Often by holding powerful political and governmental positions. Cardinals, bishops, and even some priests held many offices in the political arena as well as the Church. The Church often had such and influence on the people due to religion that they were often able to manipulate political decisions and officers. Churches were given vast tracts of land, principle places in towns and villages, both of these led to strategic places and prominent positions in the local governments. This power led to corruption.
The Church had the sole authority to release people from their oaths, and oaths were supremely important in the Middle Ages. The entire fabric of medieval society was built on mutual obligation as defined by oaths, such as the oaths vassals gave their kings. When the pope or bishops were sufficiently upset at a monarch, they would excommunicate him, which was a religious thing, but in the process they could also release all vassals from their oaths to the monarch, leaving him without support and encouraging anyone who wanted to rebel. This process also allowed foreign governments to invade the monarchs land, because treaties were no longer in force.
The church owned essentially everything, since all the kings and nobles of Europe swore fealty to God and His "Voice on Earth", the pope". If they (the nobles) chose not to, the pope could (and did) excommunicate them, which basically made them fair game to anyone that wanted to increase their holdings, without any reprimanding from the church whatsoever.
The church also had a direct hold on the people through religion, and the Churches word was law for ALL, be they noble or serf.
They excersiced authority by being able to throw people out of the Christian Church
The Church and the nobility.
The Catholic Church
Church Laws
the church
I would consider many since the christian church was mostly in power during that time.
The church was Catholic so it was the Pope and the priests.
Catholic
Church Laws
Church Laws
they where called lords
Feudalism and the Church.
it goes ding dong