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The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the middle ages, and had its own laws and large coffers. Church leaders such as Bishops and Archbishops sat on the king’s council and played leading roles in government. So that means that the bishops, archbishops and the kings ruled the government along with the catholic church in medieval Europe. Parish priests on the other hand came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and if he was able he would teach Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village. The priest would take care of the sick but would take peoples food for taxes.