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Law and the Church

Members of the church have immunity to all secular laws in Christian areas. That is, if a clergyman is accused of, for example, robbery, the local lord cannot do a thing to him. The church supposedly polices itself with ecclesial courts. In practice, these are used to punish churchmen who are common lawbreakers, but are also abused to allow the church to scoff at laws it doesn't like.

Similarly, the church cannot bring a layman to trial — not even for heresy and witchcraft. They can seize a layman, interrogate him, and turn him over to secular authorities with a pronouncement of guilt. It is still, however, up to the secular authorities to act.

About the only protected right in the 11th century legal system that remotely similar to modern expectations of the court is the sanctity of confession. No court, even an ecclesial one, can ask a priest what he heard in confession. No priest can ever reveal it, lest he face immediate excommunication.

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