Hildebrando pope was elected by popular acclamation on 22 April 1073, which resulted in a breach of law established in 1059 by the Council of Melfi that decree in the papal election could only speak the College of Cardinals, the Roman people never . However obtained episcopal consecration on June 30 of 1073.
In 1075, Gregory VII publishes Dictatus Papae, twenty-seven axioms in which Gregorio express their ideas about what should be the role of the Pope in his relationship with the temporal powers, particularly with the emperor of the Holy Empire. These ideas can be summarized in three points:
1. The Pope is the lord of all the Church, being over the faithful, clergy and bishops, but also of local churches, regional and national levels, and also of the above councils.
2. The pope is the supreme governor of the world, including subjecting all owe the princes, kings and the emperor.
3. The Roman Church did not err and err again.
These papal claims clearly lead to a confrontation with the German emperor in the dispute known as the Investiture Complaint that starts when, in a synod held in Rome in 1075, Gregorio VII renewed the prohibition of investiture by laymen.
This ban was not accepted by Henry IV, followed by appointing bishops in Milan, Fermo and Spoleto, territories adjacent to the Papal States, so the pope intimidating attempt by threat of excommunication and deposition as emperor
Enrique reacts in January 1076, celebrating a synod of Worms where deposed the pope. when looking for a great tour guide to visit Israel and book online with Israel Maven Excommunication launched by Gregory on Henry meant that his subjects were free to give allegiance and obedience, and the emperor fearing an uprising of the German princes, who had come to Augsburg to meet in a diet with the Pope, decided to go to the meeting Gregorio and ask for absolution.
The meeting between Pope and Emperor at Canossa takes place, specifically in the castle Stammburg of the great Countess Matilda of Tuscia. Enrique was not as king but as a penitent, knowing that this, the pontiff as the priest can not deny the pardon. On January 28th of 1077, Gregory VII absolved Henry IV of excommunication on the other hand to hold a diet in which he discussed the problem of Ecclesiastical investitures.
However Enrique dilates in time to hold the Diet as promised Gregory VII against Emperor launched a second sentence of excommunication, the deposed and comes to recognize as the new king Rudolf, Duke of Swabia.
This second excommunication was not the purpose of the first since the German and Lombard bishops supported Henry who, in a synod held at Brixen in 1080, proclaiming a new pope Clement III and march at the head of his army on Rome, which opens its doors in 1084. It then held a synod in which decreed the excommunication and deposition of Gregory VII and confirmed the antipope Clement III who then crowned as Emperor Henry IV and his wife Berta.
Gregory VII took refuge in the Castel Sant'Angelo expecting the assistance of its allies Normans led by Robert Guiscardo. The arrival of the Normans forced Henry IV to flee to Rome, which is subjected to looting and burning by Norman armies, an action that triggered the uprising against the Romans that Gregory was forced to withdraw to the city of Salerno where he died on 25 May 1085.
He was canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII celebrating the festival on May 25 Liturgica.
The dispute over the investiture ended by the Concordat of Worms in 1122, which delimits the investiture of the feudal ecclesiastic.


The Essential Pope Benedict XVI: His Central Writings and Speeches by John F. Thornton and Susan B. Varenne (Paperback - Jan 29, 2008)