Examples Of Religious Leaders In The Middle Ages

Europe had many different religious leaders throughout the middle ages. Some of the leaders and their power were either good or bad. All of them had different beliefs and different morals. Not a single one of them were exactly the same. Pope Urban II, Pope Innocent III, Thomas A Becket are some examples of religious leaders in the middle ages.

Pope Urban II was the head of the Roman Catholic church from 1088 to 1099. He launched the Crusade movement, and strengthened the papacy as a political entity. “The push of the crusades came when the Byzantine emperor Alexius I asked the Europeans for help against… Muslims” (306). Urban II responded to this request. Which lead him to have a perfect opportunity to provide papal leadership. He rallied up all warriors of Europe for the
He initiated the fourth crusade, and built the papacy into a more powerful, prestigious institution than it had ever been before. Innocent called for Christian crusades against Muslim rulers in Spain and the Holy Land and against heretics in southern France. “As it headed east, the crusading army became more in a fight over the succession to the Byzantine throne” (308). Which means all the other leaders tried to claim the Byzantine throne title during the fourth crusade. Venetian leaders of the crusade used this situation for an opportunity to weaken their greatest competitor, the Byzantine Empire. As they diverted to Constantinople, the crusaders invaded the city in 1204. But in 1261, the Byzantine army reclaimed the city. “Eventually helped to break down feudalism” (308). The crusades did have many side effects from it. But, there were also political gains. Since kings imposed taxes and raised their armies, nobles sold their lands freed their serfs. As the nobles lost their powers kings were able to create a stronger central government. Even taxing trade with the East also helped the kings get