The Effect on the Church During the Black Death
The Black Death stands as a convenient divider between the central and the late Middle Ages in Europe. Also known as bubonic plague was caused by an infectious flea on rats. It was highly contagious and the victims usually died in around 3 days after the first symptom. It first erupted in the Gobi Desert in the late 1320s, without any available reason. It traveled fast infecting all Asia and in China the plague dropped the population about one hundred million over the course of the 14th century. Arriving in Italy in 1347 it spread quickly through the continent. By the time it was done with Europe it killed on fourth of the population or around twenty-five million people. Though the population dropped dramatic the Christian church suffered the most in this horrifying period of time.In the early and central Middle Ages the church was the most powerful group in Europe. It was the European government and the wealthiest group on the continent. When the plague started the church became even more powerful and popular the ever. The Church dealt with the Plague in a number of ways. The most distinguished of these was that there were much more processions and vows, hoping of gaining recognition from God. In this qu
Another trend brought about by the devastation of the Plague was that of the flagellants. The church promised cures, treatment, and an explanation for the plague. They closed their gates, but the people threw their money over the walls of the monasteries; they would brook no impediment in their last pious work, to which they were urged by mute despair. This usually was not the case in France or Germany. After the plague, ended angry and frustrated villagers started to riot against the church. People wanted answers, but the priests and bishops didn't have any. ote by an unknown individual "When in 1347 the plague was raging at Luebeck the confession was so great that the citizens, as if deprived of their senses, took leave of life and willingly renounced all earthly possessions. Sometimes in fear, priests did not truly perform the sacraments. This was especially true in Italy, in which priests were, for the most part, detained with fear of death. The flagellants were a set of people who moved from town to town and beating themselves with scourges, all the while showing complete repentance for their sins. " [Black] it is clearly seen that the church maybe became more popular than it ever was. There they formed circles and beat upon their backs with weighted scourges, rejoicing as they did so in loud voices and singing hymns suitable to their rite and newly composed for it. People prayed to God for forgiveness. You know what they say, nothing lasts for ever.
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