b915thand16th


 * PLURALISM**

Beginning in the early 1600's, people critisized the church, especially the priests. Besides displaying absenteeism, the priests illustrated three other disorders: clerical immorality, clerical ignorance, and clerical pluralism. Priests were often caught drinking, gambling, and practicing in sexual transgressions. they were often illiterate and could barely read and write. they were laughed at because hardly anybody could understand what the clergy was trying to preach. however, the priests did not care if they could read or not. Priests usually held many offices at one time, but rarely visited them. Even with all the problems of the church, they still controlled most of the money because of the way bishops suspiciously gained money when they entered an office.

McKay, John P. __History of Western society__. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.