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The Tenth Century:
Abuses Plague the Church
Three historical highpoints define this century.
The Birth of Feudalism
This century witnessed the emergence of feudalism in which powerful kings and lords turned Europe into small states in order to better protect their land and property from one another, as well as from invading forces, such as the Vikings, Magyars and Muslims.
Abuses Plague the Church
Because of weak and immoral Popes, three abuses crept into the Church.
- Simony - the buying and selling of religious offices.
- Nepotism - when a king or lord gave a vacant religious office to one of their relatives.
- Lay Investiture - when a king or lord would make someone Bishop without the approval of Rome. These three abuses occurred intermittently throughout the Middle Ages.
The Monastery of Cluny
The Monastery of Cluny was founded in Burgandy, France and started a movement of reform within the Church. The deep spirituality and holiness of the monks of Cluny inspired others to follow their way of life and establish other monasteries and abbeys throughout Europe.