Dictatus Papæ, Pope Gregory VII, 1075 AD

1. That the Roman church was founded by the Lord alone.

2. That the Roman pontiff alone is correctly called universal.

3. That he alone can depose bishops or reinstate them.

4. That his legate shall take precedence over all bishops in a council, even if of lower grade, and may render a sentence of deposition against them.

5. That the pope may depose the absent.

6. That, with those excommunicated by him, we ought not (among other things) stay in the same house.

7. That he alone is allowed, according to the needs of the time, to enact new laws, to assemble new congregations, to make a canonry into an abbey and vice versa, to divide a rich bishopric and unite poor ones.

8. That he alone may use the imperial insignia.

9. That the pope’s feet alone are to be kissed by all magnates [principes].

10. That his name alone is to be recited in churches.

11. That this name is unique in the world.

12. That he is allowed to depose emperors.

13. That he may transfer bishops, when urged by necessity, from one see to another.

14. That he has the power to ordain a cleric of whomever he wishes throughout the church.

15. That he who has been ordained by him can take precedence over others in the church, but not perform mass [militare]; and that he should not receive a higher grade from any bishop.

16. That no synod should be called general except by his order.

17. That no chapter and no book is to be taken for canonical except by his authority.

18. That his sentence should be retracted by none; and that he alone can retract those of everyone.

19. That he may be judged by no one.

20. That no one shall dare to condemn a person who appeals to the Apostolic See.

21. That the important cases [majores causæ] from whatsoever church should be referred to it.

22. That the Roman church has never erred, nor shall it ever err, as Scripture testifies.

23. That the Roman pontiff, if he be canonically ordained, is undoubtedly sanctified by the merits of the Blessed Peter, as St. Ennodius, bishop of Pavia, testifies (many Holy Fathers concurring with him); likewise it is contained in the decrees of the blessed pope Symmachus.

24. That, by his order and with his permission, subordinate persons are allowed to bring accusations.

25. That, without convening a synod, he can depose bishops and reinstate them.

26. That he should not be taken for a Catholic who is not in agreement with the Roman church.

27. That he can release from fidelity to unjust men those subject to them.