Pope Alexander II
|
Pope Alexander II |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Papacy began | 30 September 1061 |
| Papacy ended | 21 April 1073 |
| Predecessor | Nicholas II |
| Successor | Gregory VII |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Anselmo da Baggio |
| Born | Milan, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 21 April 1073 Rome, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire |
| Previous post | Bishop of Lucca (1057–61) |
Pope Alexander II (d. 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio (Italian: Anselmo da Baggio), was bishop of Lucca and then pope from 30 September 1061 to his death in 1073.
He was born in Milan of a noble family. As bishop of Lucca, he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony and enforce clerical celibacy. (In this role, he is sometimes known as Anselm the Elder or Anselm I to distinguish him from his nephew St Anselm who succeeded to his office.) The papal election of 1061, which Hildebrand had arranged in conformity with the papal decree of 1059 (see Pope Nicholas II), was not sanctioned by the imperial court of Germany. True to the practice observed in preceding papal elections, the German court nominated another candidate, Cadalus, bishop of Parma, who was proclaimed Pope at the council of Basel under the name of Honorius II. He marched to Rome and for a long time threatened his rival's position. At length, however, Honorius was forsaken by the German court and deposed by a council held at Mantua; Alexander II's position remained unchallenged.
In 1065, Pope Alexander II wrote to Béranger, Viscount of Narbonne, and to Guifred, bishop of the city, praising them for having prevented the massacre of the Jews in their district, and reminding them that God does not approve of the shedding of innocent blood. That same year, he admonished Landulf VI of Benevento "that the conversion of Jews is not to be obtained by force." Also in the same year, Alexander called for a Crusade against the Moors in Spain. Alexander II issued orders to the Bishops of Narbonne, instructing crusaders en route "that you protect the Jews who live among you, so that they may not be killed by those who are setting out for Spain against the Saracens ... for the situation of the Jews is greatly different from that of the Saracens. One may justly fight against those [the Saracens] who persecute Christians and drive them from their towns and their own homes."
...
Wikipedia