We continue in analyzing the different aspects of the medieval church. In our previous article we analyzed the economic power of the Church in the Middle Agesand now we will go on to study an important historical process known as the “The peace of God” that will show us that -also- this institution had a strong political power inside of the Feudal system.
We are located in the high Middle Agesspanning the 9th to 11th centuries, in Western Europe. As you will remember, this society was characterized by the feudal system. And one of the main characteristics of this system was the decentralization of power. What does this mean? because there was no strong central power (monarchies). Power was in the hands of numerous Feudal lords – both lay and ecclesiastical.
In a context of dissolution of royal power, there was a wave of violence between the Sirs. Around the year 1000, there were a large number of assaults on churches Already monasteries at the hands of the private armies of the nobles. Let us remember that the Church he owned a great deal of land, property, and wealth. The lay nobles coveted these goods as a way to get rich.
Faced with this situation, the Christian Church tried to carry out a new way of peace Social. They sought to discipline the nobles and thus protect your assets. The high ecclesiastical hierarchy, at the end of the 10th century, met in councils of bishops to decide what steps to take to calm the military nobility.
These councils They developed a theory that God had derived in the kings the function of maintaining the peace and justice. Since they no longer fulfilled that function, God took back that power and handed it over, now, to the bishops. The new “peace of God” then replaced the previous “peace of the king”.
Based on these theories, councils They established concrete rules to achieve their goals. For example, military activities in one’s own territories were prohibited. Those who do not respect the laws of the The peace of Godthey would receive various punishments, among them, the excommunication that was very feared, which was the expulsion of that person from the community of the Church christian.
More information
BARTHELEMY, Dominique. The Year Thousand and the Peace of God.
Adapted from EN. 1 Social Sciences – Secondary Education – Publication of the General Directorate of Culture and Education of the Province of Buenos Aires / Provincial Directorate of Planning – Provincial Program School Texts for All – Buenos Aires – 2007 at www.abc.gov.ar,
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fragment. Book cover: BARTHELEMY, Dominique. The Year One Thousand and the Peace of God, on Google Books