Digital Continent Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul 2016 | Page 27

20 It must be recalled, however, that the Investiture Controversy came to the fore due to what appeared to be the irreconcilable differences between the reforming papacy and the German monarchy. Why this happened can be attributed, in part, to historical and societal development in that region. The understanding that the reformers had regarding the hierarchy of power had matured. The salvation of souls demanded a higher authority. Divine law was expressed in canon law and in order to carry out and fulfill the mission of redemption, the Church called for strict obedience to the highest earthly authority, the Apostolic See. Peter Damian’s thought process was formally put into action in order to aid in the carrying out of canonical law. Should papal decree and conciliar resolution be at odds, the papal decree held primacy.40 The Church was ordering itself in preparation for reform, embracing centralization, and asserting its authority more than ever before. Unforeseen was the formidable challenge that would present itself in the form of Germanic custom and tradition intertwined with feudalism. 40 Stefan Weinfurter, The Salian Century: Main Currents in an Age of Transition, trans. Barbara M. Bowlus (1991; repr., Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 144.