HW #4

Read the section on page 333 called "CHURCH JUSTICE" (it's only 2 paragraphs).
1. Describe CANON LAW
Canon Law also known as the law of the Church is a justice system created by the Church to guide people's conduct. Every Christian was subjected to canon law including Kings and many other political leaders. Canon law covered many matters such as marriage.

 2. Describe what might happen to a person, like a king, who didn't follow canon law?
With the establishment of canon law, the Church began to create courts in order to try people who had broken the rules of  Canon law. The two harshest punishments a offender can face was excommunication and interdict. These punishments were used as threats by the pope to control the political rulers. Anyone subjected to excommunication was banished from the Church and any hopes for salvation was gone. If a king was excommunicated, all of his loyal subjects were relieved of their duties. The most harshest punishment in a pope's arsenal was the interdict. A king who has been interdict would prevent any sacraments and religious services to be performed on his land. At the time, everyone believed that without such religious services, one would be doomed to suffer in Hell.