1. Carolingian Corruption and Reform

2. Post-Charlemagne World
greedy Roman nobles used the papacy as a political pawn
Louis the Pious (son of Charlemagne) divided the kingdom amongst his three sons
843 Treaty of Verdun: Empire divided:
Charles: western kingdom (incl. France)
Lothar: middle kingdom (low countries—Holland—to northern Italy)
Louis the German: eastern kingdom (Germany)
Imperial Enemies: Muslims (south), Vikings (north), Magyars and Slavs (east)

3. Corruptions in the Papacy: 817-1073
from the death of Stephen IV to the coronation of Gregory VII
due to: political intrigue, jealous greed among the emperors, popes, roman nobility; foreign invasions (Saracens in the south)
aside from Pope St. Nicholas I ( ), popes were too weak to resist the emperor and Roman nobility, or too corrupt to even try.
Short papacies with occasional murders (John VIII was poisoned and then beaten to death in 882)
Pope St. Nicholas I the Great

4. Pope Stephen VI vs. Pope Formosus

5. Feudalism
Contractual system: between the king, his vassals (wealthy, landowning lords), and “serfs” (common villagers, farmers, monks)
Medieval European politics, economics, and social life was organized this way.
In exchange for protecting the church, some rulers demanded control over episcopal appointments (investiture with ring and crosier)
Nepotism: appointing family members to important positions of authority
Simony: selling of ecclesiastical offices

6. Achievements of the “terrible” Middle Ages (AD 500 – 1500)
abolition of slavery
liberation of women
checks and balances on absolutism
artistic achievements (medieval cathedrals)
invention of the book and flowering of literature
the musical scale
the mechanical clock
System of Law based on custom
agreements (contracts) bound by oath
the King was not superior to law, but its servant

7. Reform of the Monasteries: Cluny
909: reform monastery founded in Cluny (Burgundy, France) donated by William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine.
St. Berno: the first Abbot ( ): lived the Rule of St. Benedict according to a strict observance.
The Cluny ideal began to spread to other monasteries: eventually, the monastic reform spread all over France, Germany, England, and Spain.
Pope Bl. Urban II was a Cluniac monk.
1016: Pope Benedict VIII granted a privilegium to Cluny
Cluny would eventually be destroyed during the French Revolution in 1792.

8. Lay-Investiture Controversy
The appointment of bishops: a divine right of the Pope? or, A right of the King?
Since bishops and abbots wielded considerable political influence, kings made sure they were the “right men for the job”
Pope St. Gregory VII (former Cluniac monk): reigned ; initiated the great Gregorian Reform.
Dictatus Papae: the Pope possesses certain powers by divine right: (a) the power to convene and ratify a Council; (b) define precepts of the Faith; (c) to appoint, transfer, remove bishops from office; also, (d) the power to depose temporal rulers.

9. Opposition to Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform angered the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and the nobility.
In defiance, Henry IV appointed the bishop of Milan; Pope St. Gregory VII deposed and excommunicated Henry as Emperor and released his subjects from his rule; bad for Henry, since he was not very popular.
Henry went to Canossa, Italy, to apologize and repent.
A year later, Henry rejected Gregory’s authority and appointed an anti-pope, Clement III; the pope turned to the Normans for help.
Gregory died in exile in southern Italy away from Henry’s army.
Henry IV ( )

10. Worms and Henry II of England
Concordat of Worms (1122): spiritual investiture was for the church; temporal investiture was for civil politics
Emperor was given a “veto power” over bishop elections, since bishops wielded political power.
Henry II of England ( ): the most powerful of all Medieval English monarchs; wishing to consolidate power, appointed his friend St. Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury (was his Chancellor)
St. Thomas: was murdered in his cathedral by a band of knights in 1170.
Guilt-ridden, Henry II gave up his program of control over the Church.
King Henry II ( )

15. Frederick I Barbarossa
1121: Frederick Hohenstaufen “Rothbart” born
most powerful ruler of the Holy Roman Empire
believed that God gave him absolute power as Emperor, even over the church
Pope Adrian IV threatened him with excommunication; the Italian city-states also resented Frederick’s meddling in their affairs
Barbarossa continued to appoint bishops in defiance of the Concordat of Worms; even imprisoned the Papal Legate sent to stop him!
Barbarossa attempted to conquer Italy in five campaigns, but failed.
Later reconciled with the Church before departing for the Third Crusade ( ), that would end his life (d. 1190).
Redbeard

16. Frederick II the Excommunicant
Frederick II attempted to crush the Papal States after the death of Pope Innocent III
Because of his cruelty and agnosticism he was seen by many as the “Antichrist”
Even became friendly with Muslims!
Invaded Italy, drove out Pope Gregory IX, who excommunicated him.
Frederick began to execute clergy and desecrate churches; Frederick deposed by Pope Innocent IV; Frederick repents and does penance.
Pope Gregory IX ( )