Final answer:
Pope St. Gregory VII's 'Dictatus Papae' claimed that the pope had authority to appoint or depose bishops, depose kings and emperors, and absolve subjects from loyalty to unjust rulers, highlighting the papacy's envisioned supremacy over both spiritual and temporal matters during the investiture controversy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pope St. Gregory VII made several significant claims for the office of the papacy in his Dictatus Papae. Among these powers, he asserted that the pope was the only person with the authority to appoint or depose bishops, emphasizing the papacy's control over matters within the Church. The pope was also claimed to have the power to depose emperors and kings, making the papacy a central authority over secular rulers. This consolidation of power was part of a broader struggle for authority between the Church and the state, known as the investiture controversy. Gregory VII also affirmed that the papacy had the authority to absolve subjects from their loyalty to unjust rulers, further underlining the perceived spiritual and temporal power of the popes. Through these claims, Gregory VII aimed to reinforce the idea that the papacy held supreme power over the Church and had significant influence over secular affairs.