Editing Pope Gregory VII (section)

===Byzantine Empire===
Gregory was particularly concerned with the East. The schism between Rome and the [[Byzantine Empire]] was a severe blow to him, and he worked hard to restore the former amicable relationship. Gregory successfully tried to get in touch with the emperor [[Michael VII]]. When the news of the Muslim attacks on the Christians in the East filtered through to Rome, and the political embarrassments of the [[Byzantine emperor]] increased, he conceived the project of a great military expedition and exhorted the faithful to participate in recovering the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]<ref name="EB"/>—foreshadowing the [[First Crusade]].{{sfn|Peters|1971|p=33}} In his efforts to recruit for the expedition, he emphasized the suffering of eastern Christians, arguing western Christians had a moral obligation to go to their aid.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apholt.com/2016/11/14/pope-gregory-vii-on-the-plight-of-eastern-christians-prior-to-the-first-crusade/|title = Pope Gregory VII on the Plight of Eastern Christians Prior to the First Crusade|date = 14 November 2016}}</ref>