Religion

=Religion = = = =What was the main religion of the people in the Middle Ages? =

 Their main religion was Christianity. They also believed in praying to Jesus Christ and Jesus’ Father. They built churches to pray and worship God and Jesus. On the top of their church, there is a sharp point called a steeple. They thought that the taller the church is, the closer they get to heaven.

 The church ruled by praying and believing in God. When people didn’t follow the word of God, the priest would teach them and they would become better people. The first church in the Middle Ages was in Europe in between 1300’s-1400.

 The people went to church to worship. They worshipped God by praying and singing about holy things. They were not allowed to worship the bad things like the devil so they must believe in holy things only just like the monk, priest and bishops. They believe in God everyday in their lives.

 The pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In the Middle Ages, the pope was very powerful because Catholics believed he was God’s representative on threatening to kick them out of the Church, if they did not do as he asked.

The pope chose a bishop to look after the religious needs of the people in a large area called diocese. Bishops were well educated and often became very rich and powerful because they advised kings from who received land. They also received land from nobles who hoped that their gifts would help them get into heaven.

Priest led prayer services in local churches and performs ceremonies like marriages and baptisms. They had very little education. Many of them couldn’t read bibles which were written in Latin. The priest memorized prayers and important part of the bible to teach the peoples.

Monks were man who devoted their lives to prayers and study. They lived in monasteries. Monks had to follow certain rules and were not allow to own any personal possession or have any contact with women. Some were not allowed to speak except to pray.

Nuns were unmarried women who spent their lives praying, studying and helping the sick. Their communities are called convents. Some girls became nuns instead of marrying a man that their family chose for them.

Friars were educated man who traveled between villages, town and cities spreading the word of God and doing good deeds. They gave up all their money and possession and lived by begging.

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By: Bill Camber