Political | decline-of-middle-

Investiture Controversy (1078-1122)

The Investiture Controversy was the conflicts in the time period between 1078-1122 involving the Holy Roman Empire, France, and England dealing with papacy. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the countries looked up to the pope for guidance. The rulers and the kings anointed numerous Christian duties, such as protecting the catholic property and the foundation of churches. Therefore, the issue of lay investiture gave the kings power to solely appoint church officials, in other words making them subject to the king.

In 1046, Henry III deposed Pope Benedict IX and replaced him with Pope Leo IX. When Pope Leo IX died in 1054, Gregory VII was elected to be the new pope. Gregory VII issued the “Papal Election Decree”, stating that only the cardinals can elect popes as well as only the popes can elect cardinals. Subsequently, the fight between the pope and the Holy Roman Empire grew intense when Gregory VII banned lay investiture in 1075. Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor, insisted on his authority as a divine sovereign to involve himself and his nation with the church, but the pope refused.

In addition, Pope Gregory VII excommunicated and deposed Henry IV in 1076. In the end, the investiture controversy ended at the signing of the Concordat of Worms.

Concordat of Worms (1122) is an agreement between Pope Calixtus II (1065-1124) and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V (1086-1125). It was made near the City of Worms to end the struggle over the Investiture Controversy (a struggle between the empire and the papacy over the control of church offices.

Also, the Concordat of Worms recognized the right for the church to appoint its own bishops and not by the political rulers of the state. The man chosen was first to be invested with the regalia like a crown, scepter, and other ornaments used at a coronation, or powers, privileges, and lands pertaining to his office as vassal, for which he gained from the emperor, and then with the spiritualia, an alcoholic beverage that's distilled rather than fermented.