St. Gregory the VIII

The saint we know as St. Gregory VII was baptized Hildebrand. He was born in the little village of Rococo in northern Italy. Hildebrand would have preferred to spend his life in a monastery, but his talents were so great that he was called to Rome to serve one pope after another. Then in 1073 Hildebrand was himself elected pope and took the name Gregory VII.

The task which lay before the new pope was appalling. There was widespread corruption not only among rulers of the state but in the Church as well. Bishoprics and abbeys were sold by kings to the highest bidders or bestowed on court favorites. In many districts priests lived openly as married men.

The system of lay investiture, whereby kings and nobles bestowed the crozier and ring upon newly consecrated bishops, was a great evil. This made it appear that the bishops were subservient to laymen even in matters of religion. Gregory’s life was devoted to fighting these evils and to purifying the Church. He met great opposition from rulers, from priests, from bishops, and even from some cardinals. Many bishops had to be deposed before the struggle was over.

Emperor Henry IV, angered by Gregory’s strictures against lay investiture and by other matters, fought Gregory. He even sent word to the cardinals that they must elect another pope, one of whom Henry would approve. Gregory then excommunicated Henry. The German nobles announced that Henry would lose his crown if he remained excommunicated. In order to save his crown, Henry crossed the Alps in severe winter weather and went to the castle of Canossa where Gregory was staying.

St. Henry was refused admittance at first and remained at the castle gate, in the garb of a penitent, for three days. The pope probably suspected Henry of bad faith but he admitted the emperor, heard him accuse himself, and absolved him. Later, Henry marched against Rome and captured it after a siege of more than two years. The pope retired into the Castle Sant Angelo and remained there until rescued by an army of Normans. The behavior of the Normans aroused the ire of the Roman people, and Gregory shared the unpopularity of the Normans because he had summoned them. As a result he retired first to Monte Casino and then to Salerno, where he died. On his deathbed he said: “I have loved righteousness and hated iniquity. That is why I die in exile.”

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Gregory VIII on May 25th. You may also be interested in St. Gregory the Great.

Prayer to St. Gregory VIII

O invincible defender of Holy Church’s freedom, Saint Gregory of great renown, by that firmness thou didst show in maintaining the Church’s rights against all her enemies, stretch forth from Heaven thy mighty arm, we beseech thee, to comfort her and defend her in the fearful battle she must ever wage with the powers of darkness. Do thou, in an especial manner, give strength in this dread conflict to the venerable Pontiff who has fallen heir not only to thy throne, but likewise to the fearlessness of thy mighty heart; obtain for him the joy of beholding his holy endeavors crowned by the triumph of the Church and the return of the lost sheep into the right path. Grant, finally, that all may understand how vain it is to strive against that faith which has always conquered and is destined always to conquer: “this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith.” This is the prayer that we raise to thee with one accord; and we are confident, that, after thou hast heard our prayers on earth, thou wilt one day call us to stand with thee in Heaven, before the eternal High Priest, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth world without end.
Amen