Chapter 93 - 86: The Wrath of the Vatican

The Lateran Palace, Rome City, Italy.

An old man dressed in the pure white Pope’s Holy Robe sat upon the high throne, his gaze fixed on the exquisite letter in his hands. However, the letter’s magnificent exterior could not bring him even the slightest bit of pleasure.

Perhaps it was precisely because of its exquisite appearance that the letter’s contents seemed all the more detestable.

The letter was not long, but its message was concise and to the point.

[To Hildebrandt, a false monk, not a Pope:

....

"I—Henry—King by the grace of God, together with all my Bishops, now say to you: ’Fall! Fall! You are damned for all eternity and will never rise again!’

For you are not worthy to sit in the chair of Saint Peter; you have pushed yourself upon it through violence. Your wanton recklessness has defiled this office. You are a Demon disguised as a defender of the faith.

I, King Henry, God’s truly humble servant, was chosen as King not through usurpation but through God’s holy ordinance. I fully possess all the monarchical Power bestowed by God, including the power to depose a vile and wicked villain like you.

Even the most naive child would scorn your ridiculous orders. I state my wish to you once more, to express my profound disgust: Fall! Fall! Your papacy is invalid.

Abominable Gregory VII, your decaying body would cause nausea even in Saxon lands. May your pathetic soul rot within your flesh.]

Gregory VII slowly folded the letter, preparing to place it on the tray of a nearby Attendant. However, the rage in his heart would not allow for such composure. The letter was flung away, sliding across the palace’s smooth floor toward the Cardinal seats in the center of the hall.

He sat upon his throne in the Hall of Piety of the Vatican Great Hall, contemplating the way of God, the law of the world, and the principles of nations. ’Am I not God’s absolute representative in the temporal world?’

’Is it not therefore natural that I have the authority to manage the affairs of the entire temporal world, including all nations and their Kings, and all the independent city-states of Italy, be they republics or oligarchies?’

Gregory was keenly aware of the weight the papacy should carry—more so, even, than any of his predecessors.

The various Italian city-states under the Church’s jurisdiction were now ruled by despotic usurpers. They cared only for lining their own pockets and filling their family coffers, unwilling to pay tribute to the Holy See that had sanctioned their rule.

Kings used the Church to gain Power, only to forget the salvation of mankind’s eternal souls. Even the wealthy Kings of Germany and France failed to pay tribute to the Holy See, refusing whenever they were displeased with the Pope. ’How dare they be so bold!’

’If the Holy See were to no longer sanction their rule, would they still dare? The people trust their King because they believe he is appointed by God, and only the Pope—the representative of the Holy See, the vicar of the Lord of Heaven—can bestow upon them this divine blessing.’

He firmly believed that it was the weakness of previous popes that had led to the Church’s feebleness and the insolence of secular Monarchs. That Norman Lord who had recently come to rule Britain was even more abominable, arrogant enough to blockade all of England and forbid his clergy from traveling to Rome to report on their duties.

"Insolence! Beneath the glory of God, this damned Demon, made arrogant by his theft of the Emperor’s throne, brazenly scorns the successor of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, God’s representative on earth.

Power has driven him mad. Perhaps before his ascension, he was a generous and merciful ruler, but this arrogant, greedy, treacherous, and perfidious madman before us is no longer worthy of his title.

My colleagues, most devout servants of God, look! This is the evil fruit born when secular power is left unchecked, when a sharp blade has no sturdy sheath. Its edge will cut any lost lamb.

The merciful Lord declared a thousand years ago: put up your sword, put up your sword!

What I mean to say is that the Emperor’s title is granted by the successor of Saint Peter, and so the successor of Saint Peter can also take it back. The Church will not back down."

His words echoed, perfectly clear, through the spacious palace hall.

But among the College of Cardinals, there was only dead silence. It seemed no one dared to respond to the Pope.

"I have already decided. They will be excommunicated," Gregory VII said, sitting back down on his throne.

However, the moment this decision was announced, the College of Cardinals, which had been silent just moments before, erupted.

"Does Your Holiness mean to excommunicate the Emperor?" a middle-aged Cardinal asked, stepping forward from the group.

He seemed particularly young among the College of Cardinals.

"Not just him. All the Bishops in Germany who support the Emperor will be excommunicated. Those false believers who disregard God’s grace, who accepted their false ordinations from the hands of filthy secular Lords—they should never have been recognized in the first place.

I will also have Theodores, that heretic who usurped the title of Archbishop of Milan, burned at the stake. I will not tolerate any opposition to the authority of Saint Peter and the Church."

"Your Holiness, perhaps you should calm down a little. If the Church cannot tolerate a single dissenting voice, then perhaps you should excommunicate the entire Catholic World. For at present, no Monarch will support such a radical decision."

"Otto, are you suggesting I should tolerate this apostasy? This is the throne of Saint Peter! I am God’s vicar, and I will remain upon this seat until my death!"

Gregory seemed agitated. He stood up and raised his hands to the College of Cardinals.

"This is undoubtedly a grave challenge, but we have no room for retreat. The Church has been dormant for too long and must return to its rightful place.

The resistance will be great, but if you fear this butcher’s knife, then take off your red robes. Cardinals, vote."

Murmurs rose again. After three minutes, no one wanted to vote.

The middle-aged Cardinal named Otto stood up again and walked before the Pope.

"My dear friend, I do not believe this matter should be ignored, only that there is a more rational solution. Excommunication may be of no consequence to the Emperor; he will still cross the Alps and march on Rome.

If we are to punish him, we need more Power. After all, there is more than one Crown under the Lord of Heaven."

"I have already contacted Countess Matilda of Tuscan and that abominable Norman, Giscard. They will dedicate their glory to the Lord’s cause," Gregory said with a wave of his hand, indicating he had already thought of this.

"No, perhaps what we need more is a Crown. The Prince of Normandy has sent us a timely invitation. And compared to Henry of Germany, he is clearly more deferential and friendly.

All we need to give is a banner blessed by the Pope, and an excommunication for his father."