Forms of Church Corruption
Moral laxity, rampant at all levels of Church hierarchy, became an obvious source of criticism of the Church. Clergy members were supposed many parish priests were illiterate and hardly knew how to perform ordinary religious services. Many priests and nuns publicly flaunted their vows of chastity by taking lovers. During this time, "illegitimate" children could be made legitimate by purchasing a document from the Church; out of 614 grants of legitimacy in the year 1342--43, 484 were to members of the clergy. In some areas, bishops chose not to enforce rules regarding celibacy because it would decrease the income gained from fines imposed on concubinage. Several popes raised illegitimate children, including Innocent VIII and Alexander Vl, who conferred upon their sons important Church offices. Numerous bishops and abbots used their positions to lead lives of luxury and leisure, living more like princes than humble men of God. Cardinals lived in palaces in Rome, sporting jewel encrusted gold robes and feasting on sumptuous meals. During the Babylonian Captivity, one Cardinal inAvignon required 10 stables for his horses, and another housed his retainers in 51 houses. When Giovanni de Medici was elected Pope Leo X in 1513, he reportedly said, "God has given us the papacy; now let us enjoy it."
The Church developed several corrupt practices to pay for these extravagant lifestyles. Christian tradition taught that pilgrimages to sites of relics or holy places were acceptable forms of penance that were necessary to return to God's grace after one had sinned. During the late medieval period, some clergy took advantage of this tradition to create a thriving industry by bringing relics to the people and charging the repentant Christians to see the holy remains and objects. Frederick I, prince of Saxony in northern Germany, kept a collection of over 17,000 relics that included a piece of Moses' burning bush, 33 fragments of Jesus' cross, some straw from Jesus' manger, and even a vial of milk from the Virgin Mary's breasts. Proceeds from pilgrimages to this museum of relics paid for Saxony's cathedral, castle, and university. Simony was another practice that created revenue for the hierarchy in Rome. It allowed Church offices to go to the highest bidder, regardless of the buyer's background or training. By the fifteenth century, some Christians even considered traditional Church taxes, levied in the form of tithes on all Christian subjects of the pope, to be unjust.
The most lucrative and controversial corrupt practice used to raise funds for the Church was the selling of indulgences. Developed during the thirteenth century, indulgences were based on the idea that a truly repentant sinner could work to reduce his or her years in purgatory. The notion was that the pope had control over a treasury of merit, or spiritual wealth, that could be dispensed to the faithful for the remission of sins. When a Christian was deemed to have sinned, he or she could confess the sin and perform good deeds, or pay a certain amount of money to the local church in place of doing standard penance, to work off time in purgatory. The practice of offering indulgences easily lent itself to abuse. Initially, repentant Christians who purchased indulgences would receive. documents, signed personally by the pope, absolving the purchaser of his or her sins. In time, however, a person could buy what amounted to a form letter from any number of Church officials, who were usually attended by bankers in charge of calculating the proceeds. Though it was never officially stated by the Church, many clergy taught that salvation was attainable simply through the purchase of enough indulgences. Other corrupt churchmen introduced the idea that indulgences could be purchased for family members who had already passed away and whose salvation might be in doubt as their souls awaited judgment in purgatory. Some Christians were troubled by the principle of indulgences, and when the practice of offering them was abused, they started to question the Church's position as Protector of the Truth.
The Church developed several corrupt practices to pay for these extravagant lifestyles. Christian tradition taught that pilgrimages to sites of relics or holy places were acceptable forms of penance that were necessary to return to God's grace after one had sinned. During the late medieval period, some clergy took advantage of this tradition to create a thriving industry by bringing relics to the people and charging the repentant Christians to see the holy remains and objects. Frederick I, prince of Saxony in northern Germany, kept a collection of over 17,000 relics that included a piece of Moses' burning bush, 33 fragments of Jesus' cross, some straw from Jesus' manger, and even a vial of milk from the Virgin Mary's breasts. Proceeds from pilgrimages to this museum of relics paid for Saxony's cathedral, castle, and university. Simony was another practice that created revenue for the hierarchy in Rome. It allowed Church offices to go to the highest bidder, regardless of the buyer's background or training. By the fifteenth century, some Christians even considered traditional Church taxes, levied in the form of tithes on all Christian subjects of the pope, to be unjust.
The most lucrative and controversial corrupt practice used to raise funds for the Church was the selling of indulgences. Developed during the thirteenth century, indulgences were based on the idea that a truly repentant sinner could work to reduce his or her years in purgatory. The notion was that the pope had control over a treasury of merit, or spiritual wealth, that could be dispensed to the faithful for the remission of sins. When a Christian was deemed to have sinned, he or she could confess the sin and perform good deeds, or pay a certain amount of money to the local church in place of doing standard penance, to work off time in purgatory. The practice of offering indulgences easily lent itself to abuse. Initially, repentant Christians who purchased indulgences would receive. documents, signed personally by the pope, absolving the purchaser of his or her sins. In time, however, a person could buy what amounted to a form letter from any number of Church officials, who were usually attended by bankers in charge of calculating the proceeds. Though it was never officially stated by the Church, many clergy taught that salvation was attainable simply through the purchase of enough indulgences. Other corrupt churchmen introduced the idea that indulgences could be purchased for family members who had already passed away and whose salvation might be in doubt as their souls awaited judgment in purgatory. Some Christians were troubled by the principle of indulgences, and when the practice of offering them was abused, they started to question the Church's position as Protector of the Truth.