Meet the Middle Ages
BackThe Orthodox Church
The people of eastern Europe belonged to the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox church does not have a head like the Catholic Pope, but has some 20 independent churches. The two largest are the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The monasteries are very important to the Orthodox Church. In the Middle Ages, the Orthodox monasteries were more secluded than the Catholic ones, with prayer and meditation being an important part of daily life.