

The priest would be absent from one or more of his parishes, take the money from both, and employ a cheap and only partially educated cleric

Question 5

Why was the appointing of an uneducated cleric in place of an absent priest so opposed?

Answer 5

He wouldn’t be up to the Church ideals and peoples’ expectations

Question 6

Why did the tithe pose a problem?

Answer 6

• in some cases, it didn’t reach the clergy but the right to collect the tithe was sold to a member of the laity
• if parishioners refused/ were unable to pay, they would be taken to Church court

Question 7

What other financial demand became increasingly challenged?

Answer 7

The imposition of mortuary fees

Question 8

In the 1529 Reformation Parliament, a small vocal group of MPs made criticisms of the Church. Their main focus was on Wolsey’s abuses. What did they identify?

Answer 8

• attended court each day accompanied by liveried servants (ie. opposite of humility)
• rode on an ass, seen as a mockery the journey Jesus made into Jerusalem, although this was an established practice for high-ranking churchmen
• greed in his acquisition of palaces and fine living through simony
• held livings at Winchester and Durham which he never visited when he was Henry’s first minister
• fathered at least one child - Thomas Wynter