New
New
Year 7

Background to the Great Schism: the Roman Catholic Church

I can describe the reasons for religious reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 11th century and the impact it had.

New
New
Year 7

Background to the Great Schism: the Roman Catholic Church

I can describe the reasons for religious reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 11th century and the impact it had.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Roman Catholic Church was led by the pope, who was based in Rome.
  2. There was a movement to reform the Church in the 11th century.
  3. Pope Leo IX was an important reforming pope.
  4. The reforms increased the authority and improved the perception of the Church.
  5. Pope Leo IX's reforms were continued by later popes.

Keywords

  • Church - the Church is the organisation of the Christian religion

  • Pope - the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

  • Clergy - the clergy are the group of religious officials who are authorised to conduct religious ceremonies

  • Reform - to reform something means to change something with a view to making it better

Common misconception

Catholic priests have never been allowed to get married.

Catholic priests today are not allowed to get married, but in the past a great many were, even though it went against their rules. Some popes even had wives and children!

For a starter, relate your school to the Church, with the Head as the pope, SLT as the cardinals, and so on. Ask students to consider how well the school would run if one or more of the different groups were removed in order to help them understand the importance of each group.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
In Western Europe the most important bishop was the pope, based in ---
Jerusalem
Ravenna
Correct answer: Rome
Constantinople
Q2.
The leaders of the eastern church were known as ...
archbishops
Correct answer: patriarchs
popes
priests
Q3.
In order to control the Western Church, the pope acted almost like a ...
Correct Answer: king, King
Q4.
By the 7th century Jerusalem, Alexandria and had been conquered by Muslims.
Correct Answer: Antioch, antioch
Q5.
Whereas the Eastern Church used in its services, the Western Church used Latin.
Correct Answer: Greek, greek
Q6.
What was the 'Great Schism'?
The formal re-joining of the two Churches.
Correct answer: The formal splitting of two Churches.
A violent war beween the two Churches.
A violent conflict between the Eastern Church and Muslim invaders.

6 Questions

Q1.
The organisation of the Roman Catholic Church is best described as a ...
Correct Answer: hierarchy, Hierarchy
Q2.
Starting with the most important, place the members of the Catholic Church in order of their importance.
1 - pope
2 - cardinals
3 - archbishops
4 - bishops
5 - priests
Q3.
Pope Leo IX wanted to the Roman Catholic Church.
Correct Answer: reform, Reform
Q4.
What was simony?
when priests could marry
Correct answer: when people could buy a position in the Church
when priests did not work as hard as they should
the split between the Eastern and Western Churches
Q5.
With which group of people did Leo come into conflict with in southern Italy?
the Vikings
the Anglo-Saxons
Correct answer: the Normans
the Byzantines
Q6.
Some women who had been married to clergy lost in society.
Correct Answer: power, status

Additional material

Download additional material
We're sorry, but preview is not currently available. Download to see additional material.