The Church's response to feudalism included several initiatives aimed at addressing the violence and instability that characterized the feudal system. One significant response was the concept of the Truce of God.
The Truce of God was established in the late 10th and early 11th centuries as a movement initiated by the Church to limit the violence associated with feudal conflicts. The agreement sought to impose certain days of peace during which warfare was forbidden, aiming to protect the vulnerable and reduce the frequency of battles among feudal lords. The Church viewed the rampant warfare and disorder as a failure of feudalism to ensure peace and stability, thus leading to the establishment of the Truce of God as a spiritual and social solution to these issues.
On the other hand, fiefs with knights and commendations are more indicative of the feudal system itself rather than responses to its failures. Fiefs were estates granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for military service, and commendations were ceremonies for establishing the lord-vassal relationship.
Therefore, the correct answer to which of the options was meant to counteract the Church's view of the "general failure of feudalism" would be the Truce of God.