The Catholic Church was the single most powerful and unifying institution in medieval Europe.

Its spiritual authority was universal in the West, and the Pope in Rome was the head of the entire Christian world.

The Church was a major political power, with popes often claiming authority over kings and emperors.

It was the largest landowner in Europe and collected a mandatory tax called the tithe, making it immensely wealthy.

The sacraments of the Church, such as baptism and communion, were considered essential for every Christian's salvation.

The Church was the primary center of learning and literacy, with monasteries preserving ancient texts through hand-copying.

It operated its own system of courts and canon law, which governed matters like marriage, inheritance, and heresy.

Monastic orders, like the Benedictines and Cistercians, played a vital role in society through prayer, work, and charity.

The Church was the main patron of art and architecture, leading to the construction of great Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals.

Its tools of power included excommunication (expelling an individual) and the interdict (denying sacraments to an entire region), which could discipline even powerful monarchs.