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How Did Pope Gregory Vii Show The Abuse Of Power

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In 1075, Pope Gregory VII dictated a series of powers that he believed the pope should have. These powers became known as The Dictatus Papae, these powers were in some away a plan for Pope Gregory VII. They were his ideas for reform that he wanted to bring to the church. With a closes look at The Dictatus Papae, there are some that Pope Gregory VII actually used or tried to implement. This is seen in his letters to Emperor Henry IV and others during his time. The pope was not always the highest power of authority in Christendom. Popes were originally the bishop of Rome, however they slowly started to gain power as time went on. Pope Gregory VII wished to go one step farther then just gain power over the people of Western Europe. He wished …show more content…

“XII. That he may depose emperors.” (Miller #19 pg82) This means if an emperor is not following the rule or is doing something that the pope does not agree with he may depose him of his position. The problem that Pope Gregory VII was having with Emperor Henry IV was that he was granted lay investitures to his subjects. This means that Henry was giving the land and title of Bishop and other positions to people of his choosing and not the Pope. If the Bishops were receiving land and title from Emperor Henry IV, then they would be loyal not to the pope but Emperor Henry IV. This means that the pope is not the highest authority in the land. To counter this Pope Gregory VII wants the power and tried to depose Emperor Henry the IV. In a letter to Emperor Henry IV, Pope Gregory VII takes about Saul and King David from the bible. “Bear in mind what happened to Saul after he had won a victory by command of the prophet, how he boasted of his triumph, scorning the prophet’s admonitions, and how he was rebuked by the Lord, and also what favor followed David the king as a reward for his humility in the midst of the token of his bravery.”(Miller #20 pg87) Pope Gregory VII makes it clear that he is not willing to put up with Emperor Henry IV scorning, that he is will to take action. This does not go unnoticed by Emperor Henry IV. In a letter to the Pope Gregory

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