How did Gregory VII oppose simony in the Roman Catholic Church?

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Gregory VII excommunicating Henry IV — St. Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII, after his expulsion from Rome, laying a ban of excommunication on the clergy “together with the raging king” (Henry IV of Germany), drawing from the 12th-century chronicle of Otto of Freising; in the library of the University of Jena, Germany.

Pope Gregory VII opposed simony—the illicit purchase or sale of ecclesiastical office—as a central pillar of the Gregorian Reform. His efforts were driven by a commitment to restoring the church's original purity and ensuring that only canonically elected individuals served as true shepherds of the faith.1

To combat this practice, Gregory VII took the following actions:

Canonical Elections: He insisted that all bishops, provosts, and abbots be canonically elected. He frequently cited the Gospel According to John (10:1–18), which describes Christ as the only "door to the sheepfold," to emphasize that leadership positions must be attained through legitimate, spiritual means rather than through bribery or corruption.1
Prohibition of Lay Investiture: Because simony often occurred in conjunction with the traditional practice of lay rulers appointing church officials, Gregory VII universally prohibited lay investiture at a council in Rome in 1078 to sever the link between secular influence and ecclesiastical appointments.1
Enforcement of Orthodoxy: Gregory treated simony as a heresy. He actively challenged bishops accused of simoniacal practices, such as the bishop of Bamberg, and demanded strict obedience to papal decrees as a requirement for orthodoxy within the church.1