John XVII (1003) 142nd Pope
He was a lay person elected by a powerful political faction
John XVIII (1003-1009) 143rd Pope
He was elected through the actions of a powerful political faction
He confirmed or extended privileges to churches and abbeys
He briefly renewed the union between the Latin and Greek churches
He worked zealously to spread the Christianity to the barbarians and pagans
Sergius IV (1009-1012) 144th Pope
He greatly relieved the sufferings of the poor during a famine
He tried in vain to reduce the immorality among the bishop and powerful abbots
Benedict VIII (1012-1024) 145th Pope
He was elected to the papacy by force
He was a strong, pious man
The emperor confirmed papal rule over Ravenna
He help defeat the Muslims in another assault
He befriended the Normans who were beginning to take over southern Italy
He condemned simony and clerical marriage
John XIX (1024-1032) 146th Pope 
He was Benedict VIII’s brother
He sought to find some reconciliation with the Byzantine emperor
Many reformers in Italy and France objected, stating that the Eastern church was corrupt
He was elected a lay person. He rapidly received all the holy orders in sucession.
He confirmed and extended the Pax Dei, a custom that clerics, religious and noncombatants would be exempt from warfare. Church and monasteries are off limits. Sundays would be a day of truce
Guido of Arezzo invents solfeggio (do-re-me…). He was inventor of the 7 musical notes
Benedict IX (1032-1045) 147th Pope
His two uncles had been pope. He regard the papacy as a family legacy
He led a disgusting personal life
One of the political factions drove him out of Rome. He vacated the papacy
The people elected John (soon to be Sylvester III)
Sylvester III (1045) 148th Pope
Benedict IX returned and expelled Sylvester
Benedict IX sold the papacy to John (soon to be Gregory V)
After Benedict IX sold the papacy, Sylvester III resigned his claim to the papacy in favor of Gregory V
Sylvester III reasserted his claim to the papacy
The emperor deposed Benedict IX and Gregory V
He is sometimes called an antipope
He was elected by one of the political factions
The Church recognizes him as a legitimate pope
Benedict IX (1045) 149th Pope
He sold the papacy to his godfather John (soon to be Gregory V) for money so that he can get married
Gregory VI (1045-1046) 150th Pope
John was only too happy to get Benedict IX out of the picture
The Romans and others welcomed him as the new pope
He faced an empty treasury and many problems
Sylvester III and Benedict IX were soon plotting their respective returns
The Roman clergy under Benedict IX had become extremely immoral
The opposing factions under Sylvester III and Benedict IX were powerful
Each of the three papal claimants occupied a major basilica
The city of the popes became a present day Belfast
A large number of the clergy appealed to the King of Germany to sort this situation out
Sylvester III and Benedict IX were deposed.
Convinced that he had committed simony by paying Benedict IX to leave, Gregory V voluntarily abdicated the papacy
The emperor selected Suidger, bishop of Germany, (soon to be Clement II) to become the next pope
He is attributed to forming the first pontifical army
Clement II (1046-1047) 151st Pope
He was born in Homborg, Germany
He had a reputation for holiness
He convened a synod which condemned simony
He was preoccupied with the arrogance of the Count-Bishops, the cause of much bitter fighting among vassals
Benedict IX (1047-1048) 152nd Pope
Taking advantage of Clement II’s death, he returned to rule in Rome. He was again driven out of Rome
He once and for all abdicated
He gave up his sinful ways and died a penitent death
Damasus II (1048) 153rd Pope
The emperor appointed Poppo (soon to be Damasus II)
Benedict IX was driven out of Rome
St. Leo IX (1049-1054) 154th Pope
He freely elected by the clergy and people of Rome
He entered Rome barefoot as a sign of humility
He began to reorganize the extremely muddled affairs of the church
He convened synods which condemned simony, lave investiture, clerical immorality
He condemned a heretic who denied the Real Presence in the Eucharist
The Normans were gobbling up more territories in southern Italy
The Normans defeated the imperial army and captured Leo IX
Ecclesiastical politics was becoming very nasty
He excommunicated Michael Cerularis who was responsible for causing the schism of the Greek Church with the Latin Church
In response Michael Cerularis repeated charges made by past patriarchs against Rome, closed ass Latin churches in Constantinople, desecrated hosts in their tabernacles
This was the final stroke of the schism between East and West
At this point time East and West both believed in: the common enemy of the Muslims, Apostolic succession, commonality of doctrine on most points, the idea that schism was wrong
Victor II (1055-1057) 155th Pope
He accepted being pope on condition that the emperor restore to the Holy See certain territories taken by the emperor and his predecessors
He fought simony, priestly fornication, other misdeeds
He assisted the emperor in imperial reform
Stephen X (1057-1058) 156th Pope
He shown an early commitment to reform
He sought to enforce reform of clerical morality
He planned to reopen negotiations with Constantinople
He south to work against the growing Norman power
He forbad matrimony between blood relations
On his deathbed, he asked the cardinals to wait until his cardinal aide to return to Rome
The imperially powered reform popes were unable to stamp out the political faction who supported Benedict IX
The Cardinals were forced by corruption or threat to elect John Mincius (soon to be Benedict X). This reign of this anti-pope was short lived
Nicholas II (1058-1061) 157th Pope
He set about repairing the damage inflicted on Rome by the political faction of Benedict, who were still carrying out guerilla warfare in the papal states
The Normans at last removed the last traces of Byzantium rule in Italy
He made an alliance with the Normans. In return in for recognizing Norman authority, the Normans were sent to root out this political faction of Benedict.
He was able to correct some abuses and confirm children
In Milan the clergy were sunk deep in simony and vice
H declared that papal elections needed to be more clearly defined and regulated. Henceforth, the cardinals alone were to vote for the pope. The clergy and the people of Rome still had the right to acclaim the elect. A similar right was given to the emperor
He negotiated with the Norman dukes and princes. In return for retaking lands occupied by the Muslims, the pope would recognize their Norman control over these lands. They would pay tribute to the Holy See and hold the lands as a papal vassal
The Normans forced the Benedictine political faction to surrender
He convened a synod which forbade the investiture of bishops without papal authorization
Alexander II (1061-1073) 158th Pope
Two main political factions exerted their influences to select the next pope.
Most of the cardinals chose Anselm (soon to be Alexander II)
The immoral clerics, Roman nobles, and pro-imperialists chose the immoral Bishop Cadalus of Parma
The empress favored Cadalus. The empress convened a council without cardinals to declare Cadalus as pope. Thus Cadalus (soon to be Honorius II) became anti-pope
Alexander had some advantages: a Norman alliance and the friendship of a power countess in Tuscany. Rome stayed safely in papal hands
The new regent (overthrowing the empress) recognized Alexander II as pope
He sought to put down simony, vice, immoral prelates
He blessed the banners of William the Conquer, a Normon, invading England and Roger Guiscard invading Sicily
William the Conqueror took in the fugitive Prince Edward of England. Edward would promise his throne to William
William the Conqueror sought the required legality and authority by the emperor. Thus the pope was able to support William in his invasion of England
Muslim Turks retook Asia Minor, remaining Muslim ever since
He institute the feast of the Holy Trinity on the Sunday following Pentecost
Honorius II’s forces defeated forces loyal to Alexander II
Honorius II was driven out by Tuscan forces
Gregory VII (1073-1085) 159th Pope
He promulgated decrees against simony, clerical immorality, and lay investiture
Because he refused to accept the emperor’s appointment and investiture of bishops with their clerical insignia, the emperor declared Gregory VII deposed
The emperor set up an antipope Clement III, besieging Gregory VII in the process. The Norman Robert Guiscard rescued Gregory VII
A council declared that the pope is universal. No one can judge him
Clement III’s “pontificate” extended no further than the lands held by the emperor
Clement III continued to as anti-pope for the next three pontificates
Blessed Victor III (1086-1087) 160th Pope
He was a great statesman
He reconfirmed all of Gregory VII’s condemnations and policies
He excommunicated Clement III
He took residence on the fortified Tiber Island
Blessed Urban II (1088-1099) 161th Pope
Henry’s and Clement III’s forces were in control of Rome, forcing him out
He traveled to France where he advocated a prohibition against lay investiture and bishops and abbots doing homage to lay magnates
He preached the first Crusade
There was little that Urban do with the aftermath of the Great Schism
The Muslim Turks extorted and tortured Christian natives and pilgrims
The Muslims destroyed holy places in Palestine
He was a holy man
He persuaded the fractious western kings and nobles to drop their petty differences and unite under the Cross to free the holy place, secure the Byzantium empire, and drive out the Muslims back from where they had come
These Crusades were actually defensive actions, launched for justifiable reasons. However, today most people deplore the Crusades for the many excesses that occurred. In fact, Pope John Paul II has apologized to the Muslims for them
There were seven crusades
An unexpected byproduct of the Crusade was that some of its leaders would see the recovery of Rome as a more immediate goal. Rome was still in control of Clement III’s faction
Paschal II (1099-1118) 162nd Pope
He continued the flow of Crusades to the East to help maintain and consolidate the conquests there
The new German king continued to give out dioceses to friends.
Paschall II again denounced lay investiture again
An accord was made. The king would renounce investitures while the pope ordered all bishops and abbots to restore the properties to imperial jurisdiction.
The Roman diocese was exempted from this confiscation
His traveling endeared him to the Catholic people
The antipope Clement III was succeeded by Theodorus, Alberic, and Sylvester III
His personal emissary Maurice Bourdin defected to the king’s faction