Emperor Henry IV called a meeting with the bishops and with their approval he sent Pope Gregory VII a letter ordering him to step down. Gregory sent a letter back excommunicating Henry IV. Henry asked for forgiveness to no avail. In January 1077, Henry went to Canossa where Gregory was visiting still trying to get forgiveness. After making Henry wait three days out in the snow, Pope Gregory finally ended his excommunication.
Pope Gregory VII was one of the most prominent opponents of lay investiture during the Investiture Controversy in the 11th century. He believed that only the church had the authority to appoint bishops and saw lay investiture as an encroachment on the church's independence.
Question 5: Correct Answer- The Pope
The appointment of church officials by kings and nobles rather than by the pope
Pope Gregory VII, and Henry IV
Lay Investiture is too broad a topic to cover in a quick answer site like WikiAnswers, below are links to articles about it in WikiPedia and the Catholic Encyclopedia.
The issue lay investiture was considered so important by both German emperors and popes because Henry IV believed that he had the right to appoint bishops of the German church but Pope Gregory VII angrily opposed lay investiture and responded to the emperor's attempt to name bishops by excommunicating Henry IV.
The issue of lay investiture was considered so important by both German emperors and popes because Henry IV believed that he had the right to appoint bishops of the German church but Pope Gregory VII angrily opposed lay investiture and responded to the emperor's attempt to name bishops by excommunicating Henry IV.
1075-Lay investiture banned; 1077-Henry IV's journey to Canossa; 1122-The Concordat at Worms compromise on lay investiture; 1176-Battle of Legnano. All were power struggles because the duties and privileges of Church and state were changing during this time.
The Mongolian invasion
lay investiture
The Lay Investiture Controversy in medieval Europe was significant because it was a power struggle between the Pope and secular rulers over the appointment of church officials. This conflict highlighted the tension between religious and political authority, ultimately leading to the separation of church and state and the assertion of papal supremacy in matters of church governance.
Pope Gregory VII was one of the most prominent figures opposed to lay investiture during the 11th century. His conflict with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV epitomized the struggle between church and state over the appointment of bishops and abbots. Gregory's insistence on the church's authority to appoint its own leaders culminated in the Investiture Controversy, which significantly shaped the relationship between ecclesiastical and secular powers in medieval Europe.