why is the cathoclic church so powerful in the middle ages?

Answer 1

because they owned the most land, collected the most taxes, used thir power to rule kings, and had disturbers killed for heresy or whatever to keep their power unchallenged.
they are still the biggest landowner on the planet.

Answer 2

It sprang out of a time when people turned to leaders for moral guidance because they claimed to have the authority of God. Really, there was no such authority, but neither could that authority be refuted. Over time, more and more people came to believe in that authority, and the leaders promoted it even more. By the middle ages, the church had lots of money and a strong hold of people's minds.

At first, the kings, recognizing that religion was a source of political power, sided with the Pope and endorsed religion. This made religion even more powerful and eventually it challenged the king for power. The king could kill a person, but people thought the Pope could damn the person forever in Hell.

You see some of the same things happening today. Bush tends to use the Religious Right to gain voters because it is recognized that the religious leaders have a heavy hand in how those large groups of people vote. In return, the church in the United States gains much more money and power. This is a very dangerous thing, because it is starting to erode American freedoms in the US. Eventually, the churches will realize they are also hurting themselves.

The Pope really doesn't have that much power over England anymore. The Evangelicals should take that as a lesson.

Answer 3

The Catholic church in the middle ages was the church before the reformation. The ruling families were usually related to the clergy in some way and that was influential. The church had made it to where the priests and male clergy couldn't marry anymore so they were amassing property when rich cardinals and bishops died their fortune reverted to the church. The church had it hand in everything from soup to nuts at that time and no one would challenge them. Imagine the Medicis and Borgias having power both as a ruling clasas and then their brother or cousin was cardinal or Pope. The politics of government and church were pretty much the same in those days.

Answer 4

people lived shorter lives during the middle ages also in the dark ages.a lot of people died around there thirty's.the Catholic church was not as powerful in the middle ages as they were in the dark ages(if your measuring)Most monarchies did use the Christian influence to gain wealth(example:Spain,France and England)and the disbelievers were sought out.During the middle ages there were great wars(crusades)(Richard the lionhearted and Saladin)which were fought between Muslims and Christians,and they came to an understanding for awhile.The powerful church as I believe you are asking happened during the 13th and 14th centuries(the inquisition)where the church and its followers felt threatend by disbelievers and paganism still ensued,The evil people in power abused their stations in life and brought this upon the world using God to further their own riches.Even the King of England seperated himself from the Catholic religion(creating Protestants)..I would research more on this if I were you and you might actually understand the Catholics more.

Answer 5

Because it essentially replaced the Roman Emperor as the highest power in Western Europe. Thank Constantine for that.

Answer 6

Because they were the main centers of learning, and most people were not privleged enough to get an education. Therefore the Church held sway over the uneducation poor population.

Answer 7

The pope crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. This way the pope could also take away the crown.
People didn't want to go to hell. The Church would excommunicate nonmembers. According to the Church, they would go to hell.

Answer 8

They tended to kill non-believers. A powerful recruiting agent that.

Answer 9

Because they killed anyone that didn't agree with their philosophy

Answer 10

Ignorance, poverty and violent percecution.