How Money Corrupted the Church: 16th Century France: Meditation in Time of Retreat: Introduction

It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, and that was certainly the case in France in the sixteenth century. A long civil war led to a chaotic society. The emptiness of the age led both the king and the Church to seek to fill this emptiness with money and power. Moreover, there was a need for both the state and the Church to protect themselves from this chaos, which they did in the form of mutually beneficial agreements. Church positions during this time were controlled by the king, whereas the Church enjoyed certain benefits as well.