Fulbert of Chartres - Ecclesiastical Reform

Ecclesiastical Reform

During his time in Chartres Fulbert played an important role in the development and spread of the ideas that led to the Gregorian church reforms of the eleventh century, under Pope Gregory VII. These reforms concerned the division between the powers of the church and state, especially in the appointment of new Abbots and Bishops. In the eleventh century the secular rulers had a habit of appointing who they wanted to fill vacant church positions. Fulbert and some of his students such as Abbot Albert of Marmoutier routinely wrote that it was up to the clergy and the citizens of the diocese involved to vote for a replacement. The authority for this could be found in the rulings from the First Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Antioch (264-272). These reforms also stated that the Church was in charge of disciplining the clergy not the state. The issue of simony (the buying of church offices) and immoral clerics was also addressed by Fulbert. Although the reforms were issued by Pope Gregory VII, some of the ideas that came from Fulbert which were then disseminated through his students writing can be found in them.