Why do you think Pope Leo III chose to select a Holy Roman Emperor? Why did he choose Charlemagne? Was it a wise choice? What were the results?

At some point Pope Leo realized how good it could be, both for Christianity and for the land to have a Roman emperor. With this kind of power in one persons hands, they could either really help or completely destroy the empire. Charlemagne was an extremely powerful and important figure, and to make him Roman emperor was both a wise choice and an unwise one. Previously, Charlemagne had rescued the pope from the Lumbards, an invading force, and to give him this honor was a perfect sign of gratitude. Charlemagne had also already proved himself to be a strong and mightly leader, and could obviously help the empire grow and prosper. He was also the son of the king before him, Pepin the Short, and so already had a strong and mighty reputation. It was, however, also an unwise choice. The other side of the empire, ruled by Empress Irene, was disgruntled, because Charlemagne now overpowered her. The split that had previously been in the empire now grew to a chasm, and the mutual feeling of revulsion between the two sides now became obvious. So in many ways, Pope Leo made the stupidest decision of his life, but looking to what Charlemagne did for his country and how great their name became, the idea changed all of mankind, their ideas, and our history for the better.