CHAPTER VII 
THE RISE OF THE PAPACY AND THE INVESTITURE 
STRUGGLE 
By the end of the eleventh century the Pope held a 
most commanding position in Europe. He was not 
only the acknowledged Head of the whole of Western 
Christendom in matters of religion, but also the ruler 
of a large state in the middle of Italy. Not content 
with this he also claimed to be the lord of the political 
zulers of Western Europe. The rise of this power had 
been rapid, for in the early centuries of the Church’s 
history the bishops of Rome neither claimed nor 
axercised any power outside their own dioceses, How 
was it, then, that they rose to such pre-eminence ? 
Growrn Various causes combined to bring about the growth 
5 PArAL Of their power. In the first place the geographical 
ırs and political importance of Rome and all the prestige 
CAUSES „ached to the city tended to make its bishop an 
important person. 
Besides this the Church at Rome was the only Church 
in the West which was of apostolic foundation, and 
therefore the tendency arose to consult its bishop on 
matters of dificulty and to refer disputes to his decision, 
Gradually the belief sprang up that the Bishops of 
Rome were the successors of St Peter and inheritors 
of the authority which he was thought to have received 
over *he whole Church.