What was the role of the Roman Catholic Church during the Renaissance?

Answer 1

The church played a big role in the Renaissance period. Virtually everyone was religious. And most "holidays" were also religious. Easter was actually a bigger celebration than Yuletide for most people. Part of this reason is because the month before Easter was "Lent", in which people would confess for all the sins they committed over the last year. It was a month long of weeping and wearing rags and ashes and pleading for forgiveness. And many times they'd only eat stale bread and drink sour wine. They tried making themselves as miserable as possible during that month to prove to God (and to others) how sorry they really were for their sins. No wonder Easter was a huge holiday- it marked the end to Lent! The "church" was the main reason for many of the wars during the Renaissance and Medieval times. The medieval crusades themselves were wars to win the world for God. Catholic and Protestant churches had rivals against eachother, and in much of Europe, they still do today. The Roman Catholic Church was the hierarchy all over Europe even above the kings themselves. If you're familiar with the story of King Henry VIII in the 1500s, you'll know that he needed permission from the church to divorce his first wife Catherine so he could marry Anne Boleyn (who would later become Elizabeth's mother). When he wasn't granted approval, he left the Roman Catholic Church and started his own Protestant church so he wouldn't need approval to divorce his wife. Later as queen, his older daughter Mary would persecute all Protestants and tried to make England all Catholic again. While later Elizabeth preferred the Protestant churches. So the Church played a huge role in Renaissance life.

Answer 2

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ (see St. Paul) and His Bride (from Ephesians and Revelation). As such it is to bring God to the people and the people to God. It's priests are "other Christs": the Church's role was then what it is now, to bring everybody safely to heaven.

Answer 3

During the Renaissance, the churches were very limited in its role. They did produce some great philosophers and scholars.