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The medieval popes regarded themselves as the highest power in Europe. Depending on circumstances, they claimed to be the temporal equal of the Holy Roman Emperor, but at other times, greater than the emperor or beholden to him. The pope was generally the wealthiest man in Europe and many of the medieval and Rennaisance popes like to live a lifestyle that reflected this.

The cardinals were the next rank in the Church hierarchy and considered themselves 'princes of the Church', once again living in extravagent luxury, like princes or petty kings.

If we wish to compare the Catholic Church hierarchy to the hierarchy of the secular feudal system, then the bishops and abbots certainly fitted in as the equivalent of the feudal lords. They often held huge landholdings, just like ordinary barons, and demanded subservience from all around them.

Priests and monks could perhaps be compared to the knights of old. In fact, some of them were warrior priests, especially during and after the Crusades.

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Q: How does the hierarchy of the Catholic Church compare to the hierarchy of the feudal system in Western Europe?
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