The Middle Ages is often thought of a time of great religious fever. Indeed, the Christian Church was ultimate authority during the Middle Ages, keeping order and learning alive during an otherwise chaotic period in Western European history. However, the early Middle Ages (AKA The Dark Ages) show a remarkable lack of religious interest. Church attendance was poor and church leaders were far from respected pillars of a godly society. That is until Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) came along and put the Christ back in Christianity.
Pope Gregory VII Redefines the Role of the Christian Church in the Middle Ages
When Pope Gregory VII took up his seat at in Rome he set about to make some big changes in the way the Church did business, including its interaction with the secular world. He enforced a decree against lay investitures, which gave secular rulers (kings, emperors and such) the authority to appoint church officials. Pope Gregory VII was determined that he would be the ultimate authority in the Christian world. He firmly believed that kings were there to help him and the Church "Make right in the world." This did not sit well with some European rulers, such as Henry IV. He knew if he did not put his own men in the church, then his political power would be severely diminished. His refusal led to his excommunication. His subjects insisted that Henry apologize, since his excommunication endangered everybodies soul. After three days of standing half naked in the cold, Pope Gregory finally accepted Henry IV's apology.
From his bishops and priests, Pope Gregory demanded complete obedience. He did not hold with men of the cloth keeping mistresses (in some case wives) or having children. He believed the vow of chastity should be upheld. Pope Gregory VII even went so far as to call upon the laity (common people) to help discipline priests. He called for them to drive married or fornicating priests out of the church. His influence can be seen in the dramatic rise in the number of monks between 1066 and 1200. Church attendance also increased throughout most of Western Europe. New religious sects, including the Cathers and the Cistercian sprung up, whose members lived lives devoid of worldly concerns.
Pope Gregory VII Calls for the First Crusade
If it hadn't been for Pope Gregory's calls for reform, and including the laity in those reforms, the First Crusade would most likely not have happened. But the religious revival that Pope Gregory spawned caught on and helped establish enthusiasm, soldiers and money for the First Crusade, which was also the first universal event in Western Europe, which was still a conglomeration of tiny kingdoms, duchies and principalities.
Pope Gregory VII Successors Continue Papal Reforms
Church reforms didn't stop with Pope Gregory VII. His goals were continued by his successors, the most notable of which was Pope Innocent III. Canon Law was introduced in the 1100s, which claimed ecclesiastical jurisdiction over such matters as inheritance, rights of widows and orphans and marital problems. New religious sects sprung up through Western Europe, includeing the Cathers and the Cistercian movements.
Thanks to Pope Gregory VII, the Christian Church would rise to its peak of power, ruling Western Europe, until the Protestant Reformation begins in Wittenberg, Germany with Martin Luther in 1517. It would never again rule both the secular and religious spheres with such authortaitive power as it did in the High Middle Ages.
Sources:
Lang, Sean. European History for Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
Learner, Robert E. & Standish Meacham. World Civilizations Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1982.
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