Author: Abu Raef
Secularism (10th Part)
Manifestations of Material Excess of the Church
The church rebelled in many cases, which can be mentioned as follows:
1- Feudal Estates:
In the lord-serf system or “feudalism” which was based on the domination of land and property and whoever owned more land had higher power and dominion, the church was also one of the largest landowners and one of the largest property owners in Europe. For example, Felda monastery owned 15,000 small palaces. Saint Gall monastery owned two thousand slaves on land. One of the religious men named “Kevin Fitor” was the leader of twenty thousand slaves and slaves above the lands.
The king himself appointed the heads of bishops and monasteries, and not everyone could reach this stage. In this way, the church had also become a part of the lord-serf or feudal system.
2- Endowments
The church owned large areas of agricultural land, claiming that they were donated to the church. The church claimed that the proceeds of these lands were used for the inhabitants of the monasteries, the construction of churches and the equipping of the crusades; But the church also overdid it and the amount of land owned by it in some countries reached an amount that could not be believed. In such a way that in England, one third of all land was owned by them, and they took very high taxes from the rest.
3- Tithes
The church had made it mandatory for all its followers to pay tithes. According to this case, the church had guaranteed a tenth of the agricultural land and a tenth of the income of workers and employees other than farmers.
This requirement was on all subjects and no one had the ability to reject it. Even the rulers were afraid of the church going to war with them, and sometimes their interests were shared with the church, and this Tithes was the reason for their survival. Therefore, it was necessary for the power of both parties, i.e. the Church and the Kings, to keep the situation as it is and not to make any changes.
4- “First Year” Tax
Endowments and Tithes could not satisfy the mature greed and hunger of the church, but they also determined Taxes and other financial revenues, especially in exceptional cases such as crusades and holy Ceremonies, and by them they had burdened the burden of the subjects. When the 22nd “Pop Hennai” assumed the responsibility, he created a serious innovation known as “First year finance”. This tax consisted of the revenues that were taken from each religious or feudal duty in the first Year and were compulsorily given to the church.
5– Donations and Gifts
The church benefits from many gifts and donations that the rich and feudal lords gave to it for flattery and hypocrisy. Although the church did not ask for this explicitly, the rich were aware of its greed and for this reason, they gave such gifts to save themselves from the sanction and wrath of the church.
These gifts were other than the gifts and donations that were given to the church during special Ceremonies and holidays.
6- Employing workers for free
The church employed people in various fields for free and carried out its projects and programs, such as the building of the church and shrines, on the shoulders of its followers. The followers were required to work for free for the church for a certain period of time, which was usually one day a week. In this way, the general public had broken their backs under the strictness and financial overflow of the church and were looking for an opportunity to get rid of it.
