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Corruption In The Catholic Church During The Middle Ages

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Corruption in the Catholic Church has been prevalent through out history. Throughout the ages, the church has been able to survive scandals, wars, and corruption and has been able to maintain popularity. But during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church started to decline in popularity. Catholics started to regard the church with skepticism and suspicion. Although the church was created for the purpose of religious guidance, the corrupt leaders and followers of the Catholic Church changed the morals and ideals the church was founded upon. Consequently, the Catholic Church became known for its corruption and impiety during the middle Ages One of the main causes for the corruption in the medieval church was the practice the buying and selling …show more content…

Pope Leo X declared the priest who were already married and had children did not have to leave their families, instead they should remain celibate in their marriage. It wasn’t until the 12th century when clerical marriages became a controversy. Many people were afraid that if a priest, pope, or bishop had a son, then that son would inherit church land. In 1076 at the Council of Wenchters, it was decided the priest who were married did not have to separate, but if a priest was not married then he never could. By 1102 with the Council of London, celibacy was declared throughout all ranks of the church. Remaining celibate was hard for many priest and often have concubines. Throughout the Middle Aged, celibacy did become more relaxed. In the Council of Vienna 1312, it was suggested that the Catholic Church consider the idea of converting to the Greeks idea of clerical marriages. The Greeks used marriage as a way to convert people to the orthodox religion. The church believe that if a catholic woman married and eastern man, then they could convert their husbands to Catholicism and the church would gain more followers. This idea however did not get pass. (Hakaria,

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