80
men firmly understood the Roman Church as primary . It was his religious ideals that motivated his actions , not lust for political power . Complete obedience to the will of God and sacrifice of personal desires served as the driving force behind Gregory ’ s push for reform . 171
Canonical legislation held great significance because it was the embodiment of the authority of the Church carried out the will of God , led by the Apostolic See of Rome . 172 Early during his pontificate , Pope Gregory VII worked diligently to bring King Henry into concordance with reform . Circumstances determined the differences in the policy he exercised in his relationships with different rulers rather than scheming for power . Gregory ’ s policy regarding King Henry IV must be viewed as an exception rather than the rule because the situation was unique and there is no evidence to the contrary . To use that relationship as the yardstick by which Gregory ’ s papal policy is measured is short-sighted and flawed . 173
Throughout the controversy the pope consistently maintained that he was the leader of the faithful in an active battle against Satan . Never did he claim universal jurisdiction over the Empire , nor did he consider himself the heir of the Caesars . His hegemony was moral . As St . Peter ’ s successor he stood on the front line against the enemies of God , which included all those who claimed to be Christian but who refused to obey the Apostolic See . 174
Their numbers were great . In January of 1075 he gave his overall assessment of the West in a letter he composed to
171 Ibid ., 116-17 .
172 Whitney , “ Gregory VII ,” 136 .
173 Whitney , “ Gregory VII ,” 147-48 .
174 Morrison , “ Canossa : A Revision ,” 130-31 .