| − | He is known for ending the control of the western church by the secular (non-church) rulers, particularly by abolishing lay investiture, by which lay lords had control over the choice of [[bishop]]s, [[abbot]]s and other church officials. Pope Gregory [[excommunicated]] the [[German]] [[King Henry IV]] for insisting on installing bishops, and Henry IV even crossed the [[Alps]] in wintertime to seek forgiveness and absolution from the pope in the Canossa incident in 1077. [[Historians]] today view the incident as an example of humiliation of a king by a religious leader. Pope Gregory forgave him, but then Henry IV continued to demand control and even removal of Pope Gregory, ultimately causing him to flee [[Rome]] in 1084 to survive. Pope Gregory died a year later, while Henry IV lived on for another 20 years.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/World_History_Lecture_Six</ref>
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