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Pope Gregory VI abdicates December 20 and retires to Germany with his chaplain Hildebrand after being charged at the Council of Sutri with simony (the buying and selling of Church offices; the name is derived from that of Simon Magus, a Samaritan sorcerer mentioned in the Bible). The German king is crowned Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich III Christmas Day at Rome by the Saxon nobleman Suidger, bishop of Bamberg, who has accompanied Heinrich on his expedition to Italy and has been installed by Heinrich as Pope Clement II.




