Urban II
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Pope Blessed Urban II |
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1655 portrait (Zurbarán)
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| Papacy began | 12 March 1088 |
| Papacy ended | 29 July 1099 |
| Predecessor | Victor III |
| Successor | Paschal II |
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| Ordination | C. 1068 |
| Consecration | 20 July 1085 |
| Created Cardinal | 1073 by Gregory VII |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Odo of Châtillon |
| Born | c. 1042 Lagery, County of Champagne, Kingdom of France |
| Died | 29 July 1099 (aged 57) Rome, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire |
| Previous post |
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| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 29 July |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 14 July 1881 Rome by Pope Leo XIII |
| Attributes |
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Papal styles of Pope Urban II |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Blessed |
Pope Urban II (Latin: Urbanus II; c. 1042 – 29 July 1099), born Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was Pope from 12 March 1088 to his death in 1099. He is best known for initiating the First Crusade (1096–99) and setting up the modern-day Roman Curia in the manner of a royal ecclesiastical court to help run the Church.
Pope Urban II was a native of France. He was a descendant of a noble family in Châtillon-sur-Marne.
Urban, baptized Eudes (Odo), was born to a family of Châtillon-sur-Marne. He was prior of the abbey of Cluny, later Pope Gregory VII named him cardinal-bishop of Ostia c. 1080. He was one of the most prominent and active supporters of the Gregorian reforms, especially as legate in the Holy Roman Empire in 1084. He was among the four whom Gregory VII nominated as papabile (possible successors). Desiderius, the abbot of Monte Cassino, was chosen to follow Gregory in 1085 but, after his short reign as Victor III, Odo was elected by acclamation at a small meeting of cardinals and other prelates held in Terracina in March 1088.
From the outset, Urban had to reckon with the presence of Guibert, the former bishop of Ravenna who held Rome as the antipope "Clement III". Gregory had repeatedly clashed with the emperor Henry IV over papal authority. Despite the Walk to Canossa, Gregory had backed the rebel Duke of Swabia and again excommunicated the emperor. Henry finally took Rome in 1084 and installed Clement III in his place.
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