Church Councils and Religious Beggars 

Church Councils:  1073, the cardinals elected a new pope, Pope Gregory VII. Gregory wanted to reform the church. He wanted to stop lords appointing their relatives, or whomever they chose, to the position of abbot or bishop. Gregory created church councils. Each council's job was to interview possible candidates for the positions of abbots, bishops, and cardinals.  

Henry IV was king at the time. He strongly objected to the use of church councils to elect bishops. As a king, to rule effectively, he needed bishops behind him. Bishops were powerful. They owned manors. They had knights. They were religious leaders. In the end, Henry got his way. Secular leaders could appoint abbots, bishops, and cardinals. The church could only veto the choice. 

Wandering Monks (Religious Beggars): Another reform attempted by the church was the use of friars. Friars were wandering monks. The church was highly criticized for all its wealth. The friars were supposed to offset this. Friars were intended to be visual reminders of the vow of poverty. Probably the most famous friar was Francis of Assisi. 

Friars almost always found shelter and a warm meal. Feeding and sheltering a wandering monk was an easy act of penance. Nobles and commoners alike were delighted to welcome the friars to dine with them. It provided them with company, with religious comfort, and with an acceptance penance.  

 Gregory VII (Pope Gregory)

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