There were many different kinds of clergymen during the middle
ages. Each one had his own duties and power. Some had vast amounts of power
politically. Of course, they all shared one trait,
they were the mediators of God. They were the bridge between God
and the other people.
Picture of a bishop saying grace.
The Bishop
Bishops were the leaders of the church. The leader of the
bishops, of course, was the pope. Bishops were often very wealthy. They dressed
lavishly, wearing many of the same clothes as a feudal lord. Of course, they had
their own religious garments to wear also. Bishops often had their own castles from
which to conduct business. In this way, they were firmly entrenched in the feudal
society. They were accepted in royal courts and dallied in politics. They also had
many duties. They levied taxes and settled on issues such as annulments of
marriages.
Parish and Castle Priest
These priests said Mass for the town in the town church and also
said Mass in the castle. This was done in its chapel. They also were responsible
for the collection
of church taxes and the spreading of alms among the poor. Often these priests were
the only people who could write and read in the village. Thus, they were sometimes
responsible for village and castle record keeping.
Monks lived in monasteries in groups. They usually wore brown
robes with hoods around their heads. They were also well educated and could usually
read and write Latin. Many monks devoted themselves to learning. Some of the first
encyclopedias and histories were written by monks and then copied over by hand. Monks
were often the only source of Bibles in medieval times. Bibles were also copied by
hand because the printing press was not
yet developed.
