The death of Henry III, which left the Empire in weak
hands, gave the Papacy a chance to escape the control of the secular power. In
1059 A.D. a church council held at the Lateran Palace decreed that henceforth
the right of choosing the supreme pontiff should belong exclusively to the
cardinals, who represented the clergy of Rome. This arrangement has tended to
prevent any interference with the election of popes, either by the Roman people
or by foreign sovereigns.
FEUDALIZING OF THE CHURCH
Now that the Papacy had become independent, it began to
deal with a grave problem which affected the Church at large. According to
ecclesiastical rule bishops ought to be chosen by the clergy of their diocese
and abbots of by their monks. With the growth of feudalism, however, many of
these high dignitaries had become vassals, holding their lands as fiefs of
princes, kings, and emperors, and owing the usual feudal dues. Their lords
expected them to perform the ceremony of homage, before
"investing" them with the lands attached to the bishopric or
monastery. One can readily see that in practice the lords really chose the
bishops and abbots, since they could always refuse to "invest" those
who were displeasing to them.
