GLIMPSES OF CHURCH HISTORY: Period:1000-1100 CE
"Times New Roman"">Count Gregory
SylvesterII(999-1003) was noted for his learning. He is said to have
introduced Arabicnumerals into Europe. His next 3 successors, elected by
dominant factions ofthe time, were undistinguished. The influential
Count Gregory of Tusculum thenstepped in and got his son Theophylact, a
layman,elected as Pope Benedict VIII. Hewas soon ousted by a rival
claimant, Gregory but was restored in 1014 by KingHenry II of Saxony
(Germany). The pope rewarded the King by crowning him HolyRoman emperor
in 1022. Benedict was succeeded by his brother as Pope John XIX.About
this time, King Canute of newly formed England visited Rome and
wasimpressed. “A great assembly of nobles was present. I spoke with the
Emperorhimself and the Sovereign Pope about the needs of my people,
English andDanes…”
PopeBenedict IX
In 1032, Count Gregory’s grandson,another Theophylact, became Pope
BenedictIX. He was 14 (some say no more than 11). Six months later, a
rival factionplotted to murder him in St Peter’s basilica but took
fright when an eclipse ofthe sun occurred on the day, turning the
interior and all faces an eerie‘yellow and saffron’! The pope’s Tusculan
supporters smuggled him out of Rome.
The young Benedict went through the motions of office:celebrating high
mass at St Peters, appointing bishops, presiding overcouncils. But he
led a dissolute life. St Peter Damian (1007-72), doctor of thechurch,
said: “The wretch, from thebeginning of his pontificate to the end of
his life, has feasted on immorality.”
Eventually a Roman faction expelledhim after 12 years in office as unfit
to rule. A Bishop John was installed asPope Sylvester III in 1045. He
ruledfor some three uneasy months when Benedict was restored by a
Tusculan group.Sylvester fled to his tribesmen in the Sabine Hills.
Papacysold
Opposition to Pope Benedict grew.He continued to be “devoted to
pleasure” as Pope Victor II was to write and hadplundered the church
treasury. About 1045, he had set his eyes on a beautifulcousin but her
father, Girard de Saxo, insisted that Benedict must abdicate aspope
before he could marry her. He agreed but first decided to sell the
papaloffice itself to his godfather, John Gratian. The price: about 1500
pounds ofgold in weight. Gratian, a goodChristian and head priest of St
John’s church, had received innumerablecomplaints about Benedict’s
conduct. Gratian’s money was his own, meant for therepair of Rome’s
great churches. He paid it to Benedict in a desperate bid tosave St
Peters from total disrepute. His godson retired to the Alban Hills.
Gratian took over as Gregory VI in 1045. There was barelyenough to pay
for the day-to-day running of the court. Anarchy prevailed inRome and
the papal states, bandits thronged the roads and highways,
clericalcelibacy was observed more in the breach. Within a year,
Sylvester III again laidclaim to the papacy supported by his tribal
faction. Benedict, rejected by hislady love, also decided to return.
Late in 1046, Rome had three popes, eachpowerless to eject the other
two.
In desperation, a group of Romancitizens and priests appealed to King
Henry III to take over Romeand clear the mess. He arrived on 20 December
1046. Benedict promptly fled toTusculum. Sylvester was imprisoned as an
imposter while Pope Gregory VIadmitted: “Simony had entered into my
election…I must be deposed.” He wasexiled to Germany.
Henry III appointed Clement II as the new pontiff who inturn obliged by
making Henry Holy Roman Emperor. On Clement’s death in 1047,Benedict
returned and reclaimed the papal office for the second time. In
July1048, Emperor Henry III again returned to Rome and this time
Benedict fled forgood and out of history. It is not clear how he died.
The Great Schism
Benedict IX’s successor, Damascus II, died within a year and
wassucceeded by Pope Leo IX. The finalyear of Leo’s reign, 1054, is
noted for the formal break between the Latin andOrthodox churches
through mutual excommunications by the Pope in Rome and thePatriarch in
Constantinople. The break or schism between East and West stillstands.
[A major point at dispute (hold your breath) is whether the Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father or via his Son!]
PopeGregory VII
Hildebrand of Tuscany, chaplain toGregory VI, had witnessed Emperor
Henry III depose and humiliate him. Theincident had etched deeply into
his mind. He had accompanied Gregory into exileinto Germany and rose to
be prior at the Benedictine abbey of Cluny. His famespread and he became
advisor to four pontiffs, from Victor II to Alexander II(see Table). At
the latter’s funeral in 1073, Hildebrand was publicly acclaimedas the
new pope. He took the name GregoryVII. All papal appointments needed the
Emperor’s approval and, much againsthis will, Gregory was forced to ask
this of 17-year old Emperor Henry IV. Hedecided to end this prerogative
of the emperors, all German, once and for all.
Are all Popes saints?
Gregory VII believed that, as asuccessor of St Peter’s, he had absolute
power. He drew up a list (Dictatus) of 27 declarations about papalpowers
and privileges. Among them:
· Noone on earth can judge the pope.
· TheRoman church has never erred and never will until the end of
time.
· Thepope can depose bishops, emperors and kings…
· Allprinces must kiss his feet.
· Arightly elected pope is a saint.
The last statement meant thatGregory considered himself a saint as well
as Benedict IX whomhe had met as Hildebrand.
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Eddie
