The black death
The black death (1348): the plague as fear of the end.
The worst epidemic ever in Europe raged from 1348 to 1351. The people were crazy with fear, everyone could be affected. The uncertainty created a religious dimension. Extreme flagellants tried to influence the judgment of God. Jews were massively murdered in cities such as Strasbourg. They had cleanliness regulations thanks to the Torah and did not die as massively as the other Europeans. That led to suspicion and it was thought that they poisoned the drinking water.
The pope had another solution: he sat between fires for six months and came into contact with almost no one. Partly for that reason, he survived the plague. The priests who helped the people and buried the dead did not survive. People thus had less appreciation for the pope. People became more religious, but also more critical of the church.
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