From late antiquity to high middle ages popes were chosen by the closest ruler more often then not. Them crowning emperors weren’t a sign of authority but subservience, lol. When popes chose to oppose secular rulers, they either changed their minds or there were new pope.
About half of medieval history was dedicated to this question and you try to brush it off in a 3.5 word parenthesis? Lol.
Emperors were crowned by the pope.
From late antiquity to high middle ages popes were chosen by the closest ruler more often then not. Them crowning emperors weren’t a sign of authority but subservience, lol. When popes chose to oppose secular rulers, they either changed their minds or there were new pope.