Concordat of Worms
Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
What happened
Pope Callixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V made the agreement through their delegates. For about fifty years, popes and emperors had argued over who had the right to appoint bishops and abbots. Outside the walls of Worms, the emperor agreed to stop giving new bishops the ring and staff that stood for their church office. In return, he could attend church elections and grant bishops their lands and worldly powers with a sceptre.
Why it matters
It ended the Investiture Controversy, a long struggle between church and state. Later emperors kept its terms largely unchanged until the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806.
What came next
The First Lateran Council met on 18 March 1123 and ratified it. The peace between pope and emperor held only until Henry V died in 1125.
Did you know?
Neither charter was signed, and some words were left deliberately vague so each side could read them its own way.
Timeline
- 23 September 1122Agreement reached at Worms.
- 18 March 1123The First Lateran Council meets and ratifies it.
- 1125Henry V dies.
- 1806The Holy Roman Empire is dissolved.