The Normans And The Church Flashcards
What was Williams relationship to religion like ? Give some give points
He was deeply religious
- Founded the Battle Abbey in Sussex
- St Stephen’s cathedral in Caen
- He controlled the church in Normandy
- He appointed his half brother bishop Odo to the town of Bayeux
Supported the popes reforms
How do we know the church was very powerful when looking at land ?
It owned 25% of land in England
How else do we know the church was very powerful ?
Bishops and archbishops were the kings advisors
Important for everyday life and influenced peoples thinking
Since it had powerful influence it was vital William had control over it
What evidence do we have that William aimed to control the church even before he was king ?
-Won support from the pope to make it a holy crusade
-Promised he would reform the Anglo Saxon church to end its corruption
- it was easy for him to say the Anglo Saxon church was corrupt as Archbishop Stigand was living proof of its corruption
Why had the pope criticized Archbishop Stigand based of income ?
- Breaking church laws as he kept hold of his post and income as bishop of Winchester even though he was made Archbishop of Canterbury- church said a man could have one bishopric but he had two (the two most wealthy in England)
Why had the pope criticized Stigand because of his role ?
- Supporting a rival pope to the official Roman pope and carrying out archbishop duties even when we was not appointed by the official pope
What did William do in 1070 to change Stigand ?
He arranged for the popes Legate to depose Stigand and make the new Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc
Why was it important that William had changed Stigand with Lanfranc
Lanfranc was Norman and it marked the begging of the normanisation of the Church
Who was Lanfranc and did he seem capable ?
He was a 60 year old Norman Abbot who was highly educated and deeply religious
He was originally a lawyer then became a monk and abbot
William knew him well and trusted him
