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Phase two: Church and Sacraments During the Dark Ages.

The period of Western history from about A.D. 400 to 1000 is often called the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages were brought about by the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.

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The Easter Churches 
In A.D. 451 the Council of the Chalcedon declared that the bishop of Roman was the highest authority in the church.

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DOWNLOAD HERE: http://bit.ly/QiR2NQ With powerful music and images, this Easter mini-movie will provide an emotional introduction to your Easter worship service or Easter sermon celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The video begins by reminding us of the sufferings of Jesus before and during His crucifixion on Good Friday.

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A Broad View of Sacraments    Although Augustine began to narrow down the Church's understanding of what constituted a sacrament, he still thought of sacraments in the broad sense as" signs of a sacred thing."Some Sacraments Seen as More Important While believing that many things could be sacraments, Augustine also believed that some sacraments were more important to the church than others. 

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A Broad View of Sacraments    Although Augustine began to narrow down the Church's understanding of what constituted a sacrament, he still thought of sacraments in the broad sense as" signs of a sacred thing."Some Sacraments Seen as More Important While believing that many things could be sacraments, Augustine also believed that some sacraments were more important to the church than others. 

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Saint Augustine:"Administering and Receiving" Sacraments.

The general anxiety caused by the decline and fall of the Roman Empire spilled over into the church.

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The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West.     In the year 326, Constantine, the same emperor who had made Christianity legal, angered the citizens of Rome by refusing to participate in a pagan procession. Subsequently, in the year 330, he moved the ROman Empire's headquarters eastward from Roman Empire was split in two, never again to be reunited.

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The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West.     In the year 326, Constantine, the same emperor who had made Christianity legal, angered the citizens of Rome by refusing to participate in a pagan procession. Subsequently, in the year 330, he moved the ROman Empire's headquarters eastward from Roman Empire was split in two, never again to be reunited.

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Sacramental Practice in the Dark Ages .

After Augustine died, little new thinking about the sacraments took place until about the eleventh century, largely because of the social and cultural upheaval of the Dark Ages.

1. Confirmation because separated from Baptism .

2. Public penance was replaced by private confession.

3.Lay Involvement in the eucharistic liturgy decreased significantly.

4.Marriage came to be seen as a sacramental rite.

5.Anointing of the Sick became Anointing of the Dying.

6.presbyters  (priests) were ordained to preside at liturgical functions as the bishop's representatives.