Pope Leo IX

Right, so that's this kind of long, I mean, like two century plus process, which starts in the mid 11th century with the kind of beginnings of, the reason I call it Gregorian reform is that it's really spearheaded by this Pope Gregory VII.

But I mean, this predecessor, Leo IX, is also very important in kind of getting this process going.

But then it's carried forward by subsequent popes who were kind of building on this idea of the centrality of papal authority, the importance of having the papacy as the vicar of St. Peter governing initially the church, but then increasingly also the remaining parts of a Christian society.

And so this is happening throughout Christendom.

In Cluny we must now leave him for a time to trace the course of events in Germany and Italy.

End of Section 3 Section 4 of Hildebrand and His Times by William Richard Ward Stevens This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Recording by Pamela Nagami Chapter 3 Progress of the Reforming Movement The Pontificate of Leo IX 1047-54 Part 1 Whilst the emperor had been asserting his authority in Italy, rebellion had broken out behind him, north of the Alps, amongst the nobles who had resented his strong rule.

Godfrey, Duke of Lotharingia, was the leader of the insurgents, and before the emperor could attack them, Godfrey had taken Nijmegen and Verdun and laid siege to Lüttich, Liège, where he was kept in check by the bishop.

The insurrection happening just when Henry seemed to have reached the height of his power was a blow to his happiness and hopes and a very real cause of anxiety and alarm.

As they drew near Rome, they were met by a great concourse of people and clergy.

Bruno entered the city barefoot and professed himself ready to return if his appointment was not agreeable to them.

Loud acclamations left no doubt of their approval, and on February 12, 1049, he was consecrated pope under the name of Leo IX.

The short pontificates of his two predecessors and the long vacancies between them had brought the affairs of the papacy into a state of sad confusion.

So that's this kind of long, I mean, like two century plus process, which starts in the mid 11th century with the kind of beginnings of the reason I call it Gregorian reform is that it's really spearheaded by this Pope Gregory VII.

But I mean, this predecessor, Leo IX, is also very important in kind of getting this process going.

But then it's carried forward by subsequent popes who are kind of building on this idea, right, of the kind of centrality of papal authority, the importance of having the papacy as the kind of vicar of St. Peter governing the initially the church, but then increasingly also the remaining parts of Christian society.

And so this is happening throughout Christendom, but one of the interesting things about studying the Iberian Peninsula is it's sort of one of the parts of Europe that falls under papal influence the soonest.

Right, so that's this kind of long, I mean, like two century plus process, which starts in the mid 11th century with the kind of beginnings of, the reason I call it Gregorian reform is that it's really spearheaded by this Pope Gregory VII.

But I mean, this predecessor, Leo IX, is also very important in kind of getting this process going.

But then it's carried forward by subsequent popes who were kind of building on this idea of the centrality of papal authority, the importance of having the papacy as the vicar of St. Peter governing initially the church, but then increasingly also the remaining parts of a Christian society.

And so this is happening throughout Christendom.

Right, so that's this kind of long, I mean, like two century plus process, which starts in the mid 11th century with the kind of beginnings of, the reason I call it Gregorian reform is that it's really spearheaded by this Pope Gregory VII.

But I mean, this predecessor, Leo IX, is also very important in kind of getting this process going.

But then it's carried forward by subsequent popes who were kind of building on this idea of the centrality of papal authority, the importance of having the papacy as the vicar of St. Peter governing initially the church, but then increasingly also the remaining parts of a Christian society.

And so this is happening throughout Christendom.

So that's this kind of long, I mean, like two century plus process, which starts in the mid 11th century with the kind of beginnings of the reason I call it Gregorian reform is that it's really spearheaded by this Pope Gregory VII.

But I mean, this predecessor, Leo IX, is also very important in kind of getting this process going.

But then it's carried forward by subsequent popes who are kind of building on this idea, right, of the kind of centrality of papal authority, the importance of having the papacy as the kind of vicar of St. Peter governing the initially the church, but then increasingly also the remaining parts of Christian society.

And so this is happening throughout Christendom, but one of the interesting things about studying the Iberian Peninsula is it's sort of one of the parts of Europe that falls under papal influence the soonest.