The First Order: The Clergy

The First Order, the clergy, stood at the very top of medieval European society, its power rooted not in land or arms but in prayer and the authority of the Church. In the NCERT’s account, this order was divided into two distinct ranks: the regular clergy, who lived apart from the world in monasteries under strict rules, and the secular clergy, who worked directly among the people in parishes and dioceses. Because the clergy alone could perform the sacraments and guide souls toward salvation, their influence reached into every corner of life, making them indispensable to the social order. Their wealth and status, drawn from tithes and vast estate …