E-SOURCE 10.1
The Synod of Sutri
The Synod of Sutri was a council called in 1046 to resolve conflict over the election of the pope.
The Holy Roman Emperor Henry III (1017-1056) deposed and appointed three popes in as many
years. Henry seemed to be exercising secular authority over religious matters, but in fact he laid
the groundwork for the rise of a strong and independent papacy by appointing reformers to that
office. His son, Henry IV (1050-1106), would struggle with these autonomous popes.
As you read, consider these questions:
1) How does the author of this text portray imperial involvement in papal affairs? How does
he portray the Church’s response to that imperial involvement?
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SYNOD OF SUTRI (1046)
Now when the report of this incredible controversy had reached the ears of Henry, by the grace
of God most invincible emperor, he set out for Italy with a great force and an immense army.
And when he came to the city called Sutri, he called to him pope Gregory and the clergy of
Rome and decreed that a great synod should be held in the holy church of Sutri. And after he had
tried the case canonically and justly and had made the rights of the matter plain to the holy and
religious bishops according to the canons, he condemned with perpetual anathema John, bishop
of Sabina, to whom they had given the name Silvester, John the archpresbyter, whom they called
Gregory, and the aforesaid pope Benedict. Then he proceeded to Rome with so great a following
that the city could not hold it. Henry, by the grace of God pious and benign king, called together
the multitude of the Roman people and the bishops and abbots and the whole Roman clergy in
the basilica of St. Peter, and held there a holy and glorious synod; and on the day before
Christmas he appointed an excellent, holy, and benign pope, who took the name of Clement. And
on Christmas day the aforesaid king was crowned by the holy and benign pope, and the whole
city of Rome rejoiced and the holy Roman church was exalted and glorified because so
dangerous a schism had at length by the mercy of God been ended. And then the most serene
emperor, perceiving the desire of the whole Roman people, as they had expressed it to him,
placed on his own head the band with which the Romans from of old had been wont to crown
their patricii. And the pope and the clergy and the Romans granted him the right to create popes
and such bishops as have regalian rights; and it was further agreed that no bishop should be
consecrated until he had received his investiture from the hand of the king. And just as pope
Adrian had confirmed these things by a charter, so also they, by a charter, gave, confirmed, and
put in the power of Henry and his successors the patriciate and the other rights as stated above.
Now after the king had returned to his own realm, pope Clement sat upon the apostolic
throne nine months and sixteen days, and then left the terrestrial for the celestial kingdom.
Then the Roman people, assembled together, sent messengers to king Henry with a letter
beseeching him, as servants beseech their lord, or children their father, to appoint for them a
chaste and benign man of godly life as shepherd of the holy Roman church and of the whole
world. Now when Benedict, the former pope, learned of the death of Clement (for he was staying
at Tusculum), he succeeded in winning over a part of the Roman people by bribery and again
usurped the pontificate. But when the ambassadors of the Romans came to the king, he received
them in his palace with great honor and gave them many gifts; then, calling together a great
assembly of bishops, abbots, counts, margraves, and other princes, according to the decrees of
the holy fathers, he chose a pope who should be pleasing to God and the whole people.
The ambassadors of the Romans returned to Rome, preceding the new pope, Damasus.
But the good pope himself changed his route and betook himself to Italy. Now when he had
come to the margrave Boniface, who had assisted the aforesaid pope Benedict to seize the papal
throne, the margrave addressed him in these cunning words: “ I cannot go on to Rome with you,
because the Romans have restored the former pope, and he has regained the power which he had
formerly, and has made peace with them. Therefore I cannot go to Rome, especially as I am now
an old man.” When the holy pope heard this, he returned and told all these things to the emperor.
When the king heard it, he recognized the shrewdness and cunning of the margrave, and
addressed him by letter, as follows: “Since you have restored to the pontificate a pope who was
canonically deposed, and have been led by your love of gain to hold our empire in contempt,
understand now that, unless you mend your ways, I will come quickly and make you mend
against your will, and I will give the Roman people a pope worthy in the sight of God.” Then
Boniface, seeing that his rebellion would profit him nothing, drove Benedict from the papal
throne by his ambassador and went to Rome with pope Damasus … And Damasus held the
pontificate twenty-three days and then died, and Leo was enthroned in the Roman see by the
emperor and his nobles.
Source: Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar H. McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History:
Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age (New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, 1907), 121-124. Text modified by Phillip C. Adamo.