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How did the Patarines in Milan support church reform?
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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.
The Patarines were a reformist group in Milan composed primarily of laypeople, including craftsmen, tradesmen, and peasants, who organized around 1058 to support the broader movement for church reform.12
They actively promoted the goals of the Gregorian Reform by opposing what they viewed as moral corruption within the church. Specifically, the Patarines supported church reform through the following actions:1
- Opposing Clerical Misconduct: They campaigned against clerical concubinage and marriage, as well as the practice of simony—the buying and selling of ecclesiastical offices.12
- Challenging Local Authority: The group struggled against traditional elements in the Milanese church regarding the succession to the bishop’s throne, often clashing with the local clergy and the city's elite who were supported by the empire.34
- Aligning with the Papacy: The Patarines maintained ties to the reform movement in Rome, receiving support from popes such as Alexander II and Gregory VII, who backed their efforts to secure greater independence from imperial control.34
By challenging the status quo, the Patarines served as an impetus for religious reform movements that sought to restore the church's independence and moral integrity.12