The Pope answered with excommunication and a demand that the German princes rid themselves of their unworthy ruler. The German princes, only too happy to be rid of Henry, asked the Pope to come to Augsburg and help them elect a new Emperor.
格利高里的回答是将亨利四世逐出教会，并号召德意志的王公们驱逐这位德行败坏、不配为人君主的国王。日尔曼的贵族们正乐得除掉亨利，自己取而代之，纷纷要求教皇亲自前来奥格斯堡，为他们挑选一位新国王。
Gregory left Rome and travelled northward. Henry, who was no fool, appreciated the danger of his position. At all costs he must make peace with the Pope, and he must do it at once. In the midst of winter he crossed the Alps and hastened to Canossa where the Pope had stopped for a short rest. Three long days, from the 25th to the 28th of January of the year 1077, Henry, dressed as a penitent pilgrim(but with a warm sweater underneath his monkish garb), waited outside the gates of the castle of Canossa. Then he was allowed to enter and was pardoned for his sins. But the repentance did not last long. As soon as Henry had returned to Germany, he behaved exactly as before. Again he was excommunicated. For the second time a council of German bishops deposed Gregory, but this time, when Henry crossed the Alps he was at the head of a large army, besieged Rome and forced Gregory to retire to Salerno, where he died in exile. This first violent outbreak decided nothing. As soon as Henry was back in Germany, the strugglebetween Pope and Emperor was continued.
格利高里离开罗马，前往北方去惩治自己的对手。亨利四世当然不是白痴，他清楚自己前景可危的处境。此时此刻，国王唯一的出路是不惜一切代价与教皇讲和。时值严冬，亨利也顾不得天寒路险，急匆匆地越过阿尔卑斯山，火速赶往教皇驻脚做短暂休息的卡诺萨城堡。公元1077年1月25日至28日，整整三天，亨利装作一个极度忏悔的虔诚教徒，身穿破烂的僧侣装（但破衣之下藏着一件暖和的毛衣），恭恭敬敬守候在城堡的大门前，请求教皇陛下的宽恕。三天后格利高里终于允许他进人城堡，亲自赦免了他的罪行。可亨利的忏悔并未持续多久。一当被废黜的危机过去，平安返回德国后，他又故态复萌，依旧我行我素。教皇再次把亨利逐出教会，而亨利再次召开了德意志主教团 会议，废黜了格利高里。不过这一回，当亨利不辞劳苦地翻越阿尔卑斯山时，他带上了一支庞大的军队，雄赳赳走在前头。日尔曼军队包围了罗马城，格利高里被迫退位，最终死于流放地萨勒诺。教皇与国王的第一次流血冲突没能解决任何问题。一俟亨利返回德意志，他们之间的争斗又接着开始了。