The Gregorian Reform

    The tenth century saw a decline in the spiritual wellbeing of Western Europe, and subsequently an urgent calling for reformation. Aristocratic families controlled the Papal office and its assignment, secular powers diminished the authority of the Church by meddling in the appointments of clergy, and the ecclesiastical hierarchy became heavily politicized. Thus it was that the Church found itself in immediate need of reform. While the Gregorian Reform is intricately tied to monastic reformation, first Pope Leo IX and subsequently Pope Gregory VII endeavored to reform the Church on a larger level as well, raising the moral quality of the clergy and freeing the church from secular control. [1] Pope Leo IX worked to separate the papacy from its ties with the German emperors through the counsel of the Abbot of Cluny, Peter Damien, and the future Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand), among others. [2] These influential men would draw monasticism and the papacy together as they labored “to do away with the proprietary system (including simony), to restore celibacy, and to establish an electoral ­college of cardinals, or electors, who would be responsible for electing the popes.”[3]

    It was this system that would set Pope Gregory VII on the papal throne in the year 1073. Pope Gregory sought to assertively re-establish papal authority over both the Church and secular powers. Weeding out those unlawfully in possession of church positions, Gregory VII determined that no political leader would be enabled to control the papacy, as, “responsible for implementing God’s law, the pope could never take a subordinate position to kings.”[4] He also called for a refinement of the morality of the clergy through better formation. Although Pope Gregory pressed forward boldly with his Dictatus Papae, which clearly outlined the rights of the papacy, he was met with much resistance from secular leaders, particularly emperor Henry IV who drove the pontiff into hiding throughout the remainder of his life.

    One specific move which shaped the Gregorian Reform was a privilege known as the monastic exemption, which was granted by the pope to certain monasteries. The monastic exemption effectively removed the monastery from the power of the local bishop and lay leaders, while also giving increased independence and income to the papacy.[5] While the practice of granting monastic exemptions began in the seventh century, it became far more widespread throughout the tenth and eleventh centuries in Europe. By the twelfth century, over 2000 monasteries had availed themselves of the monastic exemption and were thriving through this new independence, spurring their own interior reforms within the individual monastic communities and rediscovering the fundamental values of monastic life.   

   

    The focal inspiration of the Gregorian Reform among the monastic communities was the Cluny Abbey, founded in 909. Cluny was rebuilt three times, and stood as a strong testament to the benefits of the monastic exemption. The first Cluny Abbey prioritized certain essential aspects of the life of the monk – the cloister, for example – in places of ideal prominence, which both emphasized their importance and maximized their use. The prayer life of the monk was nourished through this attention to spiritual needs, and the equally necessary facets of rest, study, and work were ministered to as well. In time, a second abbey would become necessary to support the growth of the prospering community. Eventually, a third, larger abbey was built due to remarkable increase in the number monks from two hundred to three hundred, and the need for additional accommodations.[6] While the construction of Cluny III was good in and of itself, through this large accumulation the Cluniac order would begin to “[suffer] from corruption and excess” [7] due to increased connection to material things.

    Ultimately, the Gregorian Reform revitalized the medieval Church at a critical time of spiritual and moral turbulence. Reformation efforts were guided by intelligent, upright ecclesial leaders who not only labored to secure the Church during her present struggles, but also planted the seeds for future growth within the clergy, monastic communities, and the laity. While not without its flaws, the work of the Gregorian Reform provided a firm foundation from which those seeking the truth – from the tenth century to the present day – would be able to draw support and sustenance.

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[1] Marvin Perry, Myrna Chase, James Jacob, Margaret Jacob, Theodore Von Laue, Western Civilization – Ideas, Politics, and Society, Volume 1, 10th ed. (Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2009) pg. 240.

[2] John Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church Through the Ages (New York: Paulist Press, 2014), 118.

[3] Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, 119.

[4] Perry, Western Civilization – Ideas, Politics, and Society, 240.

[5] Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, 116.

[6] C. Edson Armi and Elizabeth Bradford Smith, “The Choir Screen of Cluny III,” The Art Bulletin 66, no. 4 (Dec., 1984), 556.

[7] Christine M. Bolli, "Cluny Abbey," in Smarthistory, September 8, 2016, at smarthistory.org.