Witches & Nuns

1. Witches & Nuns • Some women were known as witches, capable of sorcery and healing. Others became nuns and devoted their lives to God and spiritual matters.

2. The Catholic Church • The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large income. • Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government.

3. Bishops • Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called dioceses. • Many times, they were part of the feudal system and in exchange for a fief and peasants had to provide homage and military aid to a leige lord.

4. Parish Priests • Parish priests, on the other hand, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. • The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village

5. Monasteries • Monasteries in the Middle Ages were based on the rules set down by St. Benedict in the sixth century. The monks became known as Benedictines and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to their leaders.

8. Monks • Monks were required to perform manual labor and were forbidden to own property, leave the monastery, or become entangled in the concerns of society. • Daily tasks were often carried out in silence.

9. Nuns • Monks and their female counterparts, nuns, who lived in convents, provided for the less-fortunate members of the community. Monasteries and nunneries were safe havens for pilgrims and other travelers.

10. Monastic Life • Monks and nuns went to the monastery church eight times a day in a routine of worship that involved singing, chanting, and reciting prayers from the divine offices and from the service for Mass.