Council of Sutri

The Synod of Sutri was a gathering of bishops and other church dignitaries for consultation and decision-making in the church, particularly dogmatic and canonical matters, which took place in Sutri in the region of Lazio in Italy today from 20 December 1046.

King Henry III. was on his way across the Alps to be in Rome by Gregory VI. crowned emperor to leave. On his way he learned that Pope Gregory was accused of simony and it was him apparently just as able to get to the papacy. Henry III. then summoned a synod at Sutri. He was very anxious to be crowned by a legitimate reigning pope to the emperor, to give rise to any doubts about his imperial dignity. The place Sutri was chosen because it directly on the path of Henry III. was to Rome.

During the Synod, which began on December 20, 1046, Gregory was given the opportunity to defend himself against the charge of simony. Gregor, the contemporaries of a great naivety is attested, acknowledged during the Synod blatantly one, his predecessor, to have, however, made ​​compensation payments without malicious intent. So he admitted the charge of offices purchase and took the loss of his position as pope in purchasing.

King Henry III. sat, in the course of the Synod, in accordance with the Cluniacs, three popes ( Gregory VI. , Benedict IX. Silvester and III. ) on December 24 from.

He appointed the Cluniac Suidger from Bamberg to the Pope. Clergy and people agreed. The following day, he was enthroned as Clement II as pope and crowned Henry III. to the emperor. The Cluniac had reached their destination. The " German " Clement II, is considered the first pope reform this time and heralded as a series of numerous German popes in the sequence a. Likewise begins by establishing a pope by a king, the demand for the libertas ecclesiae, the freedom of the Church from a state influence, which reached its peak under Gregory VII.

The Synod of Sutri is considered the start of the High Middle Ages.