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The Medieval Church · 1073–1085
The Register
Pope Gregory VII · c. 1015–1085
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What it is
The letters of the most combative pope of the Middle Ages, including the two depositions of Henry IV and a long defence of the right to depose kings.
Why it lasted
The fullest documentation of the investiture contest from the papal side, and the classic statement of papal authority over secular rulers.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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