The Concordat of Worms distinguishes spiritual and royal investiture
About this date: 1122 dates the paired agreements between Henry V and Calixtus II.
The settlement at Worms sets out reciprocal concessions over episcopal elections and investiture. Henry renounces investiture with ring and staff while the agreement preserves defined royal interests.
Historical context
The compromise responds to decades of conflict over appointments that carried both spiritual responsibilities and temporal estates. It is not a modern separation of church and state.
Key points
- The emperor accepts canonical election and free consecration.
- The royal role differs according to territory and circumstance.
- Temporal rights are distinguished from the symbols of spiritual office.
People
- Henry V
- Calixtus II
Sources and further reading
- The Concordat of Worms
Paired documentary texts of the settlement.