Religious life

This is a very complex subject, but i'll start with a brief overview of the church hierarchy. At the top was the pope who saw himself as Jesus' successor and ruled like a king. Below him were cardinals, archbishops and bishops who were the equivalent of noblemen. Then came the priests and friars who acted as footsoldiers spreading the word of God. Below them were the deacons, monks and nuns: priests in training or laymen who answered a higher calling. At the very bottom were the laymen who had to pay tithes to Rome and risked being tortured or burned by inquisitors if they stepped out of line