Chapter 8Section 2 Notes

The Holy Roman EmpireIn 936, Duke Otto I of Saxony took the title

King of GermanyHe worked closely with the Church and

appointed bishops to government positionsHe sent troops to help the pope outHe and his heirs were titled Holy Roman

Emperors---”holy” because they were crowned by the pope, and “Roman” because they saw themselves as heirs to the emperors of ancient Rome

Duke Otto I

Conflicts between Popes and EmperorsUnder the reforming pope Gregory VII, the

conflict between emperors and the Church erupted

Gregory was one of the greatest medieval popes but he was also among the most controversial

Pope Gregory VII

Pope Gregory VIIHe was determined to make the Church

independent of secular rulersHe banned the practice of lay investiture---

the practice in which a lay person “invested” or presented bishops with the ring and staff that symbolized their office

According to Pope Gregory VII, only the pope had the right to appoint and install bishops in office

Emperor Henry IVHe argued that bishops held their lands as

royal fiefsSince he was their overlord, Henry felt

entitled to give them the symbols of officeThe feud heated up as the two men

exchanged insulting notes

Emperor Henry IV

The Struggle IntensifiesIn 1076, Gregory excommunicated Henry Henry was faced with revolts at home and was

forced to make peace with the popeHenry traveled to see Gregory and beg for his

forgivenessGregory knew that Henry was just trying to

save his throne. Still, as a priest, he had no choice to forgive a confessed sinner

He lifted the order of excommunication and Henry went on to subdue his rebellious nobles and later forced the pope into exile

Concordat of WormsThe struggle over investiture dragged on for

almost 50 yearsFinally in 1122, both sides accepted a treaty

known as the Concordat of WormsIn it, they agreed that the Church had the

sole power to elect and invest bishops with spiritual authority

The emperor, however, had the right to invest them with fiefs

Frederick BarbarossaAlso known as Frederick I or “Red Beard”Dreamed of building an empire from the

Baltic to the AdriaticFor years, he fought to bring the wealthy

cities of northern Italy under his control

Frederick Barbarossa

The Height of Church PowerPope Innocent III took office in 1198 and

embodied the triumph of the ChurchHe was actually elected pope a month before

he was ordained a priestHe claimed supremacy over all other rulers---

he clashed with all the powerful rulers of his day

Annul---to invalidateCrusade---holy war