Chaucer's attitude towards the Church in the prologue to the canterbury tales.

Chaucer's attitude to the Church in the Prologue to the Canterbury tales. Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in the 14th Century. At the time the church had a very high status, and was very powerful. People went on long pilgrimages to visit holy places. The Canterbury tales is about a group of pilgrims who each told stories on their pilgrimage to Canterbury. Many of the pilgrims were a part of the church. There was a …

…he praises the parson for setting a Christian example in leading a simple and charitable life. Of all the many religious characters Chaucer writes about there is only one, the simple parson, who he thinks is leading a good Christian life. In this way Chaucer is very critical of the Church and he obviously believes that very few of the nuns, monks, priests, friars, clergymen and church employees are leading a similar good Christian life.