Religion Ch. 12Grace O’Doherty

Barbarians Invade, Rome Falls!

• by evening, barbaric tribes had burned many shops and homes

• the Roman army was defenseless before them

• most soldiers abandoned their posts in fear

• a state of emergency was called for the Roman Empire: many were starving, people were afraid to harvest their crops, law and order was gone, and all communication between the provinces were shut down

• the people had turned to the church and were going to the monasteries for protection

• a renowned scholar calls these times in history the “Dark Ages”

A Beacon of Light

• the Barbarians who fled into central and southern Europe were used to outdoor tribal living (they settled disputes with bloodshed and worshiped pagan Gods)

• they could not read nor write, they had no schools for art, music, and science, and they did not know hot to cultivate land or organize a Government

• during the time when every body was in darkness and despair, the Church was the beacon of light bringing God’s peace and the power of God’s word

The Light of Missionaries

• Pope St. Gregory the Great led the church during these difficult times

• he organized rome, gave generously to the poor, negotiated peace, and wrote letters to instruct Catholics

• Pope Gregory the First is also known for reforming the Liturgy and compiling Church music

• most importantly, however, he sent monks to every land to evangelize the Barbarians

• besides proclaiming the good news, the monks made laws, taught them reading,writing, and counting, showed them how to cultivate the land and set up trade, and hand-lettered copies of ancient manuscripts

Father Michael, O.S.B.

• Father Michael Brunovsky follows the rule of St. Benedict in this century

• at the age of 19, he entered a Benedictine monastery in Cleveland's inner city

• the lives of monks at St. Andrew’s Abbey reflects St. Benedict’s motto: “Pray and Work”

• besides celebrating the Eucharist and spending time in personal prayer, the priests and brothers gather in chapel four times a day to pray the Liturgy of the Hours

• after 4 years of formation as a Benedictine, he made his final vows

• in addition to vows of obedience and conversion of life (a willingness to renew his life daily while observing poverty and chastity), he made the Benedictine vow of Stability

• that means that he promised to stay in the same Abbey for the rest of his life

Giants of the Age• one powerful leader trained by the monks in the Middle Ages was

Charlamagne

• through him, many people became christian and all of Europe was linked to the church

• for all good that he did, some problems developed because of his form of Government

• the difference between Church and the kingdom became unclear

• some members of the clergy grew rich and powerful and forgot that they were called to be spiritual leaders living according to Gospel values

• in his providence, God called forth strong and holy leaders who reminded the erring members of the church of their responsibility to defend the faith

• Pope St. Gregory VII was such a leader and a reformer (someone who got the Church back on the right track and true to its mission)

• as a spiritual leader of the church, the Pope was to lead God’s people

A Power Struggle• when Church leaders became political leaders, abuses crept in

• the practice of having political leaders appoint Bishops and Priests is known as lay investiture

• the Holy Spirit called saints to bring the church back to her spiritual responsibilities

• Pope St. Gregory VII knew that the Pope should appoint bishops, make Church laws, and form dioceses

• King Henry IV of Germany defied Pope Gregory and continued to appoint Bishops

• the Pope told the King that he could no longer be a part of the Church if he continued appointing

• King Henry IV visited the Pope, stood barefoot in the snow, dressed in monk robes, and begged for forgiveness

• the Pope forgave him, and for a while King Henry IV obeyed the pope

• however, the fights continued

A Serious Break

• while Christians in Western Europe were occupied with the Barbarians, communication had been cut off from the Church in the East

• in 1054, almost all the Eastern Churches split from the West and became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church while that in the West was the Roman Catholic Church

• this split is known as the Great Schism

Crusades: A Common Cause

• at the end of the 10th century, Muslims were controlling the Holy Land and forcing some Christians to adopt their new religion, Islam

• the Crusades stirred up enthusiasm for faith, however, some only went to get rich

• the Crusaders never did win back the Holy Land but they did open the doors between East and West, promote pilgrimages, renew devotion to the passion and death of Jesus, and introduce the Way of the Cross to Europe

A Blend of Church and State

• Earlier everyone was governed by Church laws, celebrated Church feasts, and attended Church schools

• heresy was looked up upon as great evil and heretics were considered traitors

• therefore, in some countries during the Medieval Ages, heretics were put on trials, also known as Inquisitions, in hope that they would change their mind

• those who didn't were punished

The Light to the Poor

• St. Francis was a high spirited and rich man who listened to God and gave up his carefree life to live according to the Gospel

• he sold everything he had, wore a rough brown robe, and went about teaching,preaching,and caring for the poor

• many people were so impressed with his holiness that they joined him, they became known as the Franciscans

• they were the first mendicant (one who lives by begging) order

Centers of Light: The Universities

• St. Dominic was a wealthy Spanish nobleman who became a priest

• he gave the men who followed him an appreciation for studying the Gospel and Catholic teaching

• his followers were known as Dominicans

• one holy Dominican teacher was St. Thomas Aquinas

• Thomas became one of the churches greatest thinkers and writers

• his brilliance showed itself in his work: Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology)

• through the Dominicans, many universities were founded to teach faith

Great Women of the Middle Ages

• Elizabeth of Hungary: as Queen of Hungary, she was loved for her generosity to the poor and kindness to her family

• Margaret of Scotland: married Malcolm, the King of Scotland, she was prayerful and extraordinarily charitable to the poor, strangers, and sick

• Scholastica: as the twin sister of St. Benedict, she founded a community of woman who prayed and studied the Scriptures

• Clare: as wealthy italian girl who renounced her fortune to begin a community of sisters, she led others to follow a life of prayer

• Hedwig: as the Queen of poland, she was known for her outstanding virtue and hospitality to the poor

• Elizabeth of Portugal: Elizabeth loved prayer, goodness, and the sacraments and showed his generosity to the poor

• Gertrude: Gertrude was a nun whose whole life revolved around the study of scripture, spiritual reading, and the liturgy of the church