1.13.18

Changes Under the Normans - The Church 2

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Spiritual Reforms

The Normans introduced spiritual reforms alongside changes to organisation.

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Rules for clergy

  • The English Church became stricter under Lanfranc. Previously, monks and nuns had mixed well with local populations and lived normal lives.
  • Lanfranc introduced celibacy for priests. However, many of the Anglo-Saxon priests were already married. This was a good excuse to promote Norman priests, bishops and abbots instead of Anglo-Saxon ones.
  • Clergy were tried under a separate judicial system from the year 1076. Only 'Church courts' could decide if a monk or priest was guilty of a crime.
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Nunneries and monasteries

  • More nunneries and monasteries were opened. Many old abbeys and monasteries were rebuilt from stone, replacing shabby Anglo-Saxon wooden ones.
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Relationship with the Pope

  • William of Normandy was a Catholic.
  • However, in 1078, the Head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, tried to increase his power at the expense of William's. He demanded that only the Church could appoint bishops and cardinals, instead of the King of England choosing them.
  • This would have greatly reduced William's influence over the Church.
  • Meanwhile, in England, William built grand cathedrals at places like Durham and Ely, whilst taxing the Church with the geld tax.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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