page_title: Investiture Controversy
section_title: Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII
hierarchical_section_title: Investiture Controversy / Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII
caption_attribution_description: Afrikaans: Die Keiserkroning van Hendrik IV (links) deur Teenpous Clemens III (regs) op 31 Maart 1084. In die middel staan die Swaarddraer Paltsgraaf Herman II van Lotharinge. Afbeelding in die Kroniek van Otto von Freising, Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157). Беларуская: Клімент III (у цэнтры) і Генрых IV (злева). З кодэксу «Jenesis Bose» (1157). Антыпапа Клімент III (у цэнтры) і Генрых IV (злева)[7]. Български: Короноването на император Хайнрих IV (ляво) на 31 март 1084 г. В средата носачът на меча пфалцграф Херман II от Лотарингия. Хрониката на Ото от Фрайзинг, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Антипапа Климент III (средата) с Хайнрих IV (ляво) и императорският носач на меча пфалцграф Херман II от Лотарингия от Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Català: El antipapa Climent III i l'emperador Enric IV. Climent III (centre) amb Enric IV (esquerra), imatge del Codex Jenesis Bose. Čeština: Vzdoropapež Klement III. (uprostřed) s císařem Jindřichem IV. Deutsch: 1084: Heinrich IV. (links) und Clemens III. (Mitte). 1080: Heinrich&#160;IV. (links) und Clemens&#160;III. (Mitte). Gegenpapst Clemens&#160;III. (Bildmitte) mit Heinrich&#160;IV. (links) und dem kaiserlichen Schwertträger Pfalzgraf Hermann II. von Lothringen (dazwischen); Abbildung aus dem Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Die Kaiserkrönung Heinrichs IV. (links) durch Gegenpapst Clemens III. (rechts) am 31. März 1084. In der Mitte steht der Schwertführer Pfalzgraf Hermann II. von Lothringen. Abbildung in der Chronik von Otto von Freising, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). English: Contemporary illustration of the imperial crowning of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (left) by Antipope Clement III (middle-right). Between them stands the Imperial Swordbearer, Count Palatine Hermann II of Lotharingia. Picture in the chronicle of Otto of Freising, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Español: El antipapa Clemente III y el emperador Enrique IV. Coronación del emperador Enrique IV (izquierda) junto al antipapa Clemente III (derecha) el 31 de marzo de 1084. En el centro el Conde Palatino de Lotaringia Hermann II con la espada imperial. Ilustración de la crónica de Otto von Freising, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Eesti: 12. sajandi kujutis Clemens III-st (keskel). Vasakul keiser Heinrich IV. Français&#160;: L'antipape Clément III (au centre) avec l'empereur Henri IV, Codex Jenesis Bose q.6, daté de 1157. L'antipape Clément III (au centre) avec l'empereur Henry&#160;IV, Codex Jenesis Bose q.6, daté de 1157. Le couronnement d'Henri IV, Empereur des Romains (gauche) par Clement III (centre-droit). Entre eux se trouve le comte palatin Hermann II de Lotharingie. Chronique de Otto von Freising, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Le couronnement d'Henri IV, empereur germanique (gauche) par l'antipape Clément III (centre-droit). Entre eux se trouve l’écuyer tranchant Hermann II de Lotharingie, comte palatin. Chronique d’Othon de Freising, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). L'antipape Clément III et l'empereur Henri IV. Galego: Henrique IV xunto con Clemente III. (Codex Jenensis Bose datado cara o 1157). Hrvatski: Protupapa Klement III. (sredina) s Henrikom IV. (lijevo), Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157.). Magyar: III. Kelemen és IV. Henrik a Jenesis Bose Kódexben. Íslenska: Hinrik IV og Klemens III páfi sitja saman. Italiano: L'antipapa Clemente III (centro) con l'imperatore Enrico IV; immagine dal Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157). Latina: Antipapa Clemens III cum imperatore Henrico IV (ad dextram), Imago ex Codice Ienese (1157). Nederlands: Tegenpaus Clemens III (midden) met Hendrik IV (links). De keizerkroning van Hendrik IV (links) door tegenpaus Clemens III (31 maart 1084). Tussen hen beide staat als ceremoniezwaarddrager, paltsgraaf Herman II van Lotharingen. Pentekening in de kroniek van Otto van Fresing, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). Tegenpaus Clemens III (midden) met keizer Hendrik IV (links), afbeelding afkomstig uit Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157). De keizerkroning van Hendrik IV (links) door tegenpaus Clemens III (31 maart 1084). Tussen hen beide staat als ceremoniezwaarddrager, paltsgraaf Herman II van Lotharingen (pentekening in de kroniek van Otto van Fresing, Codex Jenensis Bose q.6 (1157)). Norsk bokmål: Motpaven Klemens III (i midten) med Henrik IV (til venstre, bilde fra Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157). Português: Antipapa Clemente III. (meio) com Henrique IV. (à esquerda), imagem de Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157). Русский: Антипапа Климент III (в центре) и Генрих IV(слева)[7]. Миниатюра епископа Оттона Фрейзингского (Codex Jenensis Bose). Коронование Генриха IV императорской короной. Между королём и антипапой Климентом III стоит меченосец Герман II, пфальцграф Лотарингский. Картинка из хроники Оттона Фрейзингского, 1157&#160;г. Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски: Protupapa Klement III. (sredina) s Henrikom IV. (lijevo), Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157.). Slovenščina: Cesar Henrik IV. Nemški in protipapež Klemen III. Українська: Генріх IV (лівору), граф Палантинський Герман та антипапа Клемент III (посередині) з Codex Jenensis Bose (1157). Антипапа Климент&#160;III (посередині) з Генріхом&#160;IV (зліва). Tiếng Việt: Giáo hoàng đối lập Clement III giữa và Hoàng đế Henry IV. 中文: 克雷芒三世(中)及亨利四世(左), Codex Jenesis Bose q.6 (1157).
context_page_description: The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops and abbots of monasteries and the pope himself. A series of popes in the 11th and 12th centuries undercut the power of the Holy Roman Emperor and other European monarchies, and the controversy led to nearly 50 years of civil war in Germany.
  It began as a power struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV in 1076. The conflict ended in 1122, when Pope Callixtus II and Emperor Henry V agreed on the Concordat of Worms. The agreement required bishops to swear an oath of fealty to the secular monarch, who held authority "by the lance" but left selection to the church. It affirmed the right of the church to invest bishops with sacred authority, symbolized by a ring and staff. In Germany, the Emperor also retained the right to preside over elections of abbots and bishops by church authorities, and to arbitrate disputes. Holy Roman Emperors renounced the right to choose the pope.
  In the meantime, there was also a brief but significant investiture struggle between Pope Paschal II and King Henry I of England from 1103 to 1107.
context_section_description: In 1075, Pope Gregory VII, composed the Dictatus papae, though this was not published at the time, cataloging principles of his Gregorian Reforms. One clause asserted that the deposal of an emperor was under the sole power of the pope. It declared that the Roman church was founded by God alone – that the papal power (the auctoritas of Pope Gelasius) was the sole universal power; in particular, a council held in the Lateran Palace from 24 to 28 February the same year decreed that the pope alone could appoint or depose churchmen or move them from see to see. By this time, Henry IV was no longer a child, and he continued to appoint his own bishops. He reacted to this declaration by sending Gregory VII a letter in which he withdrew his imperial support of Gregory as pope in no uncertain terms: the letter was headed "Henry, king not through usurpation but through the holy ordination of God, to Hildebrand, at present not pope but false monk". It called for the election of a new pope. His letter ends, "I, Henry, king by the grace of God, with all of my Bishops, say to you, come down, come down!", and is often quoted with "and to be damned throughout the ages", which is a later addition.
  The situation was made even more dire when Henry IV installed his chaplain, Tedald, a Milanese priest, as Bishop of Milan, when another priest of Milan, Atto, had already been chosen in Rome by the pope for candidacy. In 1076 Gregory responded by excommunicating Henry, and deposed him as German king, releasing all Christians from their oath of allegiance.
  Enforcing these declarations was a different matter, but the advantage gradually came to be on the side of Gregory VII. German princes and the aristocracy were happy to hear of the king's deposition. They used religious reasons to continue the rebellion started at the First Battle of Langensalza in 1075, and for seizure of royal holdings. Aristocrats claimed local lordships over peasants and property, built forts, which had previously been outlawed, and built up localized fiefdoms to secure their autonomy from the empire.
  Thus, because of these combining factors, Henry IV had no choice but to back down, needing time to marshal his forces to fight the rebellion. In 1077, he traveled to Canossa in northern Italy, where the Pope was staying in the castle of Countess Matilda, to apologize in person. The pope was suspicious of Henry's motives, and did not believe he was truly repentant. As penance for his sins, and echoing his own punishment of the Saxons after the First Battle of Langensalza, he wore a hair shirt and stood barefoot in the snow in what has become known as the Walk to Canossa. Gregory lifted the excommunication, but the German aristocrats, whose rebellion became known as the Great Saxon Revolt, were not as willing to give up their opportunity and elected a rival king, Rudolf von Rheinfeld. Three years later, Pope Gregory declared his support for von Rheinfeld and then on the Lenten synod of 7 March 1080 excommunicated Henry IV again. In turn, Henry called a council of bishops who proclaimed Gregory illegitimate. The internal revolt against Henry effectively ended that same year, however, when Rudolf von Rheinfeld died.
  Henry IV named Guibert of Ravenna (who he had invested as bishop of Ravenna) to be pope, referring to Clement III (known by the Catholic Church as Antipope Clement III) as "our pope". In 1081, Henry attacked Rome and besieged the city with the intent of forcibly removing Gregory VII and installing Clement III. The city of Rome withstood the siege, but the Vatican and St. Peters fell in 1083. On the outskirts of the city, Henry gained thirteen cardinals who became loyal to his cause. The next year the city of Rome surrendered and Henry triumphantly entered the city. On Palm Sunday, 1084, Henry IV solemnly enthroned Clement at St. Peter's Basilica; on Easter Day, Clement returned the favour and crowned Henry IV as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
  Gregory VII was meanwhile still resisting a few hundred yards away from the basilica in the Castel Sant'Angelo, then known as
caption: Contemporary illustration of Henry IV (left) and Anti-pope Clement III (centre).
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