As the Muslims grow in numbers, starting around 700 CE, the Christians and popes felt threatened by the spreading of Islamic power and domination. Because of this, the popes recruited a group called the Crusades. A crusade is a medieval military or army. The purpose of gathering a crusade is to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims and to stop them from growing in power. However, in order to gather the group, popes from all over Europe, use religious and political reasons to motivate and persuade the Crusaders. Several popes use religious reasons to persuade the Crusaders. Pope Leo IV claimed that for any who died in the battle will have their sins forgiven as a reward. When all of your sins are forgiven, this is another way to claim that
