Page 56 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

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McNeill, J. R. (2000). Something new under the sun: An environmental and legacy of his earliest patron, Gregory VI. Gregory VII
history of the twentieth century. New York: W.W. Norton. took the helm of the Catholic Church at a time when it
Pimentel, D., & Pimentel, M. (1979). Food, energy, and society. New
York: Wiley. was undergoing one of its most devastating periods of
Pimentel, D., & Lehman, H. (Eds.). (1993). The pesticide question: Envi- moral decay. His resolve of moral character allowed him
ronment, economics, and ethics. New York: Chapman & Hall.
Rosset, P., & Benjamin, M. (Eds.). (1994) The greening of the revolution: to attempt reforms within the church and battle its most
Cuba’s experiment with organic agriculture. Melbourne, Australia: significant problems: the buying and selling of sacred
Ocean Press. offices (simony), clerical incontinency, and lay investiture.
Schusky, E. L. (1989). Culture and agriculture:An ecological introduction
to traditional and modern farming systems. New York: Bergin & Garvey. Another issue of concern for the reforming pontiff was
Shiva,V. (1992). The violence of the Green Revolution: Third World agri- an effort to free the eastern Christians from the Seljuk
culture, ecology and politics. London: Zed Books.
Tolba, M. K., & El-Kholy, O. A. (Eds.). (1992). The world environment, Turks. In response to a letter (1073) to the pope from
1972–1992. London: Chapman & Hall. Byzantine Emperor Michael VII (reigned 1068–1078),
World Resources Institute. (1996). World resources, 1996–1997. New Gregory VII wrote to the European monarchs and
York: Oxford University Press.
princes urging them to rally support for the defense of
the Christian East. This call, however, met with indiffer-
ence and opposition.
In his efforts to reform the church and restore its
Gregory VII integrity, the pontiff deposed (1074) a number of bish-

(c. 1020–1085) ops who had bought their offices. That same year he
Roman Catholic pope and saint issued a papal encyclical that absolved people from their
obedience to local bishops who allowed their clergy to
ope Gregory VII, whose baptized name was Hilde- marry. In 1075 he ordered the abolishment of lay investi-
Pbrand, is considered to be one of the most influential tures. Finally, he affirmed Gregory VI’s spiritual sover-
popes in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and eignty over monarchs. In his efforts to reform the church,
in European history. Gregory VII was met with a storm of opposition. He was
Although his early life remains a mystery, his origins opposed not only by laymen but by the clergy, especially
were quite humble.At a very young age, Hildebrand was by the bishops. Eventually, Gregory VII waged a fierce
sent to be educated at a Cluniac monastery in Rome. As battle against his chief rival, Holy Roman Emperor
a Benedictine monk, he entered the service of the future Henry IV (1050–1106).
pope Gregory VI and later served as his chaplain. Prior The conflict between the pope and emperor, known as
to his own selection as pope, Hildebrand served six dif- the Investiture Controversy (1075–1122), was primarily
ferent pontiffs, rising in power and prestige during this a dispute over whether the imperial or the papal power
time. His remarkable talents as administrator would was to be supreme in Christian Europe. The current
later define his role as head of the Roman Catholic phase of the controversy culminated in both Henry IV
Church.Two central themes dominate Hildebrand’s the- and Gregory VII excommunicating each other. During
ological mind-set: the superiority of church to state, and Gregory VII’s trip to Augsburg to depose Henry IV and
all significant church matters of dispute were to be select a new emperor, he was met at the Castle of
resolved by the papacy. In light of these positions, his Canossa by Henry IV, who supposedly stood barefoot in
papacy was dominated by conflict from both within and the snow for three days begging the pope’s forgiveness.
without the church. Although the matter was resolved temporarily, subse-
After the death of Pope Alexander II (1073), Hilde- quent disputes between the two leaders would lead
brand was acclaimed the new pontiff. Consecrated in Henry IV to march on Rome and force the pope to flee
1073 as Gregory VII Hildebrand honored the memory and take refuge.