Filosofia

. The Reformation
The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages

• most important factor in men’s lives

• inspired men’s faith, provided education, influenced politics, legislation and social organization

• official and public, it was an elaborate organization maintained by taxes and dues. The State supported the Church, and whoever attacked it was liable to punishment.

•Recognized to be instituted by Christ to lead men to salvation

• The seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, confession, the holy eucharist, extreme unction, matrimony and holy orders) were essential for salvation

• The Pope – the bishop of Rome and head of the Church. He was the supreme lawgiver, judge and administrator of the Church. He was also the temporal ruler of Rome andsurrounding papal states. He had the right to depose kings and emperors as well as to nullify laws of which he disapproved. He collected fees and taxes from Christian lands.

• Secular clergy – under the Pope were the archbishops, who ruled a province, made up of dioceses. Each diocese was administered by a bishop. The diocese was divided into parishes which had their churches and parish priests.Cardinals were distinguished clergymen appointed by the Pope and had the privilege of electing his successor. This hierarchy was called secular clergy because it worked in the world (secula).

• Regular clergy – lived by special rule (regula), usually requiring poverty, chastity and obedience. It consisted of monks or friars under several abbots, priors or generals. They lived in monasteriesand engaged in education, charity and missionary activity. In the case of women, they lived in convents and were called nuns.

Decline in Prestige

• Late Middle Ages: the authority of the Church began to decline due to various factors and scandals:

• Babylonian Captivity of the Church (early 14th century) – conflict between Philip IV of France and Boniface VIII. WhenBoniface died, Philip persuaded the cardinals to elect a French Pope, Clement V, who established a new papal capital at Avignon, France. The position of the Pope as an international leader was damaged, because the Popes started being associated with the French monarchy.

• The Great Schism (1378-1417) – a disputed election led to one pope to live in Rome and another at Avignon. It harmed theunity of the Church.

• Corruption – many clergymen indulged in secular pleasures and ambitions. They participated in politics, economic activities and humanistic endeavors such as science, art and languages, instead of concentrating on their duties.

• Abuses – A) Simony (sale of clerical appointments). B) Pluralism (holding more than one clerical position. C) Dispensations (exemptedindividuals from conforming to certain rules of the Church) granted without justification and often for money. D) Immorality. E) Sale of indulgences (pardon of a sin without the sinner undergoing punishment), when they should really be given for acts of piety such as going on a crusade.

• Religious discontent - Catholics pretested against the corruption and abuses of the Church.Humanistic studies fostered an attitude of criticism towards the Church, and thinkers such as Erasmus and More denounced the idleness of certain priests.

• Rise of national feeling and nation states – Renaissance princes, who wanted complete domination over their territories, regarded Papal authority as foreign interference. Heavy taxation in favor of the Church also provoked great dissatisfactionamong princes, merchants and peasants.

Martin Luther (born 1483)

• German Augustinian monk, who protested against the selling of indulgences by a Dominican monk called Tetzel, and believed in a reformation of the Church.

• Luther wrote the Ninety-five theses denouncing Tetzel and posted them on the chapel door. These were printed and circulated widely, and controversy arose....