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Church History: Pope Urban II A Biographical Report By Alvin Shaul May 6, 2005 Odo de Lagery was born around 1035 in northern France to a very wealthy and knightly family. He attended a school at the Reims cathedral where several years later he became their canon and archdeacon. Around 1067 he went to the abbey of Cluny, why he became grand prior in 1067. Fourteen years later, after serving as both a cardinal and a papal legate, he was elected Pope Urban II on March 12, 1088. Ironically, however, he found himself in exile at the time of his election. Finally, six years later he made it back into Rome. As Pope, Urban moved to have clergy more centralized to the monasteries (Riley-Smith). It was following his appointment as prior in 1067 that Urban went to Rome, by order of St. Hugh, as requested by Gregory VII. While there, Urban helped immensely in reforming the church. Eleven years later he became the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia as well as Gregory�s chief adviser. His legate in France and Germany was between 1082 and 1085. However, while returning home on occasion, he was captured and made prisoner by Emperor Henry IV, but not long after was set free. His time in Saxony in 1084 and 1085. Whilst in Saxony (1084-5) he filled many of the vacant sees with men faithful to Gregory and deposed those whom the pope had condemned. He held a great synod at Quedlinburg in Saxony in which the antipope Guibert of Ravenna and his adherents were anathematized by name. Victor III had already been elected when Otho returned to Rome in 1085. Otho appears to have opposed Victor at first, not through any animosity or want of good will, but because he judged it better, at so critical a time, that Victor should resign the honour he was unwilling to retain. After Victor's death a summons was sent to as many bishops of the Gregorian party as possible to attend a meeting at Terracina. It was made known at this meeting that Otho had been suggested by Gregory and Victor as their successor. Accordingly, on 12 March, 1088, he was unanimously elected, taking the title of Urban II. His first act was to proclaim his election to the world, and to exhort the princes and bishops who had been loyal to Gregory to continue in their allegiance: he declared his intention of following the policy and example of his great predecessor--"all that he rejected, I reject, what he condemned I condemn, what he loved I embrace, what he considered as Catholic, I confirm and approve". Riley-Smith, Jonathan [1]. The Crusades: A Short History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987. http://www.umich.edu/~eng415/timeline/Urban.html |