Pope Gregory VII

Pope from 1073 to 1085, Gregory VII led reforms against clerical marriage and simony and asserted papal authority over secular rulers, most famously in his conflict with Henry IV over investiture.

Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman Emperor from 1084, Henry IV opposed Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. Their struggle over bishop appointments culminated in Henry’s penance at Canossa and later military action against Gregory.
Investiture Controversy: A conflict between popes and secular rulers over who could appoint and invest bishops. Gregory’s ban on lay investiture made this struggle the defining crisis of his papacy.
Gregorian Reform: An eleventh-century movement to reform clerical conduct and increase the independence of the Church. Gregory became its most forceful papal advocate and gave the movement its lasting name.
Papal supremacy: The doctrine that the pope holds supreme authority over the Church and, in some formulations, temporal rulers. Gregory advanced expansive claims for papal power in his conflict with the emperor.
Matilda of Tuscany: A powerful Italian ruler, Matilda of Tuscany supported the papacy during the Investiture Controversy. Her lands and military support helped Gregory resist Henry IV in Italy.
Dictatus papae: A collection of propositions about papal authority recorded in the papal register in 1075. Its claims included the pope’s power to depose emperors, sharpening Gregory’s dispute with Henry IV.
Simony: The buying or selling of ecclesiastical offices or spiritual benefits. Gregory condemned simony as a corruption of Church office and authority.
Holy Roman Empire: A Central European political entity that endured from the Middle Ages until 1806. The investiture struggle exposed the limits and reach of imperial authority within the Empire.
Hildebrand of Sovana: The name Gregory VII used before becoming pope, Hildebrand was a leading reformer in the Roman Church. His influence in papal politics preceded his election as Gregory VII.
Excommunication: A formal exclusion from participation in the sacraments and communion of the Church. Gregory excommunicated Henry IV and released his subjects from their oaths of allegiance.

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