The common believer professes in church ceremonies to uphold the catechism and follow the Church in everything. Then goes on to practise all sorts of quasi or genuinely pagan customs and beliefs, cheat on his wife, steal from the poor, and so on. The top clergy does all that, plus uses some popular pagan practices/beliefs to keep in connection with (and keep influence over) the masses, and keeps others handy if some individuals or groups are selected for retorsions. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
They Should All Be Sent Back Where They Came From. Except for the people these armchair racists actually knew, who "weren't like all the others."
My point is that localised acceptance of homosexuality within a small community-where the couple would be someone's sisters, brothers, cousins, in-laws-doesn't necessarily prove acceptance of homosexuality per se.
The Black Death ended the manor system, where the serfs were effectively the property of their lord and couldn't travel without his permission.
Maybe the displacement/mobility of the population broke the personal ties that had been the reason for tolerance in the face of anti-gay propaganda?
Only in part of Europe. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
In the year 1000, one would be a serf of such noble person, whereas by 1400, one would be a serf/freeman of this village, who happened to be ruled by a certain lord.
Also, the move from a clans-based society to a core-family based society reinforced the sanctity of marriage, which was less used as a means of alliance between families, and thus became more strongly normalised : only clerics remained celibate ; lay people remaining celibate became suspected of heresy. This reinforcement of the sanctity of marriage was actively promoted by the church ; it goes hand in hand with its involvement in the social norms of sexuality. Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
I'm guessing here, but I would think that if you asked the Pope he'd tell you that such things where always contrary to central church teaching
Welll that would be a bit difficult to argue if you quote the
At St John Lateran in Rome (traditionally the Pope's parish Church) in 1578 as many as 13 couples were "married" at Mass with the apparent co-operation of the local clergy, "taking Communion together, using the same nuptial Scripture, after which they slept and ate together", according to a contemporary report.
apparent co-operation
