Louis the Pious

From his youth as a deeply devout man, Louis has always patronized the Christian Church. Through the reform of the monasteries, he tried to strengthen the role of bishops, which had planned to make the representatives of imperial authority in the field, which have been made to increase the independence of the bishops of the local secular authorities. Louis also demanded that the bishops improve their education.

During the reign of Louis I of Frankish state was held on 29 church cathedral, many of which took place with the direct involvement of the emperor. Among them are the most important cathedrals in Aachen (816, 817 and 818 - 819 years), which adopted a program of reform of monasteries and the cathedral of Paris 825 years. The last Frankish clergy of the Church has affirmed its commitment to moderate ikonoborchestvu generated during Charlemagne. According to the rulings of the church, the icon in the Frankish state were not to worship, but to decorate temples and the veneration of the saints depicted on icons. The sharp criticism has been the recent restoration in Byzantium, but at the same time condemned the cathedral and a radical iconoclastic doctrine Bishop Claudius of Turin.

With respect to Roman policy of Louis pious fathers had a dual character: on the one hand, the emperor accepted the unconditional authority of the Pope as head of the Christian West, on the other hand has made successful attempts to popedom control. Fixing for fathers the right to appoint, without the prior consent of the Emperor of bishops in the empire, Louis demanded compliance from fathers to the approval of nominations of new Pope himself emperor and his presence at the ceremony of ordination imperial messengers. Only then, according to the Emperor, the power of the Pope became fully legitimate. A detailed paper (Constitutio Romana), establishing a relationship with Dad Roman imperial power, was issued with the consent of his son Louis Lothar in 825 year.

In the first half of his reign Louis was not only as a patron, but as the supreme judge of the Pope, which may be removed by the Emperor, if upset, or will be important rules found in the crimes. When Louis the pious Pope Leo IV and Pashaly I appeared before the court of imperial messengers. In each message, the Pope expressed his readiness to fulfill all the requirements of the emperor. Only after the distemper 830 - 834 years Roman managed to escape from custody by the emperor West.

Emperor Louis founded a lot of monasteries, cared about the spread of Christianity among the Slavs and Scandinavians, the placement was based episcopal chair in Hamburg. Hence his nickname devout (Lat. Pius). However, it is to give them much later than his death, only in the X century. In the life of Louis word pius (pious) was part of his imperial title and is not perceived by contemporaries as a nickname. Documents IX-X centuries. the same title granted Frankish kings of the East German State Louis II and Louis IV Child. Only after 960 years are beginning to emerge documents personified sobriquet devout exclusively with Louis I.