Politics & Government

Pope Gregory VII Excommunicates Henry IV

During the Lenten synod, Pope Gregory VII received a letter urging him to force Henry IV to abdicate. In response, he declared Henry excommunicated. This unprecedented action heightened the conflict between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire, as Henry had been a powerful ruler struggling against papal influence. The synod took place at a critical moment in the Investiture Controversy, where the Church sought to assert its authority over secular rulers.

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