Corruption In Western Europe Essay

Corruption is the decay of morals and values. Most Western Europeans trusted the Church and its clergy to guide them to heaven, but when it started to become more power-hungry, people became uncertain of who to look to. Corruption, along with the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism, were the main reasons Western Europeans called for a Church reform. These events immensely impacted how the people of Western Europe regarded and viewed the Church. As a result, many people felt that the Church needed a change. Corruption was the one of the most significant reasons that the people of Western Europe were calling for Church reform. To begin, popes abused their power by using excommunication to force monarchs to obey the Church. Furthermore, many priests were illiterate and couldn’t interpret the Bible so that they could lead people to heaven the proper way. Also, multiple clergy used deceiving methods to raise money to support their selfish wants. For example, they sold indulgences and charged people who wanted to visit holy relics. Simony, or the process of selling Church positions to the highest bidder, …show more content…
This was because of the confusion it caused. In 1376, the papacy moved from France back to Rome. The papacy is the office or authority of the Pope. Around the same time, French cardinals elected a new pope, Clement VII. Both popes, Urban VI and Clement VII, claimed to be the rightful pope, causing conflict and confusion among the people. With this altercation, people were confused about who the supreme pope was, who to trust, and who to follow. The Great Schism finally ended with the help of the Council of Constance. The Council of Constance negotiated and set terms that resulted in one pope stepping down. Although the Great Schism came to an end, there was one more reason why people were still confused and unsure about the Church and its