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Born circa 1020 and baptized as Hildebrand, Pope Gregory VII served six popes before he himself was elected in 1073. His main theological concerns focused on the superiority of church over state and a pope’s right to be the final arbiter of all significant church disputes. He was beatified in 1584 and canonized as Pope Saint Gregory VII in 1728.
Pope Gregory VII, whose baptized name was Hildebrand, is considered to be one of the most influential popes in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and in European history.
Although his early life remains a mystery, his origins were quite humble. At a very young age, Hildebrand was sent to be educated at a Cluniac monastery in Rome. As a Benedictine monk, he entered the service of the future pope Gregory VI and later served as his chaplain. Prior to his own selection as pope, Hildebrand served six different pontiffs, rising in power and prestige during this time. His remarkable talents as administrator would later define his role as head of the Roman Catholic Church. Two central themes dominate Hildebrand’s theological mind-set: the superiority of church to state, and all significant church matters of dispute were to be resolved by the papacy. In light of these positions, his papacy was dominated by conflict from both within and without the church.
After the death of Pope Alexander II (1073), Hildebrand was acclaimed the new pontiff. Consecrated in 1073 as Gregory VII, Hildebrand honored the memory and legacy of his earliest patron, Gregory VI. Gregory VII took the helm of the Catholic Church at a time when it was undergoing one of its most devastating periods of moral decay. His resolve of moral character allowed him to attempt reforms within the church and battle its most significant problems: the buying and selling of sacred offices (simony), clerical incontinency, and lay investiture. Another issue of concern for the reforming pontiff was an effort to free the eastern Christians from the Seljuk Turks.
In response to a letter (1073) to the pope from the Byzantine emperor Michael VII (reigned 1068–1078), Gregory VII wrote to the European monarchs and princes urging them to rally support for the defense of the Christian East. This call, however, met with indifference and opposition.
In his efforts to reform the church and restore its integrity, the pontiff deposed (1074) a number of bishops who had bought their offices. That same year he issued a papal encyclical that absolved people from their obedience to local bishops who allowed their clergy to marry. In 1075 he ordered the abolishment of lay investitures. Finally, he affirmed Gregory VI’s spiritual sovereignty over monarchs. In his efforts to reform the church, Gregory VII was met with a storm of opposition. He was opposed not only by laymen but by the clergy, especially by the bishops. Eventually, Gregory VII waged a fierce battle against his chief rival, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (1050–1106).
The conflict between the pope and emperor, known as the Investiture Controversy (1075–1122), was primarily a dispute over whether the imperial or the papal power was to be supreme in Christian Europe. The current phase of the controversy culminated in both Henry IV and Gregory VII excommunicating each other. During Gregory VII’s trip to Augsburg to depose Henry IV and select a new emperor, he was met at the Castle of Canossa by Henry IV, who supposedly stood barefoot in the snow for three days begging the pope’s forgiveness. Although the matter was resolved temporarily, subsequent disputes between the two leaders would lead Henry IV to march on Rome and force the pope to flee and take refuge.
Pope Gregory VII died at Salerno on 25 May 1085. Prior to death, Gregory VII absolved all whom he had excommunicated with the exception of Henry IV and the antipope Guibert. According to religious history accounts, the pontiff’s final words were “I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile.” His body was interred in the Church of Saint Matthew in Salerno. Hildebrand was beatified in 1584, and canonized as Pope Saint Gregory VII by Pope Benedict XIII in 1728.
Bibliography:
- Coppa, F. J. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Vatican and papacy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
- Cowdrey, H. E. J. (1998). Pope Gregory VII, 1073–1085. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Cowdrey, H. E. J. (2000). Popes and church reform in the 11th century. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing.
- Cowdrey, H. E. J. (2002). The Register of Pope Gregory VII, 1073– 1085: An English translation. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Levillain, P. (2002). The papacy: An encyclopedia. New York: Routledge.
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