When Popes Were Emperors – The Clash between Henry and Gregory
In the year 1073, Hildebrand of Sovana (an Italian city) became Pope Gregory VII. The clash between papacy and emperor’s authority in (what we would today call) Germany, was already evident for quite some time. The Emperor Henry IV was 23 years old. One of the first few measures implemented by Gregory were, a ban on secular authority to appoint clergy (the lay investiture) and the ostracizing of some of the members of Henry’s council, which remained a dead letter in the eyes of Henry. However, faced with the Saxon uprising, the Emperor had no choice but to bow to the will of the Pope. His penance took place in Nuremberg.
Nonetheless, the armistice did not last long, for the Emperor, having defeated the Saxons in June 1075, went about reasserting his authority all over Northern Italy, to which the Pope responded with a letter threatening to strip Henry of his crown. Thereafter, at the Worms Synod (24 January 1076), the German bishops led by the Roman cardinal Hugo Candidus disobeyed the Pope and …show more content…
The German princes met in October that year to choose their new leader; however, no agreement was to be found then. Therefore, they presented Henry with a deadline for his penance, which expired on the eve of the first anniversary of excommunication. Consequently, Henry made a move that will ultimately become the stuff of legends and not in a good way for him. Immediately, he set out on a road trip to Italy begging for his penance. It was the middle of the winter and, having arrived at Canossa, Henry had to wait for three days in the snow for the Pope to show his mercy. After careful consideration of Henry’s motives and promises, the Pope agreed to give him penance. What German princes did next, points to the fact that they used the excommunication merely as an excuse to rebel against the young
In the year 1073, Hildebrand of Sovana (an Italian city) became Pope Gregory VII. The clash between papacy and emperor’s authority in (what we would today call) Germany, was already evident for quite some time. The Emperor Henry IV was 23 years old. One of the first few measures implemented by Gregory were, a ban on secular authority to appoint clergy (the lay investiture) and the ostracizing of some of the members of Henry’s council, which remained a dead letter in the eyes of Henry. However, faced with the Saxon uprising, the Emperor had no choice but to bow to the will of the Pope. His penance took place in Nuremberg.
Nonetheless, the armistice did not last long, for the Emperor, having defeated the Saxons in June 1075, went about reasserting his authority all over Northern Italy, to which the Pope responded with a letter threatening to strip Henry of his crown. Thereafter, at the Worms Synod (24 January 1076), the German bishops led by the Roman cardinal Hugo Candidus disobeyed the Pope and …show more content…
The German princes met in October that year to choose their new leader; however, no agreement was to be found then. Therefore, they presented Henry with a deadline for his penance, which expired on the eve of the first anniversary of excommunication. Consequently, Henry made a move that will ultimately become the stuff of legends and not in a good way for him. Immediately, he set out on a road trip to Italy begging for his penance. It was the middle of the winter and, having arrived at Canossa, Henry had to wait for three days in the snow for the Pope to show his mercy. After careful consideration of Henry’s motives and promises, the Pope agreed to give him penance. What German princes did next, points to the fact that they used the excommunication merely as an excuse to rebel against the young