Relations with the Papacy

What were relations like between kings and the pope?

The Norman kings' relationship with the pope was important, as it made a difference to their relationship with the Church in England. This relationship changed as time went on.

What were King William I's relations with the pope like?

Saxon kings had not had close relations with the pope in Rome. William had a much closer relationship with the pope.

• ❖ Pope Alexander II had given William a papal banner in 1066, which gave his invasion God's blessing.
• ❖ Both William and Pope Alexander wanted to reform the Church in England, and bring it in line with European Christianity.
• ❖ Pope Gregory VII, however, wanted more papal control over the English Church, and this brought him into conflict with William.
• ❖ Pope Gregory wanted William to swear fealty to him, but William refused. He did not want the pope to interfere with his rights as king.
• ❖ However, William did agree to collect 'Peter's Pence', a special tax paid to the pope.

How did King William Rufus come into conflict with the Church?

There were 4 important reaons why William Rufus did not have a good relationship with the Church.

• ❖ Rufus was more interested in making money from the Church, and re-introduced simony. Ranulf Flambard paid £1,000 to become Bishop of Durham.
• ❖ Rufus also took land from the Church. He avoided appointing a new Archbishop of Canterbury in 1089, in order to profit from the lands that Lanfranc had held.
• ❖ The Church criticised Rufus' lifestyle. He might have been homosexual, which the Church disapproved of.
• ❖ Rufus challenged the power of the Church courts. He tried William of St-Calais, the Bishop of Durham, in a secular court, showing that he was determined to control the Church.

What were relations between King William Rufus and the pope like?

There were 6 important reasons why William Rufus came into conflict with the pope.

• ❖ When Rufus appointed Anselm as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, he refused to give back the Church lands he had taken over.
• ❖ By 1094, Anselm was preaching against Rufus, criticising his morals, and his behaviour towards the church.
• ❖ Rufus then prevented Anselm from travelling to Rome to receive the pallium. Rufus argued that this would mean he accepted the pope's influence over the English Church.
• ❖ In the end, Rufus reached an agreement with the pope. He accepted the pope's right to invest the new archbishop; the pope agreed to stay out of English affairs.
• ❖ Rufus and Anselm continued to argue, however, and Rufus blocked Anselm's attempts to make more reforms to the Church. Anselm also refused to pay additional taxes to the king.
• ❖ Finally, in 1097, Anselm was exiled, and he fled to Rome. Rufus took over his lands and continued to profit from them.

How did King Henry I come into conflict with the pope?

Henry I's problems with the pope were to do with the 'Investiture Controversy' .

• ❖ Archbishop Anselm refused to perform homage to Henry, or to be invested by him. Henry exiled him in 1103.
• ❖ The pope threatened Henry with excommunication as a result.
• ❖ In 1107 they reached an agreement (the concordat of London).
• ❖ Henry agreed to give up his right to invest bishops. But he could still receive homage from them before they were invested.
• ❖ As a result, Henry could still treat bishops as his vassals, and they would have to provide knight service if required.

What did the Investiture Controversy have to do with relations between king and pope?

The Investiture Controversy was an argument about who had more power - the king or the pope. It was a problem throughout Europe, not just in England.

• ❖ Kings expected to 'invest' bishops with the emblems of their office, and to receive homage from them.
• ❖ This was because bishops held land from the king, as tenants-in-chief.
• ❖ The Church opposed this, because it did not like the idea of churchmen paying homage to a secular ruler.
• ❖ If a tenant-in-chief did not perform homage to the king, however, this would damage the king's authority in his own kingdom.