在中古时代的欧洲,罗马教教会,特别是教会核心机构的教廷,乃是当时封建社会封建统治的一个最大与最高的统治机构与剥削机构。到了中古末期,公元一五○○年左右,也就是宗教改革运动的前夕,教会拥有西欧各国财富的三分之一,主要的为土地与房产。教会的首长,绝大部分都为王族或贵族大地主出身。就财权讲,就血缘关系讲,就社会的位讲,教皇,主教,修院院长与一般的王公大人封建领主完全是一家人,有许多大的教士根本就又兼为封建领主,最高的可以为帝王的直属诸侯。这一套,今日虽大部都已成了过去的东跡,但我们若要了解现代的罗马教,郤必须认识这个封建时代的重大背景。 In medieval Europe, the Church of Rome, especially the Holy See, the core of the church, was the largest and highest ruling and exploiting institution of the feudal society under the feudal rule of that time. By the late Middle Ages, on the eve of the Reformation Movement about 1550 AD, the Church owned one third of the wealth of Western European nations, mainly land and real estate. The chief of the church, most of them are royal or aristocratic landowners. As far as property right is concerned, in terms of blood relationship, in terms of society, the pope, bishop, priest and general feudal lord of the kings and grandchildren are all one family. Many of the great priests are simply feudal lords, and the highest Can be directly under the emperor’s princes. This set, though most of today has become a legacy of the past, but if we want to understand the modern Roman religion, we must recognize the great background of this feudal era.