Pope_Gregory_VII_Is_Not_A_Revolutionary

Pope Gregory VII Is Not A Revolutionary When thinking on the term "revolutionary," what comes to mind' Perhaps an invention of some sorts, or a movement that brings about peace and prosperity at its conclusion. However, instances that bring about change for the worse are usually regarded to as a setback or downfall. This is true in the case of Pope Gregory VII (aka Hildebrand). Hildebrand believes himself to be a revolutionary reformer when, in fact, he delays the progression of an era. Before Gregory VII, the doctrine of royal theocracy justified lay investiture, thus making lay investiture acceptable to clergymen as well as to royalty. Henry III had been very generous with many bishops, granting them with great temporal power which, in turn, made many of them quite weathly. The clergy deemed this practice unacceptable when they learned of the tendency of the King to use bishops as royal servants. These clergymen (hereafter referred to as "reformers") wanted a return to the discipline of the early church. The death of the King (Henry III) made this reform much easier. Henry III, leaving only one infant son, named his predecessor as Conrad II who henry, vii, gregory, iv, made, investiture, excommunication, revolutionary, one, lay, king, iii, very, time, thus, thought, son, should, royal, reformers, pope, perhaps, leaders, ii, himself, hildebrand, dissension, decree, clergymen, church, causing, call, bishops, against, about