Question


The statements below come from a document called the Dictatus Papae (1075), which stated the powers of the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, in the Middle Ages.
Line 9. That of the pope alone all princes shall kiss the feet.
Line 12. That it may be permitted to him [pope] to depose [remove from power] emperors.
Line 14. That he has power to ordain [make someone a priest] a clerk of any church he may wish.
Line 17. That no chapter and no book shall be considered canonical [included in a list of sacred books] without his authority.
Line 18. That a sentence passed by him may be retracted by no one; and that he himself, alone of all, may retract it.
Line 19. That he himself may be judged by no one.

See: List two things you see in the text above that interest you.
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Think: Based on your observations, what do you think
about the power the pope had in the Middle Ages?
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Wonder: Write two questions you have about the text from
the Dictatus Papae.

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After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE, western Europe broke into small warring kingdoms. Since it was the official church of the Roman Empire, most people in Western Europe were Christians, and it
owned a great deal of wealth and land, the Catholic Church became the most important unifying and stabilizing force in western Europe during the Middle Ages. The power vacuum left
by the Roman Empire was filled by the Catholic Church.

Over the course of the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church became more influential and powerful, to the point where the Church and the beliefs of its clergy [people who had high positions in the Church like priests and bishops] controlled secular [non-religious] life and secular government.

By the 11th century (1000s), the Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, had the power to decide who would be king in some regions and was able to raise an army to go to war. For centuries afterwards, secular leaders and the Church competed for power in western Europe.

Why did the Catholic Church become powerful in western Europe?

What powers did the Catholic Church gain during the early Middle Ages?

Directions: Examine each of the following documents, then respond to the accompanying prompts to determine if the evidence supports that the Catholic Church was or was not powerful in Medieval Europe.

Source: A painting depicting the three “estates” or classes in Medieval France.
The Clergy
The pope and other officials of the church like priests, nuns, cardinals are pictured here
3a. Highlight which claim this document supports.

Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in
Medieval Europe.

Claim B: The Catholic Church was not very powerful in Medieval Europe.

Monarchy and the Nobility
Kings, queens, nobles and knights are pictured here.
3b. Identify a piece of textual or visual evidence
from this document that supports the claim this document makes.
Peasants
Peasants, artisans, merchants and serfs are pictured here.
Transcript:
During the European Middle Ages, the Catholic Church really dominated European
civilization. It’s almost impossible to imagine the scope of the Church’s power in the
Middle Ages, but let’s try.

First off, the Catholic Church was the caretaker of the most important thing that
Christians had, their souls, which, unlike our...bodies, were eternal. And then there was
the parish priest, who played a pivotal role throughout every person’s life, baptizing
them, marrying them, hearing their confessions, [and] providing last rites.

The church also provided all of the social services: It distributed alms [money or food
given as a donation] to the poor, and ran orphanages, and provided what education was
available. Most Europeans would in their lives meet exactly one person who could read
the Bible, which was only available in Latin - their parish priest.

And, the church owned over 1/3 of all the land in Europe, which helped make it the most
powerful economic and political force on the continent.
And the Pope claimed authority over all the kings of Europe, as the successor to the
Roman Emperor. So this was a very powerful institution...
Source: Crash Course World History, “Luther and the Protestant Reformation: Crash Course World”
4a. Highlight which claim this document supports.

Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

Claim B: The Catholic Church was not very powerful in Medieval Europe.

4b. Identify at least two pieces of textual evidence from this document that supports the claim this document makes.












Pope Gregory was elected pope in 1073 CE. He believed that as pope, he was God's "vicar
[representative] on earth" and that his authority extended over religious life and secular political
life. In 1075, he issued a decree forbidding a practice called lay investiture.

Lay investiture was a practice whereby secular rulers like emperors or kings could select leaders of the church.

Pope Gregory felt that this practice reduced his power so he ended the practice. This angered many kings and emperors.

Dictatus papae is a compilation of 27 statements about the powers of the pope. It was included in Pope Gregory VII's register under the year 1075.

There is debate over whether Pope Gregory wrote it or if had another authority. Regardless of these doubts about who wrote the statement, many historians have no doubt that Dictatus papae reflects the views of Pope Gregory about the power of popes.

5a. Highlight which claim this document supports.

Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

Claim B: The Catholic Church was not very powerful in Medieval Europe.

5b. Identify at least three pieces of textual evidence from this document that supports the claim this document makes.
Excerpts from Dictatus Papae​:
9. That of the pope alone all princes shall kiss the
feet.
12. That it may be permitted to him [pope] to
depose [remove from power] emperors.
14. That he has power to ordain [make someone a priest] a clerk of any church he may wish.
17. That no chapter and no book shall be
considered canonical [included in a list of sacred
books] without his authority.
18. That a sentence passed by him may be
retracted by no one; and that he himself, alone of
all, may retract it.
19. That he himself may be judged by no one.






Canon Law
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church
developed its own set of laws called canon law.
Medieval canon law was based on the Bible and
decision made by the clergy as well as local laws
and Roman law also influenced canon law.

Canon law set out the rules that Catholics needed
to follow and included topics like religious
teachings accepted by the church, crimes, the role of the clergy, and marriage.

Depending on the situation, breaking canon law
could result in excommunication​, the limiting or
ending of a person’s membership in the Catholic
Church. Those who were excommunicated could
not receive the sacraments [sacred rites of the
church] or a Christian burial, which many believed could condemned them to hell for eternity.

Popes and other clergy members in the Church
used excommunication to punish those who
opposed them. If the Church wanted to send a
message to a noble or king who disagreed with
them or spoke out against them he could impose
an interdict, an order the excluded a whole region from receiving holy sacraments in the Catholic Church. In some cases, this led to revolts from the people who feared their souls were in danger which might lead to the Church getting what they want.

A powerful noble who opposed the Church could face the interdict, an order excluding an entire town, region, or kingdom from receiving most sacraments and Christian burial. Even the
strongest ruler gave in rather than face the interdict, which usually caused revolts by the
common people.
6a. Highlight which claim this document supports.

Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

Claim B: The Catholic Church was not very powerful in Medieval Europe.


6b. Identify at least three pieces of textual evidence from this document that supports the claim this document makes.







7. Based on the evidence from these documents, write a thesis statement in response to the
question, “Was the Catholic Church powerful in Medieval Europe?”

Remember, CLAIM + REASONS = THESIS

CLAIM
REASONS
Reminder: The Catholic Church was/was not very powerful in Medieval Europe ...
Reminder: List your reasons that support the claim.


Your thesis:
Answer
Why did the Catholic Church become powerful in western Europe?

What powers did the Catholic Church gain during the early Middle Ages?
Answered by GPT-4o mini
**Responses:**

### See
- The pope alone requires the princes to kiss his feet, indicating a significant hierarchical authority.
- The pope has the power to depose emperors, illustrating his influence over political matters.

### Think
The statements in the Dictatus Papae suggest that the pope held substantial power during the Middle Ages, not only in religious matters but also in political affairs. The authority claimed by the pope indicates he was not merely a spiritual leader but also a powerful figure in secular governance, which reflects the Church's wide-reaching influence in medieval society.

### Wonder
- How did the power of the pope as described in the Dictatus Papae impact the relationships between the Church and secular rulers?
- What were the consequences of the pope's decisions on the everyday lives of ordinary people in medieval Europe?

---

### Claim Assessment

**3a. Claim Supported:**
Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

**3b. Evidence:**
The presence of the clergy as one of the three estates illustrates their significant role in medieval society and governance.

---

**4a. Claim Supported:**
Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

**4b. Evidence:**
1. The Church was the caretaker of souls, controlling the eternal fate of individuals.
2. The Church owned over one-third of all the land in Europe, making it a potent economic and political force.

---

**5a. Claim Supported:**
Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

**5b. Evidence:**
1. "That of the pope alone all princes shall kiss the feet."
2. "That it may be permitted to him [pope] to depose [remove from power] emperors."
3. "That he himself may be judged by no one."

---

**6a. Claim Supported:**
Claim A: The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe.

**6b. Evidence:**
1. Canon law set out rules that the Church enforced, demonstrating its authority over everyday life.
2. Excommunication was used as a powerful tool to punish opposition, illustrating the leverage the Church had over individuals and rulers.
3. The imposition of an interdict could lead to revolts among the common people, reflecting the Church's influence over societal stability and governance.

---

### Thesis Statement
The Catholic Church was very powerful in Medieval Europe, as evidenced by its control over spiritual and secular matters, its vast economic influence through land ownership, and its ability to enforce obedience through mechanisms like canon law, excommunication, and interdicts, which shaped the political landscape and daily lives of people in that era.