Answer: By the 11th century (1000s), the Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, had the power to decide who would be king in some regions and was able to raise an army to go to war. For centuries afterwards, secular leaders and the Church competed for power in western Europe.
Explanation: The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages
Instead, the Catholic Church became the most powerful institution of the medieval period. Kings, queens and other leaders derived much of their power from their alliances with and protection of the Church.
