Concordat of Worms 1122

The Concordat of Worms was signed by Pope Callistus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V on the 23rd of September 1122 in Worms. It was an agreement that ended a conflict of almost 50 years (1075–1122) over who had the right to appoint (or “invest”) bishops and abbots. On one side Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085) argued only the Church could confer spiritual authority. On the other side Emperor Henry IV (1056–1106) insisted kings and emperors had the right to invest bishops with the symbols of office, since bishops held lands and owed feudal service. The dispute led to civil war in Germany, papal-imperial excommunications, and even Henry IV’s famous Walk to Canossa (1077) to seek papal forgiveness. By the early 12th century, both sides wanted compromise.

The emperor renounced the right to invest bishops with spiritual symbols, such as the ring and staff, which represented ecclesiastical authority. These would be conferred only by the Church, affirming the pope's and clergy's control over spiritual offices. The emperor retained the right to be present at episcopal elections within the empire and to grant secular titles or land (the regalia). This meant bishops still had to maintain feudal loyalty to the emperor for lands and political power, but their spiritual role was confirmed by the Church. Bishops would be elected (by local clergy, with imperial presence, ensuring elections were not solely political. In contested cases, the emperor could influence outcomes, but only indirectly. The Church emerged with greater autonomy in spiritual matters, while still acknowledging the emperor's role in temporal governance.

This concordat was confirmed by the First Lateran Council (1123), giving it wider legitimacy in Christendom. It did not end all tensions between emperors and popes, but prevented open war over lay investiture for a time. In the long run, it contributed to the development of more autonomous Church structures and papal authority.