论黑死病期间的英国教会

在教会看来,黑死病是上帝因世人的罪孽而降下的惩罚,故而对之主要的防治也应该以忏悔为主.这些对策的确没有起到令人满意的效果,但这是当时科学水平有限的情况下教会所能采取的最好选择,并且,对这种解释迅速的传达和有关措施周密的布置本身就证明了教会面对瘟疫的积极态度,对社会的稳定也不无裨益.另外,教会还积极的进行临终抚慰、开辟墓地等稳定社会秩序的活动.尽管有一些教职人员的确有腐败的行为,但对此我们必须辨证地看待,因为他们相当多数并非原来教会的成员,而是在原有教士大量死亡之际紧急补充进来的人员.

Britain church in the period of the Black Death

In church's view,the Black Death was an act of God,sent to punish mankind for its sinfulness.It followed,therefore,that the only effective hope of averting the plague was backing up the appeal with contrition and penance.This was the most rational choice in that period which had limited medicine,and these countermeasures did great to bestead the society against the turbulence and confusion.What is more,church strengthened the spirit console of the patients and their families by expanding the immunity and made contributions to inaugurate common tombs,bury corpses etc.In addition,most of the corrupt priests were the people who succeed previous priests which were killed by the plague.