Pope Gregory VII

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Gregory VII
Gregory VII

Pope Gregory VII (c. 1020/1025 – May 25, 1085), born Hildebrand of Soana (Italian: Ildebrando di Soana), was elevated to the papacy on April 22, 1073, and remained pope until his death.

One of the great reforming popes, Gregory is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, when he fought against Emperor Henry IV.

Contents

[edit] Beginnings

On the death of Alexander II (April 21, 1073), Hildebrand became pope and took the name of Gregory VII. The mode of his election was highly criticized by his opponents. It is clear from his own report of the circumstances of his election that the forms prescribed by the law of 1059 were not observed. But he was accepted by the people of Rome.

[edit] Investiture Controversy

In the higher ranks of the German clergy Gregory had many enemies. Therefore King Henry declared Gregory were no longer pope and the Romans shoul choose a new pope [1]. When Gregory heard of this he excommunicated Henry IV, declared he was no longer emperor and absolved his subjects from the oaths they had sworn to him.

The excommunication of the king made a deep impression both in Germany and Italy. Thirty years before, Henry III had deposed three popes, but when Henry IV tried to copy this procedure he had not the support of the people. The Saxons began a second rebellion, and the anti-royalist party grew in strength from month to month.

[edit] Canossa

The situation now became extremely critical for Henry. It became clear that at any price he had to get his absolution from Gregory. At first he tried this by an embassy, but when Gregory rejected this, he went to Italy in person.

The pope had already left Rome. Henry tried to force the pope to grant him absolution by doing penance before him at Canossa, where Gregory stayed. For a Christian it seemed impossible to deny a penitent re-entrance into the church, and therefore Gregory removed the ban. But a new conflict followed because Henry IV thought the end of excommunication meant he was king again. But Gregory did not decide that.

[edit] Second excommunication of Henry

The opposition of the rebellious German nobles used the excommunication of Henry to set up a rival king Duke Rudolph of Swabia (Forchheim, March 1077). At first Gregory seemed to be neutral because the two parties (emperor an rebels) were of fairly equal strength. But finally he decided for Rudolph of Swabia after his victory at Flarchheim (January 27, 1080) and declared the excommunication and deposition of King Henry again(March 7, 1080).

This was widely felt to be an injustice. When Rudolph of Swabia died on October 16 of the same year, Henry, now more experienced, took up the struggle. In 1081 he opened the conflict against Gregory in Italy. Gregory had now become less powerful, and thirteen cardinals deserted him. Rome surrendered to the German king, and Guibert of Ravenna enthroned as Clement III (March 24, 1084). Henry was crowned emperor by his rival, while Gregory himself had to flee from Rome in the company of his Norman "vassal," Robert Guiscard.

[edit] References

This article includes text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Please add to the article as needed.

[edit] Further reading

  • H. E. J. Cowdrey, 1998. Pope Gregory VII: 1073–1085 (Oxford and New York:Clarendon Press) The first scholarly biography in sixty years.