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Pope Gregory VII AKA Hildebrand
Quotes: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile." "The Roman Church has never erred, and according to the scripture, never shall err." "It is the custom of the Roman Church which I unworthily serve with the help of God, to tolerate some things, to turn a blind eye to some , fdollowing the spirit of discrection rather than the ridgid letter of the law."
LINKS: www.jesus-passion.com , www.nndb.com,www.thinkexist.com, www.google.com
Born: c. 1020 Birthplace: Sovana, Italy Death; May 25, 1085 Place Of death: Salerno, Italy
Biography
He reigned from 1073 to 1085. He was born in c.1020 in Soana, Italy as Hildebrand, son of a blacksmith; died in Salerno, Italy. Hildebrand studied in Rome. He entered the Benedictine Order. While chaplain to Pope Gregory VI, he was placed in charge of the Patrimony of Saint Peter and displayed the great administrative. Refusing thepapacy on Pope Leo IX's death, he was chief counselor to the four succeeding popes. Finally, despite his protestations, he was nominated and elected. After the death of AlexanderrII people started saying let Gregroy be pope, later that dayb he was conducted tonthe church of San Pietro. Hildebrand was later elected pope and the people said that he should forever bear the name Gragory. In assumning the name Gregory he not only honored the memory of GregoryVI, he also proclaimed to the world the legitimacy ofbthat pontiff's title. Pope Gregory died an exile in Salerno; his last words were: "Amavi iustiam et odivi iniquitatem; propterea, morior in exilio" ("I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I [now] die in exile.").
Achievements
Pope Gregory II has become known for a variety of political successes and defeats. On the positive side, he managed to stave off Lombard encroachments on Rome by buying them off with 30 pounds of gold. He then used the relatively peaceful time to expand the reach of Christianity in German lands to the north but on the negative side, he was forced to excommunicate Byzantine emperor Leo III because of his attempts to impose massive taxes on Italy. Leo was also an Iconoclast, which is a "breaker of images",who opposed the presence of images and statues during Christian worship. He ordered all such images destroyed and tried to force Gregory to agree, but Gregory refused and Italy came to his defense. This in turn led to many years of civil wars and revolts between East and West. If it hadn't been for Gregory's calls for reform, the First Crusade would most likely not have happened. But the religious revival that Pope Gregory spawned caught on and helped establish enthusiasm, soldiers and money for the First Crusade, which was also the first universal event in Western Europe, which was still a conglomeration of tiny kingdoms, duchies and principalities. When Pope Gregory VII took up his seat in Rome he set about to make some big changes in the way the Church did business. He enforced a decree against lay investitures, which gave secular rulers (kings, emperors and more) the authority to appoint church officials. Pope Gregory VII was determined that he would be the ultimate authority in the Christian world.
Pope Gregory's VII Coat of Arms
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