The Canterbury Tales, in general, has a common theme of religion. Church, in the long run, has been spoken about to imply a lot of things. Chaucer suggested that religion was dominant in England around the nineteenth century where it dictated how the society was governed. All the Christian faith originated from Italian renaissance.
Catholics, for instance, came from a wealthy class in the society more so in Europe. It had much said in the organization where it followers were obedient enough to their doctrines. "Of sundry folk whom chance had brought to fall, in fellowship." (Rigby, 2014). Each believer did His/her best to the church, when Sunday came, they could together and meet their God.
The church collected tithes from its members who went directly to their leaders. In the long run, the church priests became wealthy and brought doubt to the general public. Their questions were that how come one could acquire wealth that first. Sacrifices Christians made significantly reduced across many regions like in Russia and Lithuania. "In Lithuania as well as Russia, No other noble Christian fought so well." (Minnis, 2014). Believers claimed that some of their leaders had no calling but in turn pretended just to get some income.
In church, members were restricted to working finding it hard to get income. Later, they were forced to backslide and look for crooked ways to sustain their families. After that, the building of the church was costly where the expenses were put directly to the fellow shippers. Inside the cathedral, they intended to put more beauty by using even rare minerals like gold. Hypocrisy came about where the church itself preached against the desire to possess more than what one needs. The priest was the first to break these teachings by wanting all of its members despite their uncertain economic status.
Believers underwent a series of suffering during this era; they suffered from many illnesses, job opportunities, and famine. With all these, the church clerics still had the greed of acquiring all their wealth from the fellow shippers. Church priests in some cases are claimed to get bribes or even pay bribes to reach what their wants.
Chaucer's work regards church leaders to be against the Biblical doctrines. Rosary's use has deviated from the original one of Christians showing their commitment to the death and new life of Christ. In this context, he refers the Monks taking the lead in the living a life which wasn't pleasing at all. In a circumstance that a Christian commits some sin, he had to pay the church priests a little of bribe so that the issue could be covered. Contrary to the Christian teachings, a believer was supposed to repent his/her sins directly to God.
Monks ride on horses as the saints follow their orders where they hunt and aim at the betterment of their lifestyle. Similarly, Chaucer is of the opinion that the Catholic priests have put money first then their professional role of spreading the gospel. Most of the Monks lifestyle majors outside where they reach the believers easily at to at least create a picture to them that they are concerned which is Blasphemy.
The kinds of clothes which the Priests wear look very holy contrary to the type of lifestyle they live in. Ownership of horses was regarded as for the rich which equally the priests did. These horses were outlined to the hunting outside which the Monks took the lead. Ironically, Catholic Church leaders have given taken much interest to the wealthy class which deviates their spiritual goals of salvation to business-oriented ones. The weak, strong Christian believers have no place in the church other than giving their tithes and offerings.
In the Christian context, nuns have been regarded to be people with ethical values which the believers can copy and adapt their way of living. Chaucer portrays the picture that they eat daintily. Scholars like Melillo relates the nuns to be very kind and sensitive to the issues in the society. He later associates the roles of a sister are compared to that of a motherly care who follows up her children whereabouts. (Melillo, 1996.)
Chaucer was so much angry with the church leadership. He has unfolded the back door activities that people tend not to talk about from the believers themselves. All his anger is not for the followers but directed to the priests who are the oppressors. He regards the church priests as the Friar whose goals were aimed at profit making not spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of being the role models of their teachings, they take the lead is committing the opposite.
The writer sympathizes with the believers whose are required to pay some coins to be forgiven their sins. Nuns are also included in the saga. From Chaucer's writings, it easy to argue that he was once a follower of the catholic followers and felt the pinch of the religion. It can be derived from his lines "He'd gladly thresh, or dig to make a ditch, for love of Christ, to help the poor in plight." (Rigby, 2014.)
Chaucer's work, in conclusion, gives a bad image of the church. In the long run, the society and believers have questioned the transparency of the Christian religion as a whole. About Monks, the church priests are supposed to be responsible for following up the believers. Contrary to this, they sit and leave modest lifestyle. The Friar class celebrates when they hear the bourgeoisies promise vast sums of money to them. Sin according to Monks is an item of wealth where they get money to pardon their faults.
Work Cited.
Rigby, S H, and A J. Minnis. Historians on Chaucer: The 'general Prologue' to the Canterbury Tales. , 2014.
Melillo, Marcie. The Ultimate Barbie Doll Book. Book Iola, Wis: Krasue, 2004.
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