Western Civilization

The Struggle for Power Between the Pope and the Emperor The basis for papal claims to authority in the late 5th and early 6th centuries arose from the mighty conflict between emperor and pope, which is known as the Investiture Struggle. This struggle originated between the bishops of two world powers at this time: the Bishop of Rome in the West and the Bishop of Constantinople in the East. In this paper, I will describe …

…of Rome was legitimate and more successful than that of the Bishop of Constantinople. Although today the Pope has a diminished role from that of Pope Gregory’s time, the influence he had on the Catholic faith and papal authority that arose in the 8th century is still evident today. Not only did Pope Gregory justify the claims, he saved the Church, and founded the great civilization which has lasted through this century, Western Civilization.