Olha Stasiuk

This project examines the place of personae miserabiles (widows, orphans, and the poor) in the Canon Law of 11-13 centuries and analyzes different types of protection and aid mentioned in the canonical discourse whether they had to be provided by the ecclesiastical institutions or delegated to the secular powers or laity. Defining the theoretical framework of protection, it discusses episcopal and clerical responsibilities for protection, the position of miserabiles within the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the extent to which the miserabiles might seek assistance in the ecclesiastical court or at the local Church, and the tension between ecclesiastical and secular authorities in relation to protecting the unprotected. Finally, the research inquires how the ever-present practices of Christian charity became codified and enforced by legal principles within the context of major transformations of the medieval Church and society.