How was The Black Plague a disaster? Who suffered during The Black Plague? How did The Black Plague affect the role of the church? What was a single positive outcome of The Black Plague?

1. How was The Black Plague a disaster?

The black plague was a disaster because it is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe's population. In total, the plague may have reduced the world population from an estimated 475 million to 350-375 million in the 14th century. The disease spread so rapidly that before any physicians or government authorities had time to reflect upon its origins, about a third of the European population had already perished. It killed some 75 to 200 million people in Eurasia.

2. Who suffered during The Black Plague?

The Black Plague affected basically the entirety of Eurasia. One group that was adversely impacted by the Black Death was the nobility in many European regions and kingdoms. The nobility suffered as much as many others classes as a result of the plague. In crowded cities, it was not uncommon for as much as 50% of the population to die. The disease bypassed some areas, with the most isolated areas being less vulnerable to contagion. Monks, nuns, and priests were especially hard-hit since they cared for victims of the Black Death. The suffering was general in the population, so much that the universality of death turned into a central topic in art, consisting of the depiction of personified Death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave: typically with an emperor, a king, a pope, a monk, a youngster, and a beautiful girl, all in skeleton state.

3. How did The Black Plague affect the role of the church?

Because they did not understand the biology of the disease, many people believed that the Black Death was a kind of divine punishment; retribution for sins against God. So initially, the Church saw a revival in religion among many. However, as the hysteria quieted down, some Christians turned their anger at the Catholic Church that seemed helpless to stop the plague. In fact, many local priests either died of the plague or abandoned their parishes when it struck. The result was a shortage of trained monks and priests. To deal with this, the Church hastily trained new monks and priests to serve the spiritual needs of the community, which meant that many unsuitable individuals became clerics and this led to a drop in standards among parish priests, in particular. The Church became corrupt and gradually over time lost the respect of many believers. In the short term the Black Death strengthened the Catholic Church in Italy, but in the long run, an increasingly corrupt institution meant that many people lost their faith.

4. What was a single positive outcome of The Black Plague?

Because the Black Death killed so many people, there was much more demand for the workers and peasants who survived. They were able to get better wages and working conditions. This helped to improve their standard of living and it also helped to give them more power over their lives. The survivors of the Black Death generally had a higher standard of living than before the plague, and this was a phenomenon that occurred in both urban and rural areas.