The Roman Catholic Church issued a decree in 1080 CE. It was directed at the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, who was appointing religious officials without approval from the church. The decree stated that any non-religious power or person who appointed church officials would be excommunicated from the church. It also wanted rulers that such actions would displease God and result in suffering.

Question

How did this church decree affect the actions of Europeans monarchs?

a. European monarchs removed church leaders
b. European monarchs appointed bishops to political offices
c. The decree weakened the power of European monarchs
d. The decree allowed monarchs to be appointed as bishops

Answer 1

The correct answer is c. The decree weakened the power of European monarchs.

The decree, known as the Dictatus Papae, asserted the authority of the papacy over secular rulers in matters of church appointments and governance. This introduced a significant power struggle between the church and monarchs, ultimately leading to diminished influence of monarchs in religious appointments and governance. This struggle is famously illustrated by the Investiture Controversy, where the authority of the pope was emphasized over that of kings and emperors.