End of Feudalism
Kings vs. Popes
In the early Middle Ages, power came to two rulers, kings and popes. Popes had great spiritual power and kings had political power. Together, popes and kings controlled most of European society.
Popes
In the Middle Ages, the pope was the head of the Christian Church. Because everyone went to church, the pope had great power.People saw the pope as God's representative on Earth. They looked to the pope for guidance on how to live and pray. Since the pope was seen as God's representative, it was his duty to decide what the church would teach. From time to time, a pope would write a letter called a bull to explain a religious teaching or outline a church policy. This gave the pope the power to decide when someone was acting against the church. One punishment for acting against the church could be to be excommunicated, or cast out from the church.This punishment was greatly feared because Christians believed that a person who died while excommunicated would not get into heaven.
Kings
The kings had begun to take firm control of their countries. The kings ruled England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire to became most powerful. In England and France, kings inherited their thrones from their fathers. At times, nobles rebelled against the kings, but the kings usually reestablished order fairly quickly. They maintained this order through alliances as well as warfare. In the Holy Roman Empire, the situation was different. Charlemagne built his empire in the 700s with the pope's approval. In the mid-900s, another emperor tool the throne with the approval of the pope.
The wars between Kings and Popes
Beginning in the mid-1000s, however, a series of clever and able popes sought to increase their authority over eastern bishops. In 1049s, Pope Leo IX argued that because the first pope had been the leader of the whole Christian Church. Those who supported Leo's authority became known as Roman Catholics. The pope became head of the Roman Catholic Church and on of the most powerful figures in western Europe. As popes worked to increase their power, they often came into conflict with kings. Emperor Henry IV angry because the pope questioned his authority. After that, Gregory VII became pope. Henry convinced Germany's bishops that they should remove Gregory VII as pope. The fight over the right to choose bishops continued even after Henry and Gregory died. But this compromise did not end all conflict. The kings and popes continued to fight for power through out the Middle Ages. The war was changing lives all over Europe.
Popes
In the Middle Ages, the pope was the head of the Christian Church. Because everyone went to church, the pope had great power.People saw the pope as God's representative on Earth. They looked to the pope for guidance on how to live and pray. Since the pope was seen as God's representative, it was his duty to decide what the church would teach. From time to time, a pope would write a letter called a bull to explain a religious teaching or outline a church policy. This gave the pope the power to decide when someone was acting against the church. One punishment for acting against the church could be to be excommunicated, or cast out from the church.This punishment was greatly feared because Christians believed that a person who died while excommunicated would not get into heaven.
Kings
The kings had begun to take firm control of their countries. The kings ruled England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire to became most powerful. In England and France, kings inherited their thrones from their fathers. At times, nobles rebelled against the kings, but the kings usually reestablished order fairly quickly. They maintained this order through alliances as well as warfare. In the Holy Roman Empire, the situation was different. Charlemagne built his empire in the 700s with the pope's approval. In the mid-900s, another emperor tool the throne with the approval of the pope.
The wars between Kings and Popes
Beginning in the mid-1000s, however, a series of clever and able popes sought to increase their authority over eastern bishops. In 1049s, Pope Leo IX argued that because the first pope had been the leader of the whole Christian Church. Those who supported Leo's authority became known as Roman Catholics. The pope became head of the Roman Catholic Church and on of the most powerful figures in western Europe. As popes worked to increase their power, they often came into conflict with kings. Emperor Henry IV angry because the pope questioned his authority. After that, Gregory VII became pope. Henry convinced Germany's bishops that they should remove Gregory VII as pope. The fight over the right to choose bishops continued even after Henry and Gregory died. But this compromise did not end all conflict. The kings and popes continued to fight for power through out the Middle Ages. The war was changing lives all over Europe.
