The Crusades

The Crusades Leading up to the year 900 many groups destroyed the centers of learning in Western Europe. When about the year 900 came along there was a spiritual revival among the church clergy. The Church began reconstructing itself both inside and out. Both the Church itself functioning and also places of worship. One hundred years later, “holy wars,” called Crusades were launched. These wars lasted for an extensive 300 years. Many problems stimulated reformation of the church between the years of 900 and 1200. One problem was that both the Church and the kings each thought they should appoint the church’s bishops. Another quandary was that certain people like village priests married and had families which where against the church’s rulings. Lastly, Bishops decided to sell their positions in the church which was a practice called simony. These three main issues inspired the reforms that were implemented by the Church because they wanted to return to the basic principles of the Christian religion. Many reforms were implemented by the Church between the years of 900 and 1200. Pope Leo IX and Pope Gregory VII enforced the church’s laws against simony, addressing the corrupt bishops. Other popes then followed them and continued the policy of reform. In later years during the Crusades, the Church was made to bear a resemblance to a kingdom in leadership structure. At this time the Curia or the pope’s advisers acted as a court, which made the laws of the Church on matters such as marriage. The diplomats for the pope established the pope’s power by dealing with the bishops and kings. Another reform is when the Church was in its building process they collected taxes in the form of a tithe. They also used this money for public services. The Crusades had three main goals, these being economic, social, and political in nature. They also had religious motives. The pope wanted to reunite Christian lands, protect Church properties from fighting knights, and merchants