Question

what is lay investiture?

Answer 1

Lay investiture was the appointment of bishops, abbots, and other church officials by feudal lords and vassals. No one questioned a king or noble's right to grant a bishop or abbot a fief and have him become a vassal, but the church did object to kings and nobles naming bishops or abbots.

There was a close association between church and state which, in a sense, had started with the pope's crowning of Charlemagne in 800AD. With whom the final authority rested was unclear. In theory, the clergy, representing heavenly power, was higher than the nobility, who represented earthly power.

Many kings were dependent upon the clergy for communication and political advice, therefore the persons acting in this capacity occupied an important position in the state. At the same time, the clergy naturally saw their roles as defending the powers of the church at the expense of the powers of the king.

Lay investiture became the focal point for the struggle between church authority and secular authority. Did a king have the final authority in his state? Should not a monarch have the right to choose a man he trusted to be his adviser and spiritual head of his kingdom?

The two most well-known cases that involved the issue of lay investiture were those of Thomas Becket with Henry II of England and Pope Innocent III with Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire.



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