What is lay investiture?

Lay investiture refers to the practice in medieval Europe where secular rulers, rather than the Church, appointed and invested bishops and other clergy with their religious offices and responsibilities.

This practice was controversial because it challenged the authority of the Church and blurred the separation between church and state. It also led to conflicts between secular rulers and the papacy over control of the Church.

The Investiture Controversy, which lasted from the late 11th to the early 12th century, was a major conflict between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor over the appointment of bishops. The Pope, eager to restrict secular power over the Church, argued that the power of investiture belonged solely to the Church. The Emperor, however, insisted that it was his right as ruler to appoint bishops and invest them with their offices and responsibilities.

The controversy was eventually resolved by a compromise that allowed the Church to control the spiritual aspects of the appointment process, while the secular ruler could continue to have a role in the selection and ceremony of appointment. Nevertheless, lay investiture remained a contentious issue throughout the medieval period and beyond.