Using the Ordeal of the Cross to Obtain Divine Judgment
It never replaced trial by combat although intended to do so
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church regulated and defined individual’s lives. It was a unifying and centralized power while feudalism lasted. Everyone, regardless of rank or status, adhered to its beliefs and doctrines. So it’s no surprise that society might seek justice through judgments of God (iudicium Dei).
More commonly known as trials by ordeal, these physical tests sought to divine the truth. They usually applied when there was no “certain proof,” such as a lack of evidence, witnesses, or alternative means of establishing the truth. The ordeals allowed an omnipotent and just God to reveal the truth. “Let doubtful cases be determined by the judgment of God,” said a legal directive of King Charlemagne.
Although other cultures used trials by ordeal, the Roman Empire didn’t. They began appearing in medieval Europe from the sixth to the eighth century. Initially sanctioned by the Church, they often occurred on church property and were administered and supervised by clerics. Many are familiar today, thanks to modern media. They included trials by fire (carrying a red hot poker a certain distance), cauldron (taking a stone or ring out of a container of boiling water), cold water (seeing…
