Why was the Catholic Church important?
The Catholic Church dominated the Middle Ages. After the Fall of Rome, the Church wanted to gain power so that it could never end in a situation that made the Church look bad. The Church had many strange beliefs and rules. Before death, you were required to complete 3 sacraments. These were; baptism, marriage and a blessing before death. The Church believed that women were naturally more sinful then men. The Church had many holy days and feasts. Being a member of the church meant that you had to pay a fee, this was a tenth of your yearly income. If you obeyed these rules and payed your yearly fee, you were guaranteed a place in Heaven. There were three places you could go in the after life; Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. Heaven was where the non-sinners went and if you sinned you would be sent to Hell. Purgatory was where you went if you had been good, but sinned. you would spend time here before being sent to Heaven.