Was Pope as Gregory VII from 1073-1085. He claimed unprecedented power for the papacy. Gregory held as his ideal the creation of a Christian commonwealth under papal control. He insisted that the spiritual power was supreme over the temporal. In his clash with emperor Henry IV, the pope accused Henry of simony and lay investiture and excommunicated Henry and deposed him. Henry eventually appeared before Gregory barefoot in the snow for three days begging forgiveness until Gregory relented and reconciled him.
[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Gregory-VII, Hildebrand, history[/tags]
