Editing Pope Gregory VII

{{Short description|Head of the Catholic Church from 1073 to 1085}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[Pope Saint]]
| honorific_suffix = 
| name = Gregory VII
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| church = [[Catholic Church]]
| image = Gregorius (Vita Gregorii VII).jpg
| term_start = 22 April 1073
| term_end = 25 May 1085
| predecessor = [[Pope Alexander II|Alexander II]]
| successor = [[Victor III]]
| ordination = 22 May 1073
| consecration = 30 June 1073
| cardinal = 6 March 1058
| created_cardinal_by = 
| birth_name = Ildebrando di Soana
| birth_date = {{circa|1015}}{{sfn|Cowdrey|1998|p=28}}
| birth_place = [[Sovana]], [[March of Tuscany]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| death_date = 25 May 1085 (aged 69–70)
| death_place = [[Salerno]], [[Duchy of Apulia]]
| previous_post = [[Archdeacon]] of the Roman church
| feast_day = 25 May
| venerated = [[Catholic Church]]
| saint_title = 
| beatified_date = 25 May 1584
| beatified_place = [[Rome]], [[Papal States]]
| beatified_by = [[Pope Gregory XIII]]
| canonized_date = 24 May 1728
| canonized_place = Rome, Papal States
| canonized_by = [[Pope Benedict XIII]]
| attributes = {{unbulleted list|[[Papal regalia and insignia|Papal vestments]]|[[Papal tiara]]}}
| patronage = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pitigliano-Sovana-Orbetello|Diocese of Sovana]]
| shrine = 
| other = Gregory
}}
'''Pope Gregory VII''' ({{langx|la|Gregorius VII}}; {{c.}} 1015 – 25 May 1085), born '''Hildebrand of Sovana''' ({{langx|it|Ildebrando di Soana}}), was head of the [[Catholic Church]] and ruler of the [[Papal States]] from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the [[Catholic Church]].

One of the great reforming popes, he initiated the [[Gregorian Reform]], and is perhaps best known for the part he played in the [[Investiture Controversy]], his dispute with [[Emperor Henry IV]] to establish the primacy of papal authority and the new canon law governing the election of the pope by the [[College of Cardinals]]. He was also at the forefront of developments in the relationship between the emperor and the papacy during the years before he became pope. He was the first pope to introduce a policy of obligatory [[celibacy]] for the clergy, which had until then commonly married,<ref>[Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, {{ISBN|978-0140231991}}]</ref><ref>New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol 3, Catholic University of America: Washington, D.C. 1967, p. 323</ref><ref>New Catholic Encyclopedia 1967, p. 366</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iVo3DAAAQBAJ&q=Married+Priests+and+the+Reforming+Papacy%3A+The+Eleventh-Century+Debates&pg=PA89|title = Clerical Celibacy in the West: C.1100-1700|isbn = 9781317165163|last1 = Parish|first1 = Helen|date = 23 May 2016| publisher=Routledge }}</ref> and also attacked the practice of [[simony]].

During the power struggles between the papacy and the [[Holy Roman Empire|Empire]], Gregory [[excommunicated]] Henry IV three times, and Henry appointed [[Antipope Clement III]] to oppose him. Though Gregory was hailed as one of the greatest of the Roman pontiffs after his reforms proved successful, during his own reign he was denounced by some for his autocratic use of papal powers.<ref>Beno, Cardinal Priest of Santi Martino e Silvestro. ''Gesta Romanae ecclesiae contra Hildebrandum''. c. 1084. In K. Francke, MGH ''Libelli de Lite'' II (Hannover, 1892), pp. 369–373.</ref>

In later times, Gregory VII became an exemplar of [[papal supremacy]], and his memory was invoked both positively and negatively, reflecting later writers' attitude to the Catholic Church and the papacy. [[Beno of Santi Martino e Silvestro]], who opposed Gregory VII in the Investiture Controversy, accused him of necromancy, cruelty, tyranny, and blasphemy. This was eagerly repeated by later opponents of the Catholic Church, such as the English Protestant [[John Foxe]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=P3IuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA121 "The acts and monuments of John Fox", Volume 2]</ref> In contrast, the modern historian and Anglican priest [[H. E. J. Cowdrey]] writes, "[Gregory VII] was surprisingly flexible, feeling his way and therefore perplexing both rigorous collaborators ... and cautious and steady-minded ones ... His zeal, moral force, and religious conviction, however, ensured that he should retain to a remarkable degree the loyalty and service of a wide variety of men and women."{{sfn|Cowdrey|1998|pp=495–496}}

==Early life==
Gregory was born '''Hildebrand''' ({{langx|it|Ildebrando}}) in the town of [[Sovana]], in the County of [[Grosseto]], now southern [[Tuscany]], the son of a [[blacksmith]].<ref>Johann Georg Estor, ''Probe einer verbesserten Heraldic'' (Giessen 1728), "vorrede": ''Das Pabst Hildebrand ein Zimmermanns Sohn gewesen, we noch der Pater Daniel in der netten Historie von Franckreich geglaubet, rechnete der Pater Maimburg und Pater Pagi nicht unbillig zu eben dieser Ordnung''. Francesco Pagi, ''Breviarium historico-chronologico criticum'' Tomus II (Antwerp 1717),  p. 417, attributed to Cardinal Baronius the notion that the father was a ''faber'', but that Papebroch considered him to be of noble stock.</ref> As a youth he was sent to study in Rome at the monastery of [[Santa Maria del Priorato Church|St. Mary on the Aventine]], where his uncle was reportedly abbot of a monastery on the [[Aventine Hill]].<ref name="SHMI">{{cite book|author=Paolo O. Pirlo|title=My First Book of Saints|year=1997|publisher=Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate - Quality Catholic Publications|isbn=978-971-91595-4-4|page=105|chapter=St. Gregory VII}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bartleby.com/210/5/254.html|title=Saint Gregory VII., Pope and Confessor. Volume V: The Lives of the Saints|last=Butler|first=Alban|date=25 May 1866|website=www.bartleby.com|access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref> Among his masters were the erudite Lawrence, [[archbishop of Amalfi]], and Johannes Gratianus, the future [[Pope Gregory VI]].{{sfn|Cowdrey|1998|p=29}} When the latter was deposed at the Council of Sutri in December of 1046, with approval of the Holy Roman Emperor [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bugnolo |first=Alexis |date=2023-10-19 |title=The Provincial Council of Sutri, Dec. 20-23, 1046 A.D., and It's importance for the Church of Today (Video) {{!}} From Rome |url=https://www.fromrome.info/2023/10/19/the-provincial-council-of-sutri-dec-20-23-1046-a-d-and-its-importance-for-the-church-of-today-video/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=FromRome.Info |language=en-US}}</ref> and exiled to [[Germany]], Hildebrand followed him to [[Cologne]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} According to some chroniclers, Hildebrand moved to [[Cluny]] after Gregory VI's death, which occurred in 1048; though his declaration to have become a monk at Cluny is disputed.<ref name=":0" />

He then accompanied Cluny's [[Abbot]] [[Bruno of Toul]] to Rome; there, Bruno was elected pope, choosing the name [[Leo IX]], and named Hildebrand as [[deacon]] and papal administrator. In 1054 Leo sent Hildebrand as his [[papal legate|legate]] to [[Tours]] in [[France]] in the wake of the controversy created by [[Berengar of Tours]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFQaAwAAQBAJ&dq=Council+of+Tours&pg=PA192 Radding, Charles and Newton, Francis. ''Theology, Rhetoric, and Politics in the Eucharistic Controversy, 1078-1079'', Columbia University Press, 2003, p. 6] {{ISBN|9780231501675}}</ref> At Leo's death, the new pope, [[Pope Victor II|Victor II]], confirmed him as legate, while Victor's successor [[Stephen IX]] sent him and [[Pope Alexander II|Anselm of Lucca]] to Germany to obtain recognition from [[Empress Agnes]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} Stephen died before being able to return to Rome, but Hildebrand was successful; he was then instrumental in overcoming the crisis caused by the Roman aristocracy's election of an antipope, [[Benedict X]],<ref>According to the sources, feeling he was nearing his end, Stephen had his cardinals swear that they would wait for Hildebrand's return to Rome before electing his successor.{{cite journal|first=Agostino|last=Paravicini Bagliani|title=Una carriera dietro le quinte|journal=Medioevo|issue=143|date=December 2008|page=70}}</ref> who, thanks also to Agnes's support, was replaced by the [[Bishop of Florence]], [[Pope Nicholas II|Nicholas II]].<ref name=Weber>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11055a.htm Weber, Nicholas. "Pope Nicholas II." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton 1911 {{PD-notice}}</ref> With the help of 300 Norman knights sent by [[Richard I of Capua|Richard of Aversa]], Hildebrand personally led the conquest of the castle of Galeria Antica where Benedict had taken refuge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lazionascosto.it/citta-fantasma-borghi-abbandonati-del-lazio/galeria-antica/|title=Galeria Antica|website=Lazio Nascosto|language=it-IT|access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref> Between 1058 and 1059, he was made [[archdeacon]] of the Roman church, becoming the most important figure in the papal administration.<ref>G. B. Borino, "L' arcidiaconato di Ildebrando," ''Studi Gregoriani'' 3 (1948), 463–516.</ref>

He was again the most powerful figure behind the election of Anselm of Lucca the Elder as [[Pope Alexander II]] in the [[1061 papal election|papal election of October 1061]].<ref name=":0"/> The new pope put forward the reform program devised by Hildebrand and his followers.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|wstitle=Alexander (popes)|inline=1}}</ref> In his years as papal advisor, Hildebrand had an important role in the reconciliation with the [[Italo-Normans|Norman kingdom of southern Italy]], in the anti-German alliance with the [[Pataria]] movement in northern Italy and, above all, in the introduction of an ecclesiastic law which gave the cardinals exclusive rights concerning the election of a new pope.<ref>{{cite book|author=Arnold Harris Mathew D.D.|title=the Life and Times of Hildebrand|year=1910|publisher=London: Francis Griffiths|page=20|chapter=Early life of Hildebrand}}</ref>

==Election to the papacy==

Pope Gregory VII was one of the few popes [[Acclamation (papal elections)|elected by acclamation]]. On the death of Alexander II on 21 April 1073, as the obsequies were being performed in the [[Lateran Basilica]], there arose a loud outcry from the clergy and people: "Let Hildebrand be pope!", "Blessed Peter has chosen Hildebrand the Archdeacon!" Hildebrand immediately fled, and hid himself for some time, thereby making it clear that he had refused the uncanonical election in the Liberian Basilica.<ref>The ''Annales'' of Berthold, the follower of Hermannus Augiensis, in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'', Scriptorum Volume  5 (Hannover 1844), p. 276: ''Quo audito sese imparem tanto honori immo oneri reputans, inducias respondendi vix imploravit; et sic fuga elapsus aliquot dies ad Vincula sancti Petri occultatus latuit. Tandem vix inventus et ad apostolicam sedem vi perductus''....</ref> He was finally found at the Church of [[San Pietro in Vincoli]], to which a famous monastery was attached, and [[Papal election, 1073|elected pope]] by the assembled cardinals, with the due consent of the Roman clergy, amid the repeated acclamations of the people.<ref>Philippus Jaffé (editor), ''Regesta pontificum Romanorum''  editio secunda Tomus I (Leipzig 1885), p. 198.  [http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/SV1073.html Sede Vacante 1073 (Dr. J. P. Adams).]</ref><ref name="CE"/>

It was debated, at the time and since, whether this extraordinary outburst in favour of Hildebrand by clergy and people was wholly spontaneous, or could have been premediated.<ref name="CE"/> According to Benizo, Bishop of Sutri, a supporter of Hildebrand, the outcry was begun by Cardinal Ugo Candidus, Cardinal Priest of S. Clemente, who rushed into a pulpit and began to declaim to the people.<ref>Bonizo of Sutri, in  ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'', 6, ''Libelli 1,  Libelli de Lite'' I (Hannover, 1891), p. 601 (ed. E. Dummler).  Carl Mirbt, ''Die Publizistik im Zeitalter Gregors'' VII (Leipzig 1894), pp. 42–43.</ref> Certainly, the mode of his election was highly criticized by his opponents. Many of the accusations against him may have been expressions of personal dislike, liable to suspicion from the very fact that they were not raised to attack his promotion until several years later. But it is clear from Gregory's own account of the circumstances of his election,<ref>J. P. Migne (editor), ''Patrologia Latina'' Volume 148, columns 235–237.</ref> in his Epistle 1 and Epistle 2, that it was conducted in a very irregular fashion, contrary to the Constitution of the Pope of 607. This ecclesiastical statute forbade a papal election to begin until the third day after a pope's burial.<ref>Liber Pontificalis, in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'' Scriptores,  Volume 5 (Hannover 1844), p. 164 (ed. Mommsen), p. 164: ''Hic fecit constitutum in ecclesia beati Petri, in quo sederunt episcopi LXXII, presbiteri Romani XXXIII, diaconi et clerus omnis, sub anathemate, ut nullus pontificem viventem aut episcopum civitatis suae praesumat loqui aut partes sibi facere nisi tertio die depositionis eius adunato clero et filiis ecclesiae, tunc electio fiat, et quis quem voluerit habebit licentiam eligendi sibi sacerdotem''.</ref> Cardinal Ugo's intervention was contrary to the Constitution of Nicholas II, which affirmed the exclusive right to name candidates to Cardinal Bishops; finally, it ignored the Constitution's requirement that the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] be consulted.<ref>The ''Annales'' of Lambertus of Hersfeld, in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica''  Scriptorum  5 (1844), p. 194, states that Gregory did wait for a reply from the Emperor: ''cogi tamen nullo modo potuisse, ut ordinari se permitteret, donec in electionem suam tam regem quam principes Teutonici regni consensisse certa legatione cognosceret''.  Whether he got it, or whether the response was positive, is another matter.</ref> However, Gregory was then confirmed by a second election at S. Pietro in Vincoli.

Gregory VII's earliest pontifical letters clearly acknowledged these events, and thus helped defuse doubts about his election and popularity. On 22 May 1073, the [[Feast of Pentecost]], he received [[Presbyterium|ordination as a priest]], and he was consecrated a [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishop]] and enthroned as pope on 29 June, the Feast of St. Peter's Chair.<ref name="EB">{{EB1911|wstitle=Gregory (Popes)/Gregory VII|inline=1}}</ref>

In the decree of election, his electors proclaimed Gregory VII:<blockquote>"a devout man, a man mighty in human and divine knowledge, a distinguished lover of equity and justice, a man firm in adversity and temperate in prosperity, a man, according to the saying of the Apostle, of good behavior, blameless, modest, sober, chaste, given to hospitality, and one that ruleth well his own house; a man from his childhood generously brought up in the bosom of this Mother Church, and for the merit of his life already raised to the archidiaconal dignity. [...] We choose then our Archdeacon Hildebrand to be pope and successor to the Apostle, and to bear henceforward and forever the name of Gregory" (22 April 1073).<ref name="CE" /></blockquote>Gregory VII's first attempts in foreign policy were towards a reconciliation with the Normans of [[Robert Guiscard]]; in the end the two parties did not meet. After a failed call for a [[Crusades|crusade]] to the princes of northern Europe,<ref name="Paravicini Bagliani 76">{{cite journal|first=Agostino|last=Paravicini Bagliani|title=Sia fatta la mia volontà|journal=Medioevo|issue=143|date=December 2008|page=76}}</ref> and after obtaining the support of other Norman princes such as [[Landulf VI of Benevento]] and [[Richard I of Capua]], Gregory VII was able to excommunicate Robert in 1074.

In the same year Gregory VII summoned a council in the Lateran palace, which condemned [[simony]] and confirmed [[celibacy]] for the Church's clergy. These decrees were further stressed, under menace of excommunication, the next year (24–28 February).<ref name="Paravicini Bagliani 76" /> In particular, Gregory decreed that only the Pope could appoint or depose bishops or move them from [[diocese|see]] to see, an act which was later to cause the [[Investiture Controversy]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==Start of conflict with the Emperor==
{{See also|Investiture Controversy}}
Gregory VII's main political project was his relationship with the Holy Roman Empire. Since the death of Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, the strength of the German monarchy had been seriously weakened, and his untried son [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]] had to contend with great internal difficulties, presenting an opportunity for Gregory to strengthen the Church.<ref name="EB"/>

In the two years following Gregory's election, the [[Saxon revolt of 1073–1075|Saxon rebellion]] fully occupied Henry and forced him to come to terms with the pope at any cost. In May 1074 Henry did penance at [[Nuremberg]]—in the presence of the papal legates—to atone for his continued friendship with the members of his council who had been banned by Gregory; he took an oath of obedience, and promised his support in the work of reforming the Church.<ref>Barber, Malcolm.  ''The Two Cities: Medieval Europe 1050–1320''. (2004) University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 7-88</ref> However, as soon as Henry defeated the [[Saxons]] at the [[First Battle of Langensalza]] on 9 June 1075 ([[Battle of Homburg]] or [[Battle of Hohenburg|Hohenburg]]), he tried to reassert his sovereign rights in northern Italy. Henry sent Count Eberhard to [[Lombardy]] to combat the [[Pataria|Patarenes]]; nominated the cleric [[Tedald (archbishop of Milan)|Tedald]] to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|archbishopric of Milan]], settling a prolonged and contentious question; and made overtures to the Norman duke [[Robert Guiscard]].<ref name="EB"/>

Gregory VII replied with a harsh letter dated 8 December 1075, in which he accused Henry of breaching his word and of continuing to support excommunicated councillors. At the same time, the pope sent a verbal message threatening not only the ban of the Church against the emperor, but the deprivation of his crown. At the same time, Gregory was menaced by [[Cencio I Frangipane]], who on [[Christmas]] night surprised him in church and kidnapped him, though he was released the following day.<ref name="EB"/>

===Pope and emperor depose each other===
The high-handed demands and threats of the pope infuriated Henry and his court, and their answer was the hastily convened national [[Synod of Worms (1076)|synod of Worms]] on 24 January 1076. In the higher ranks of the German clergy, Gregory had many enemies, and the Roman cardinal [[Hugh of Remiremont|Hugo Candidus]], once on intimate terms with Gregory but now his opponent, hurried to Germany for the occasion. Candidus declaimed a list of accusations against the pope before the assembly, which resolved that Gregory had forfeited the papacy. In one document full of accusations, the bishops renounced their allegiance to Gregory. In another, Henry pronounced him deposed, and required the Romans to choose a new pope.<ref name="EB"/><ref>[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/henry4-to-g7a.html Letter to Gregory VII (24 January 1076)]</ref>

The council sent two bishops to Italy, who then procured a similar act of deposition from the Lombard bishops at the synod of [[Piacenza]]. [[Roland (bishop of Treviso)|Roland of Parma]] faced the pope with these decisions before the synod which had just assembled in the [[Lateran Basilica]]. For the moment the members were frightened, but there soon arose such a storm of indignation that only the calming words of Gregory saved the envoy's life.<ref name="EB"/>

On the following day, 22 February 1076, Gregory solemnly pronounced a sentence of excommunication against Henry IV, divested him of his royal dignity, and absolved his subjects of their sworn allegiance. The effectiveness of this sentence depended entirely on Henry's subjects, above all on the German princes. Contemporary evidence suggests that the [[excommunication]] of Henry made a profound impression both in Germany and Italy.<ref name="EB"/>

Thirty years before, [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]] had deposed three unworthy claimants to the papacy, a service acknowledged by the Church and public opinion. When Henry IV again attempted this procedure he lacked support. In Germany there was a rapid and general feeling in favor of Gregory, strengthening the princes against their feudal lord Henry. When at [[Whitsun]] the emperor summoned a council of nobles to oppose the pope, only a few responded. Meanwhile, the Saxons snatched the opportunity to renew their rebellion, and the anti-royalist party grew in strength from month to month.<ref name="EB"/>

===Walk to Canossa===
{{Main|Road to Canossa}}

Henry now faced ruin. As a result of the agitation, which was zealously fostered by the papal legate Bishop [[Altmann of Passau]], the princes met in October at [[Trebur]] to elect a new German ruler. Henry, who was stationed at [[Oppenheim]] on the left bank of the [[Rhine]], was only saved from the loss of his throne by the failure of the assembled princes to agree on his successor.<ref name="EB"/> Their dissension, however, merely postponed the verdict. Henry, they declared, must make reparation and obeisance to Gregory; and if he were still under the ban on the anniversary of his excommunication, his throne should be considered vacant. At the same time invited Gregory to [[Augsburg]] to decide the conflict.<ref name="EB" />

Unable to oppose his princes and the pope together, Henry saw that he must secure absolution from Gregory before the period named. At first he attempted this through an embassy, but when Gregory rejected his overtures he went to Italy in person.<ref name="EB" /> The pope had already left Rome and had informed the German princes that he would expect their escort on 8 January 1077 to [[Mantua]]. This escort had not appeared when he received the news of Henry's arrival at [[Canossa]], where Gregory had taken refuge under the protection of his close ally, [[Matilda of Tuscany]]. Henry had travelled through [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]], greeted with enthusiasm by the Lombards, but he resisted the temptation to employ force. In an astonishing turn, the emperor mortified his pride and abased himself in the snow to do penance before the pope. This immediately reversed the moral situation, forcing Gregory to grant Henry absolution. The [[Walk to Canossa]] soon became legendary.<ref name="EB" />

The reconciliation was only effected after prolonged negotiations and definite pledges on the part of Henry, and it was with reluctance that Gregory VII at length gave way, considering the political implications.<ref>[https://storicamente.org/creber-women-canossa A. Creber, ‘Women at Canossa. The Role of Elite Women in the Reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany (January 1077),’] ''Storicamente'' 13 (2017), article no. 13, pp. 1–44.</ref> If Gregory VII granted absolution, the [[diet (assembly)|diet]] of princes in Augsburg, which had called on him as arbitrator, would be rendered impotent. It was impossible, however, to deny the penitent re-entrance into the Church, and Gregory VII's Christian duty overrode his political interests.<ref name="EB" />

The removal of the ban did not imply a genuine settlement, as there was no mention of the main question between pope and emperor: that of [[investiture]]. A new conflict was inevitable.<ref name="EB" />

===Later excommunications of Henry IV===
Obedience to the excommunication of Henry IV was used as a pretext to legitimize the rebellion of the German nobles, which did not end with his absolution. To the contrary, at [[Forchheim]] in March 1077 they elected a rival ruler in the person of [[Rudolf of Rheinfelden|Duke Rudolf of Swabia]], with the papal legates declaring their neutrality. Pope Gregory sought to maintain this attitude during the following years, balancing the two parties of fairly equal strength, each trying to gain the upper hand by getting the pope on their side. In the end, his non-commitment largely lost the confidence of both parties. Finally he decided for Rudolf of Swabia after his victory at the [[Battle of Flarchheim]] on 27 January 1080. Under pressure from the Saxons, and misinformed as to the significance of this battle, Gregory abandoned his waiting policy and again pronounced the excommunication and deposition of Henry on 7 March 1080.<ref name="EB"/><ref>Emerton, pp. 149–154.</ref>

The papal censure now got a very different reception from the one four years before. It was widely felt to be unjustly pronounced on frivolous grounds, and its authority came in question. The emperor, now more experienced, vigorously denounced the ban as illegal.<ref name="EB"/> He summoned a [[Synod of Brixen|council at Brixen]], and on 25 June 1080 thirty bishops present pronounced Gregory deposed, electing archbishop Guibert (Wibert) of Ravenna as his successor.<ref>Philippus Jaffe, ''Regesta pontificum Romanorum'' I, editio altera (Leipzig 1885), p. 649.  Guibert continued to maintain his pretensions as pope until his death in September 1100. Otto Köhncke, ''Wibert von Ravenna (Papst Clemens III)'' (Leipzig 1888).</ref> Gregory countered on 15 October, ordering the clergy and laity to elect a new archbishop in place of the "mad" and "tyrannical" schismatic Wibert.<ref>Philippus Jaffé (editor) ''Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus II: Monumenta Gregoriana'' (Berolini 1865), pp. 443–444 (''Regestum'', Book VIII, 13).</ref> In 1081, Henry opened the conflict against Gregory in Italy.<ref name="EB"/> The emperor was now in the stronger position,<ref>He complained in a letter to King Alfonso of Leon and Castile in 1081 that he had a large number of detractors, whose complaints were widely spread, and whom he names as "liars": Jaffe ''Bibliotheca'', pp. 470–473.</ref> as thirteen cardinals had deserted the pope, and the rival emperor Rudolf of Swabia died on 16 October. A new imperial claimant, [[Hermann of Luxembourg]], was put forward in August 1081, but he was unable to rally the papal party in Germany, and the power of Henry IV was at its peak.<ref name="EB"/>

The pope's chief military supporter, [[Matilda of Tuscany]],<ref>Robinson (1978), p. 100.</ref> blocked Henry's armies from the western passages over the [[Apennines]], so he had to approach Rome from [[Ravenna]]. Rome surrendered to the German king in 1084, and Gregory thereupon retired into the exile of the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]].<ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=Edward | title=The First Crusade | publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press | location=Philadelphia | isbn=978-0812210170 | year=1971 |page=33 }}</ref> Gregory refused to entertain Henry's overtures, although the latter promised to hand over Guibert as a prisoner, if the sovereign pontiff would only consent to crown him emperor. Gregory, however, insisted that Henry appear before a council and do penance. The emperor, while pretending to submit to these terms, tried hard to prevent the meeting of the council. A small number of bishops assembled nonetheless, and Gregory again excommunicated Henry.<ref name="CE"/>

Henry, upon receipt of this news, again entered Rome on 21 March to see that his supporter, Archbishop Guibert of Ravenna, was enthroned as Pope [[Antipope Clement III|Clement III]] on 24 March 1084, who in turn crowned Henry as emperor. In the meantime Gregory had formed an alliance with [[Robert Guiscard]], who marched on the city<ref name="CE"/> and compelled Henry to flee towards [[Civita Castellana]].

===Exile from Rome===
The pope was liberated, but after the Roman people became incensed by the excesses of his Norman allies, again withdrew to [[Monte Cassino]],<ref>Ferdinand Gregorovius, ''History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages'' (tr. A. Hamilton) Volume  IV (London 1896), pp. 245–255.  Horace K. Mann, ''The Lives of the Popes in the Middle Ages''  Volume VII (London 1910), pp. 162–165.</ref> and later to the castle of [[Salerno]] by the sea, where he died on 25 May 1085.{{sfn|Peters|1971|p=33}} He was probably a prisoner of the Normans in Salerno. Three days before his death, he withdrew all the censures of excommunication that he had pronounced, except those against the two chief offenders—Henry and Guibert.<ref name="CE"/> 

==Papal policy to the rest of Europe==

===England===
[[File:Pope Gregory VII's letters.gif|thumb|A map of Gregory VII's papal correspondence]]
In 1076, Gregory appointed Dol Euen, a monk of Saint-Melaine of Rennes, as bishop of [[Dol-de-Bretagne|Dol]], rejecting both the incumbent, Iuthael, who had the support of [[William the Conqueror]], who had recently been conducting military operations in north-eastern [[Brittany]], and Gilduin, the candidate of the nobles in Dol opposing William. Gregory rejected Iuthael because he was notorious for simony and Guilden as too young.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rYbFIh92OQsC&pg=PA47 |last=De Fougerolles |first=Paula |chapter=Pope Gregory VII, the Archbishopric of Dol, and the Normans |title=Anglo-Norman Studies |volume=21 |editor-first=Christopher |editor-last=Harper-Bill |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |year=1999 |isbn=0-85115-745-9 }}</ref> Gregory also bestowed on Dol Euen the pallium of a metropolitan archbishop, on the condition that he would submit to the judgment of the Holy See when the long-standing case of the right of Dol to be a metropolitan and use the pallium was finally decided.<ref>Philippus Jaffe (editor) ''Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus II: Monumenta Gregoriana'' (Berolini 1865), pp. 247–249 (''Registrum'' IV.4 and 5, 27 September 1076).  B. Hauréau (editor), ''Gallia christiana'' XIV (Paris 1856), 1046–1047.</ref>

King William felt himself so safe that he interfered autocratically with the management of the church, forbade the bishops to visit Rome, made appointments to [[Diocese|bishoprics]] and [[abbeys]], and showed little anxiety when the pope lectured him on the different principles which he had as to the relationship of spiritual and temporal powers, or when he prohibited him from commerce or commanded him to acknowledge himself a vassal of the apostolic chair.<ref name="EB"/> William was particularly annoyed at Gregory's insistence on dividing ecclesiastical England into two provinces, in opposition to William's need to emphasize the unity of his newly acquired kingdom. Gregory's increasing insistence on church independence from secular authority in the matter of clerical appointments became a more and more contentious issue.<ref>{{cite book |first=H. R. |last=Loyn |chapter=William's Bishops: Some further thoughts |title=Anglo-Norman Studies |volume=10 |year=1988 |pages=222–235 |isbn=0-85115-502-2 }}</ref> He sought as well to compel the episcopacy to look to Rome for validation and direction, demanding the regular attendance of prelates in Rome.<ref>Philippus Jaffe (editor) ''Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus II: Monumenta Gregoriana'' (Berolini 1865), pp. 318–320; and Gregory's complaint to William, Archbishop of Rouen in 1080, who paid no attention to demands that he come to Rome: pp. 469–470.  Likewise, in ''Regestum'' IV. 9, Gregory informed the Archbishop of Sens that he would excommunicate the Bishop of Orleans unless he turned up in Rome: pp. 253–254 (2 November 1076)</ref> Gregory had no power to compel the English king to an alteration in his ecclesiastical policy, so he was compelled to ignore what he could not approve, and even considered it advisable to assure King William of his particular affection.<ref name="EB"/> On the whole, William's policy was of great benefit to the Church.<ref>{{cite book |first=David C. |last=Douglas |title=William the Conqueror |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |year=1964 |pages=317–345, especially 323, 336–339 |isbn=0-520-00350-0 }}</ref><ref>Emerton, pp. 154–156 (24 April 1080). Migne, ''Patrologia Latina'' Vol. 148, pp. 565–567.</ref>

===Normans in the Kingdom of Sicily===
The relationship of Gregory VII to other European states was strongly influenced by his German policy, since the [[Holy Roman Empire]], by taking up most of his energies, often forced him to show to other rulers the very moderation which he withheld from the German king. The attitude of the Normans brought him a rude awakening. The great concessions made to them under Nicholas II were not only powerless to stem their advance into central Italy, but failed to secure even the expected protection for the papacy. When Gregory VII was hard pressed by Henry IV, [[Robert Guiscard]] left him to his fate, and only intervened when he himself was threatened with German arms. Then, on the capture of Rome, he abandoned the city to his troops, and the popular indignation evoked by his act brought about Gregory's exile.<ref name="EB"/>

===Claims of Papal sovereignty===
In the case of several countries, Gregory VII tried to establish a claim of sovereignty on the part of the Papacy, and to secure the recognition of its self-asserted rights of possession. On the ground of "immemorial usage", [[Medieval Corsica|Corsica]] and [[Giudicati|Sardinia]] were assumed to belong to the Roman Church. [[Reconquista|Spain]], [[Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages|Hungary]] and [[Kingdom of Croatia (medieval)|Croatia]] were also claimed as her property, and an attempt was made to induce the king of [[History of Denmark#Christianity, expansion and the establishment of the Kingdom of Denmark|Denmark]] to hold his realm as a fief from the pope.<ref name="EB"/>

In his treatment of ecclesiastical policy and ecclesiastical reform, Gregory did not stand alone, but found powerful support: in England Archbishop [[Lanfranc]] of [[Canterbury]] stood closest to him; in France his champion was Bishop [[Hugo of Dié|Hugh de Dié]], who afterwards became [[Archbishop of Lyon]].<ref name="EB"/><ref>Benedictines of S. Maur (editors), ''Gallia christiana'' IV (Paris 1728), pp. 97–109.</ref>

===France===
[[Philip I of France]], by his practice of [[simony]] and the violence of his proceedings against the Church, provoked a threat of summary measures. Excommunication, deposition and the interdict appeared to be imminent in 1074. Gregory, however, refrained from translating his threats into actions, although the attitude of the king showed no change, for he wished to avoid a dispersion of his strength in the conflict soon to break out in Germany.<ref name="EB"/>

Pope Gregory attempted to organize a crusade into [[Al-Andalus]], led by Count [[Ebles II of Roucy]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Bernard F. |last=Reilly |title=The Contest of Christian and Muslim Spain 1031–1157 |publisher=Blackwell |year=1995 |isbn=0-631-19964-0 |page=69 }}</ref>

===Distant Christian countries===
Gregory, in fact, established some sort of relations with every country in Christendom; though these relations did not invariably realize the ecclesiastico-political hopes connected with them. His correspondence extended to [[History of Poland during the Piast dynasty|Poland]], [[Kievan Rus']] and [[History of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown (Middle Ages)|Bohemia]]. He unsuccessfully tried to bring [[Bagratid Armenia|Armenia]] into closer contact with Rome.<ref name="EB"/><ref>{{cite book |first=Jacob G. |last=Ghazarian |title=The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia During the Crusades: The Integration of Cilician Armenians with the Latins, 1080–1393 |publisher=Curzon Press |year=2000 |pages=81–82; 188–193 |isbn=0-7007-1418-9 }}</ref>

===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>

==Internal policy and reforms==
{{Main|Gregorian Reform}}
{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix = [[Canonization|Saint]]
|name             = Gregory VII
|honorific_suffix = [[Order of Saint Benedict|O.S.B.]]
|image            = Ritratto di Papa San Gregorio VII.png
|birth_name       = Ildebrando di Soana
|birth_date       = 1015
|birth_place      = [[Sovana]], [[March of Tuscany]]
|death_date       = 25 May 1085 (aged 69-70)
|death_place      = [[Salerno]], [[Duchy of Apulia]]
|titles           = Pope; Confessor
|venerated_in     = [[Catholic Church]]
|attributes       = [[Papal regalia and insignia|Papal vestments]]<br>[[Papal tiara]]<br>[[Religious habit|Benedictine habit]]
|patronage        = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Savona-Noli|Diocese of Savona]]<br>[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno|Salerno]]
|beatified_date   = 25 May 1584
|beatified_place  = [[Saint Peter's Basilica]], [[Papal States]]
|beatified_by     = [[Pope Gregory XIII]]
|canonized_date   = 24 May 1728
|canonized_place  = Saint Peter's Basilica, Papal States
|canonized_by     = [[Pope Benedict XIII]] }}
His lifework was based on his conviction that the Church was founded by God and entrusted with the task of embracing all mankind in a single society in which divine will is the only law; that, in its capacity as a divine institution, it is supreme over all human structures, especially the secular state; and that the pope, in his role as head of the Church, is the vice-regent of God on earth, so that disobedience to him implies disobedience to God: or, in other words, a defection from Christianity. But any attempt to interpret this in terms of action would have bound the Church to annihilate not merely a single state, but all states.<ref name="EB"/>

Thus Gregory VII, as a politician wanting to achieve some result, was driven in practice to adopt a different standpoint. He acknowledged the existence of the state as a dispensation of [[Divine providence|providence]], described the coexistence of church and state as a divine ordinance, and emphasized the necessity of union between the ''[[sacerdotium]]'' and the ''imperium''. But at no period would he have dreamed of putting the two powers on an equal footing; the superiority of church to state was to him a fact which admitted of no discussion and which he had never doubted.<ref name="EB"/>

He wished to see all important matters of dispute referred to Rome; appeals were to be addressed to himself; the centralization of ecclesiastical government in Rome naturally involved a curtailment of the powers of bishops. Since these refused to submit voluntarily and tried to assert their traditional independence, his papacy is full of struggles against the higher ranks of the clergy.<ref name="EB"/> Pope Gregory VII was critical in promoting and regulating the concept of modern [[university|universities]] as his 1079 Papal Decree ordered the regulated establishment of cathedral schools that transformed themselves into the first European universities.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

This battle for the foundation of papal supremacy is connected with his championship of compulsory [[clerical celibacy|celibacy among the clergy]] and his attack on [[simony]]. Gregory VII did not introduce the celibacy of the priesthood into the Church, but he took up the struggle with greater energy than his predecessors. In 1074, he published an [[encyclical]], absolving the people from their obedience to bishops who allowed married priests. The next year he enjoined them to take action against married priests, and deprived these clerics of their revenues. Both the campaign against priestly marriage and that against simony provoked widespread resistance.<ref name="EB"/>
[[File:Salerno PopeGregoriousVIITomb.JPG|thumb|left|Wax funeral effigy of Gregory VII under glass in the Salerno cathedral.]]

His writings treat mainly of the principles and practice of Church government.<ref name="CE"/> They may be found in Mansi's collection under the title "Gregorii VII registri sive epistolarum libri".<ref>Mansi, "Gregorii VII registri sive epistolarum libri." ''Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio''. Florence, 1759</ref> Most of his surviving letters are preserved in his Register, which is now stored in the Vatican Archives.

==Doctrine of the Eucharist==
Gregory VII was seen by Pope [[Paul VI]] as instrumental in affirming the tenet that [[Christ]] is present in the [[Blessed Sacrament]]. Gregory's demand that [[Berengarius]] perform a confession of this belief<ref>{{cite book |first=J. |last=De Montclos |title=Lanfranc et Bérenger. La controverse eucharistique du XIe siècle |location=Leuven |year=1971 |oclc=542116 }}</ref> was quoted in Pope Paul VI's historic 1965 encyclical ''[[Mysterium fidei (encyclical)|Mysterium fidei]]'':<ref name= Hardon4 >{{cite book |title=The History of Eucharistic Adoration |first=John A. |last=Hardon |year=2003 |isbn=0-9648448-9-3 |pages=4–10 |publisher=CMJ Publishers and Distrib. }}</ref>

{{blockquote|I believe in my heart and openly profess that the bread and wine that are placed on the altar are, through the mystery of the sacred prayer and the words of the Redeemer, substantially changed into the true and proper and lifegiving flesh and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, and that after the consecration they are the true body of Christ.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_03091965_mysterium.html |work=Vatican website |title=Mysterium fidei }}</ref>}}

This profession of faith began a "Eucharistic Renaissance" in the churches of Europe as of the 12th century.<ref name= Hardon4/>

==Death==
Pope Gregory VII died in exile in [[Salerno]]; the epitaph on his sarcophagus in the [[Salerno Cathedral|city's Cathedral]] says: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I die in exile."<ref name="SHMI"/><ref>Latin epitaph: ''Dilexi iustitiam et odivi iniquitatem propterea morior in exilio''.  This is a reworking of the well-known ''Ps.'' 44.8 ''Dilexísti justítiam, et odísti iniquitátem : proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ præ consórtibus tuis''.  Together with ''Ps'' 44. 2, ''Eructávit cor meum verbum bonum : dico ego ópers mea Regi'', it forms the ''Introit'' of the former of the two Masses of the ''Common of a virgin not a martyr''. The grammatical variation on 'Thou didst love justice and hate iniquity', the original of which was said in apostrophe to the canonised virgin not a martyr, whose feast is being celebrated.  Gregory (or his eulogizers), therefore, was likely quoting from a familiar liturgical text.  See also: {{cite book|last=Hübinger|first=Paul Egon|title=Die letzten Worte Papst Gregors VII : 164. Sitzung am 20. Januar 1971 in Düsseldorf|publisher=Springer-Verlag|year=2013|isbn=978-3-322-98884-3|series=Rheinish-Westfälisch Akademie der Wissenschaften, Geisteswissenschaften. Vorträge, G 185|orig-year=1973}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Gregory VII was beatified by [[Pope Gregory XIII]] in 1584 and canonized on 24 May 1728 by [[Pope Benedict XIII]].<ref name="CE">{{Catholic|first=Thomas|last=Oestreich |wstitle=Pope St. Gregory VII|inline=1}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Christianity|History}}
* [[Concordat of Worms]]
* [[Dictatus papae]] (1075–87)
* [[First Council of the Lateran]]
* [[Libertas ecclesiae]]
* [[List of popes]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Clear}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Watterich|editor-first1=Johann M.|title=Pontificum Romanorum Vitae ab aequalibus conscriptae Tomus I|date=1862|publisher=Wilhelm Engelmann|location=Leipzig}}
* [[Bonizo of Sutri]], "Liber ad amicum", in Philippus Jaffé (editor) ''Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus II: Monumenta Gregoriana'' (Berolini 1865), pp.&nbsp;577–689. 
* Paul von Bernried, Canon of Regensburg, "S. Gregorii VII Vita," J. P. Migne (ed.), ''Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Latina'' Tomus CXLVIII: Sancti Gregorii VII Epistolae et Diplomata Pontificia (Paris 1878), 39–104.
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle = St Gregory VII. |volume= XI |last= |first= |author-link= | pages=176-177 |short=1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Macdonald|first1=Allan John|title=Hildebrand: A Life of Gregory VII|date=1932|publisher=Methuen|location=London}}
* {{Cite book |title=The correspondence of Pope Gregory VII: Selected letters from the Registrum |last=Emerton |first=Ephraim |authorlink=Ephraim Emerton |year=1932 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn= 9780231096270|oclc=1471578 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgRbpkgRSZAC&pg=PP1 <!--|access-date=2 June 2011--> }}
* Kuttner, S. (1947). 'Liber Canonicus: a note on the Dictatus Papae', ''Studi Gregoriani'' 2 (1947), 387–401.
* Capitani, O. "Esiste un' «età gregoriana» ? Considerazioni sulle tendenze di una storiografia medievistica," ''Rivista di storia e letteratura re''ligiosa 1 (1965), pp. 454–481.
* Capitani, O. (1966). ''Immunità vescovili ed ecclesiologia in età "pregregoriana" e "gregoriana". L'avvio alla "Restaurazione'', Spoleto. 
* Gatto, L. (1968). ''Bonizo di Sutri ed il suo Liber ad Amicum'' Pescara. 
* Knox, Ronald (1972). "Finding the Law: Developments in Canon Law during the Gregorian Reform," ''Studi Gregoriani'' 9 (1972) 419–466.
* Gilchrist, J. T. (1972). "The Reception of Pope Gregory VII into the Canon Law (1073–1141)." ''Zeitschrift für Rechtsgeschichte: Kanonistische Abteilung'', 59 (1973), 35–82.
* {{cite book | title=Authority and Resistance in the Investiture Contest: the Polemical Literature of the Late Eleventh Century| author= Robinson, Ian Stuart.| year=1978 | publisher=Manchester University Press}}
* Capitani, O. (1984). ''L'Italia medievale nei secoli di trapasso: la riforma della Chiesa (1012–1122)''. Bologna.
* Fuhrmann, H. (1989). "Papst Gregor VII. und das Kirchenrecht. Zum Problem des Dictatus papae," ''Studi Gregoriani'' XIII, pp.&nbsp;123–149, 281–320.
* Golinelli, Paolo (1991). ''Matilde e i Canossa nel cuore del Medioevo''. Milano: Mursia.
* {{cite book|last1=Leyser|first1=Karl|title=Communications and Power in Medieval Europe: The Gregorian Revolution and Beyond|url=https://archive.org/details/communicationspo0000leys|url-access=registration|date=1994|publisher=The Hambledon Press|location=London|isbn=978-0826430281}}
* {{cite book | title=Pope Gregory VII, 1073–1085| last= Cowdrey|first=H. E. J. |authorlink=H. E. J. Cowdrey| year=1998 | publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9SG3pEWGfkC&q=Pope+Gregory+VII| isbn= 9780191584596}}
* Capitani, Ovidio (2000), "[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/santo-gregorio-vii_%28Enciclopedia-dei-Papi%29/ Gregorio VII, santo]," in Enciclopedia dei Papi. Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia italiana.
* {{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=I. S.|title=Henry IV of Germany 1056–1106|date=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0521545907|edition=revised }}
* {{cite book|last1=Förster|first1=Thomas|title=Bonizo von Sutri als gregorianischer Geschichtsschreiber|date=2011|publisher=Hahnsche Buchhandlung|location=Hannover}}. ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Studien und Texte'', 53. 
* {{cite book | title=The Life and Times of Hildebrand, Pope Gregory VII| author= Mathew, Arnold Harris| year=2013 |orig-year=1910 | publisher=St. Gabriel Theological Press}}
* Capitani, Ovidio; (ed. Pio Berardo) (2015). ''Gregorio VII : il papa epitome della chiesa di Roma''. Spoleto : Centro Italiano di Studi sull'Alto Medioevo.
* {{cite book |last1=Wickham |first1=Chris |title=Medieval Rome. Stability and Crisis of a City, 900–1150 |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |authorlink=Christopher Wickham |isbn=9780199684960}}
* Villegas-Aristizábal, Lucas, "Pope Gregory VII and Count Eblous II of Roucy's Proto-Crusade in Iberia c. 1073", Medieval History Journal 21.1 (2018), 1–24. {{doi|10.1177/0971945817750508}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140510092533/http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/woman/29.html ''Women's Biography: Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Tuscany, duchess of Lorraine''], contains several of his letters to his supporter, Matilda of Tuscany.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171019123639/http://www.g7ldb.history.uni-tuebingen.de/ ''Database of the Letters of Pope Gregory VII: Which letter is in which collection?'']
* {{DNB-Portal|118541862}}
* {{DDB|Person|118541862}}
* {{Geschichtsquellen Person|118541862|Gregorius VII papa}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pope Alexander II|Alexander II]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Pope]]|years=1073–85}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Victor III]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Popes}}
{{Catholic saints}}
{{InvestitureControversy}}
{{Social and political philosophy}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory 07}}
[[Category:Pope Gregory VII| ]]
[[Category:1010s births]]
[[Category:1085 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Sorano]]
[[Category:Cluniacs]]
[[Category:Diplomats of the Holy See]]
[[Category:Benedictine popes]]
[[Category:Italian popes]]
[[Category:Investiture Controversy]]
[[Category:11th-century popes]]
[[Category:Burials at Salerno Cathedral]]
[[Category:Clerical celibacy]]
[[Category:Medieval Italian saints]]
[[Category:Papal saints]]
[[Category:11th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Benedictine saints]]
[[Category:Sovana]]
[[Category:Canonizations by Pope Benedict XIII]]