Lesson 3: Popes and Kings (The Middle Ages)

👑✝️ Popes and Kings Rule Europe

In the Middle Ages, two types of leaders had great power: kings and popes.

✝️ The Power of Popes

The pope was the head of the Catholic Church, the most important church in Europe. People believed the pope was God’s voice on Earth. The pope could excommunicate someone—this meant that person could not go to church or go to heaven. That was very scary for people in the Middle Ages!

👑 The Power of Kings

Kings ruled countries like France and England. They controlled the land, the army, and the laws. A strong king could build a big army and take more land.

🏰 The Holy Roman Empire

In central Europe, there was a large kingdom called the Holy Roman Empire. It started when the pope crowned a king named Charlemagne as emperor in 800. Later, emperors were chosen by nobles, but they still wanted the pope’s blessing to rule.

⚔️ Popes Fight for Power

Some popes wanted more than just church power—they wanted to be above kings and emperors.

Story: One pope, named Pope Gregory VII, said only he could choose church leaders like bishops. Before that, kings had often picked bishops themselves.

This made many kings angry. But Pope Gregory did not back down. He believed God gave him more power than any king.

😡 Kings and Popes Clash

The Big Clash: Pope vs. Emperor

One famous fight was between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire.

Henry wanted to keep choosing bishops, but Pope Gregory said no. So Henry tried to make the pope step down!

In return, the pope excommunicated Henry. This meant Henry was no longer part of the church. Many of his nobles turned against him.

❄️ A Humble Walk in the Snow

Henry realized he needed the pope’s forgiveness—or he might lose his throne. So in 1077, he walked across the Alps in winter, in the snow, to the pope’s castle in Canossa, Italy.

He stood barefoot in the snow for three days, asking the pope to forgive him.

Finally, the pope forgave Henry. But the fight between popes and kings didn’t end there. For many years, they continued to argue over who had more power.