This is the Investiture Crisis a dispute between the Pope and the Emperor as to whom had the right to invest Bishops the lay ruler or the Church.
It was symptomatic of a dispute between the Pope and the Emperor as to their authority, in particular their authority over each other.
Pope Gregory eventually won this dispute and Henry was forced to seek absolution from the Pope.
The dispute over the secular power of the Pope (and for that matter the right of the secular ruler to have control over the Church) did not end here however and by the later Middle Ages the secular power of the papacy had effectively ended outside the Papal State and this ended in 1870 with the fall of Rome to the Italian army.
Pope Gregory VII checked the power of the Holy Roman Emperor by asserting the principle of papal supremacy, particularly through the famous Investiture Controversy. He opposed the practice of lay investiture, where secular leaders appointed church officials, claiming that only the pope had the authority to appoint bishops. This conflict culminated in the excommunication of Emperor Henry IV, which weakened his authority and led to a significant power struggle between the papacy and the monarchy. Gregory's actions reinforced the idea that the pope held spiritual authority over secular rulers.
Pope Gregory VII clashed with and excommunicated the German emperor, Henry IV, during the Investiture Controversy in the 11th century. This conflict arose over the appointment of bishops and who had the authority to invest them with their symbols of office.
What were Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV in disagreement about
1050-1100 A.D. PLATO Answers FTW
Roman Catholic AnswerThe issue was lay investiture, where the Emperor was filling the vacant sees of Bishops. Pope Gregory VII removed this power, when Henry refused to go along with him, Pope Gregory excommunicated him and all the bishops that he appointed it. However, Henry immediately submitted so the Holy Father had to reinstate him and give him penance.
. Emperor Henry IV
Pope Gregory VII
An argument went on between Gregory and Henry. This argument was on whether Henry or Gregory should choose the next Bishop. Gregory got rejected by the Roman's on whether he should pick the next Bishop because of Henry. So Gregory "Excommunicated" Henry. Henry then traveled to Italy to apologize to Gregory. Before Gregory forgave him Henry stood out in the snow for three days out side of Gregory's room.
Gregory the Great
The relationship between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany was marked by intense conflict over the authority of the church versus the monarchy, culminating in the Investiture Controversy. Gregory VII's assertion of papal supremacy and his excommunication of Henry IV in 1076 led to a significant power struggle. Henry's subsequent penance at Canossa in 1077 temporarily reconciled them, but tensions persisted, ultimately resulting in a weakening of royal authority in Germany and reinforcing papal power. This conflict laid the groundwork for ongoing disputes between church and state in medieval Europe.
No. Pope Gregory VII in 1079AD decreed the practice.
Henry lV violated the pope's orders.