Introduction Debauchery, Simony, Sexual Immorality, these are but a few of the sins and hypocrisy that occurred within the Catholic church in the middle ages. Some of the biggest and most widespread sins that the church committed in the middle ages were simony, sexual immorality, selling indulgences and selling relics. The Black death caused panic amongst the people of Europe in the mid 1300s, and some believe that this was one of the main causes of the church beginning to become corrupt. There were many powerful people in the church, mostly popes, that were known for their terrible sins and hypocritical ways. The popes that will be discussed will be Pope Alexander VI, he was known for his nepotism. Pope John XII was known for committing both
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The definition of indulgences as seen on wikipedia, an indulgence is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins”. It also says that there are four different actions that people can preform that will grant them indulgences. These four actions are, Raising the mind to God with humble trust while performing one's duties and bearing life's difficulties, and adding, at least mentally, some pious invocation, Devoting oneself or one's goods compassionately in a spirit of faith to the service of one's brothers and sisters in need, Freely abstaining in a spirit of penance from something licit and pleasant and Freely giving open witness to one's faith before others in particular circumstances of everyday life. People believed that by doing these actions a person could gain access to heaven or get out of purgatory or do the same for a family member or friend. If the people of the middle ages could read the Bible they would have known that the things they were worshiping were idols and that the Bible says In Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below”. Relics were and still are a large part of the catholic church today. The older “Relics” could be anything and whoever was selling them would just make it up, and then people would pay for it. In Germany Fredrick I kept over 17,000 relics that he charged people money to come and see them. Chaucer wrote the story of the Pardoner in the Canterbury tales, and the Pardoner was one of the perpetrators that would sell the indulgences and relics to the people. Such folk shall have no power and no grace To offer to my relics in this place. But whoso finds himself without such blame, Let him come forth and offer in God's name And I'll
The definition of indulgences as seen on wikipedia, an indulgence is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins”. It also says that there are four different actions that people can preform that will grant them indulgences. These four actions are, Raising the mind to God with humble trust while performing one's duties and bearing life's difficulties, and adding, at least mentally, some pious invocation, Devoting oneself or one's goods compassionately in a spirit of faith to the service of one's brothers and sisters in need, Freely abstaining in a spirit of penance from something licit and pleasant and Freely giving open witness to one's faith before others in particular circumstances of everyday life. People believed that by doing these actions a person could gain access to heaven or get out of purgatory or do the same for a family member or friend. If the people of the middle ages could read the Bible they would have known that the things they were worshiping were idols and that the Bible says In Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below”. Relics were and still are a large part of the catholic church today. The older “Relics” could be anything and whoever was selling them would just make it up, and then people would pay for it. In Germany Fredrick I kept over 17,000 relics that he charged people money to come and see them. Chaucer wrote the story of the Pardoner in the Canterbury tales, and the Pardoner was one of the perpetrators that would sell the indulgences and relics to the people. Such folk shall have no power and no grace To offer to my relics in this place. But whoso finds himself without such blame, Let him come forth and offer in God's name And I'll