Dissatisfaction with the general state of regular religious life, and with the gross extent of monastic wealth, was near to universal amongst late medieval secular and ecclesiastical rulers in the Latin West.

The ecclesiastical rulers came to make up a large part of Henry II's imperial army.

With the sharp upturn in the economy from the 9th century, the Münzrecht, often associated with customs and market rights, was delegated to ecclesiastical rulers, mainly bishops.

Throughout history, the lords of the town and castle were often changed under ecclesiastical and secular rulers of the day.

Turn your back to the cathedral, and the town is spread below you; face the Domplatz and the full might of the ecclesiastical rulers becomes plainly apparent.

The following were prince-bishops of Speyer, who were secular as well as ecclesiastical rulers.

The word praepositus (Latin: "set over", from praeponere, "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary.

Secularization was the redistribution to secular states of the secular lands held by an ecclesiastical ruler such as a bishop or an abbot.

But in 1617 the ecclesiastical rulers of Broumov and Hroby took over or destroyed Protestant churches and forbid further heretical worship.

The Fugger family gained prominence through commercial and financial activities and became financiers to both ecclesiastical and secular rulers.