Pope Gregory VI resigns as Pope on December 20, 1046, during the Council of Sutri, amid the scandal of simony (selling or buying of church offices). The Council had been called by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry.
He was accused of having paid a large sum of money in 1045 when he was a priest, to the scandalous Pope Benedict IX,(his godson) to persuade him to resign. Reportedly his motive was to remove a corrupt church leader, however the act of paying for the office was itself considered simoniacal and he was convinced by the bishops at the council to resign to preserve the reputation of the papacy. Gregory VI was succeeded by Pope Clement II and went into exile in Germany, accompanied by his chaplain Hildebrand (the future Pope Gregory VII).
