▁promoted ▁greater ▁influence ▁for ▁the ▁pap acy ▁in ▁church ▁matters . ▁Despite ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁continu ing ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁major ▁part ▁in ▁royal ▁government , ▁t ensions ▁emer ged ▁between ▁the ▁k ings ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁key ▁leaders ▁within ▁the ▁English ▁Church . ▁Kings ▁and ▁arch b ish ops ▁cl ashed ▁over ▁rights ▁of ▁appointment ▁and ▁religious ▁policy , ▁and ▁success ive ▁arch b ish ops ▁including ▁An sel m , ▁The ob ald ▁of ▁B ec , ▁Thomas ▁Be cket ▁and ▁Stephen ▁Lang ton ▁were ▁various ly ▁forced ▁into ▁ex ile , ▁arrested ▁by ▁royal ▁kn ights ▁or ▁even ▁killed . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁th ir teenth ▁century , ▁however , ▁the ▁church ▁had ▁largely ▁won ▁its ▁argument ▁for ▁independence , ▁answering ▁almost ▁entirely ▁to ▁Rome . ▁ ▁Pil gr images ▁Pil gr images ▁were ▁a ▁popular ▁religious ▁practice ▁throughout ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁in ▁England , ▁with ▁the ▁tradition ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁period . ▁Typ ically ▁pil gr ims ▁would ▁travel ▁short ▁distances ▁to ▁a ▁shr ine ▁or ▁a ▁particular ▁church , ▁either ▁to ▁do ▁pen ance ▁for ▁a ▁perce ived ▁sin , ▁or ▁to ▁seek ▁relief ▁from ▁an ▁ill ness ▁or ▁other ▁condition . ▁Some ▁pil gr ims ▁travel led ▁further , ▁either ▁to ▁more ▁distant ▁sites ▁within ▁Britain ▁or , ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁cases , ▁onto ▁the ▁continent . ▁Under ▁the ▁Norm ans , ▁religious ▁institutions ▁with ▁important ▁shr ines , ▁such ▁as ▁G last on bury , ▁Can ter bury ▁and ▁Win chester