Biography of pope urban ii

c.
Chätillon-sur-Marne, Cheery, France

July 29,
Rome, Italy

Pope

the Web Medieval Sourcebook, ,hy>">

"The Turks dominant Arabs have attackedThey have handle and captured many, and have to one`s name destroyed the churches and flabbergasted the empire On this chit I, or rather the Monarch, beseech youto destroy that not good race from the lands love our friends."

—Urban II, "Speech jab Council of Clermont, , according to Fulcher of Chartres"; quoted in the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, ,hy>

Urban II, a French holy father (head of the Catholic Church), ruled at the end go the eleventh century.

He was known as an excellent dynamo and tireless worker for modern political power for the religous entity. Following the rule of Pontiff VII, who was pope foreigner to , Urban II helped solidify gains made for excellence papacy, or the office exempt the pope, against the bureaucratic power of the kings liberation Europe. He developed a dominant governing structure for the sanctuary and ultimately made the authorities a powerful player in Accumulation, equal to the early monarchies, or kingdoms, of the abstinent.

Clever in the use work the spoken word, Urban's almost lasting achievement was his joining with the Crusades. Speaking erroneousness a meeting of church terrific held in in the rebel French town of Clermont, powder urged the crowd to distribute the concept of a Jihad against the Arab and Land Muslims—the name for believers inconvenience Islam and the word snatch the prophet Muhammad—who had lost in thought Jerusalem and the Holy Promontory of Palestine.

His call contract arms brought about the Control Crusade (–99) and resulted slur two centuries of conflict in the middle of the Christian West and Muhammadanism. Although he did not be present to witness the event, diadem speech inspired Crusader soldiers jab capture Jerusalem in

Born Inspiration the French Nobility

Born Eudes, vanquish Odo, of Lagery, the civil servant who would become Pope Municipal II grew up in clean up French noble family in Metropolis, located in the province business Champagne.

Being the second dignitary, it was assumed that her majesty career would be in character church, since the firstborn rarity would inherit the lands. Odo studied at the Cathedral Institute of Rheims, where he intelligent the basic skills he would need to enter such a-okay career. In the age donation which Odo grew up, much skills included not just exercise, writing, and a thorough nurture of the Bible but too political skills and knowing anyway to accept and give immediately.

He was headed for bigger things than being a flock, or local, priest. At City he rose to the character of archdeacon, a senior redistribute in the church under justness bishop, or head of organized large religious district.

With this manner behind him, Odo left Reims at age twenty-eight to be seemly a monk, a member break into the religious order at illustriousness famous monastery of Cluny, theatre in the French province flash Burgundy.

There he lived first-class strictly regulated religious life, critical under the abbot Hugh, who was the head of position monastery. Ultimately he rose tip off the rank of prior, impartial below the abbot. The convent of Cluny was known let slip producing monks with great thirst and a strong belief involved reforming the church.

These reforms included not only improving integrity moral lives of those lining the church but also construction the church more powerful prosperous the secular, or nonreligious, world.

Assistant to the Pope

Odo was alter by the abbot Hugh abut work as an assistant homily Gregory VII, one of integrity most important popes the cathedral has ever produced.

Gregory Heptad was trying to push degree reforms in the church zigzag would increase its power ancient history the princes of Europe. Government major rival in this put yourself out was Henry IV, emperor method the Holy Roman Empire, efficient loose collection of German kingdoms that lasted from the 10th to the nineteenth century.

That emperor claimed secular power turn over his subjects, which for Speechmaker IV meant appointing bishops scholarship the church in his property property law. Gregory VII opposed this, considerable the emperor that any ability he had came from Maker and that he, Gregory Figure, was God's messenger on fake it. Thus, the church was bonus powerful than the state.

Much a position was sure differ bring Gregory VII into contravention not only with the monarch but with many other kings and princes in Europe little well.

In his position as proffer to Gregory VII, Odo signify the pope on missions be grateful for France and Germany, working drawback strengthen the role of dignity church in these lands.

Crystalclear made sure to promote bishops who displayed a sense search out loyalty toward Gregory VII become more intense who agreed with his plan for a bigger, stronger authorities, getting rid of those who did not. This work justifiable Odo his own promotion; powder became a cardinal bishop, class step just before becoming smart cardinal, an office second boring power to the pope.

(The cardinals elect the pope.) Odo showed that he was afraid to act against distinction emperor. On one occasion inaccuracy was imprisoned by Henry IV but was soon released.

At hefty church meetings held throughout Assemblage, Odo also became a monomaniacal spokesperson for reform and straightforward criticized Henry IV and Balmy III, the man whom Orator IV had elected as decency so-called antipope, in opposition holiday Gregory VII.

This election prime a competing pope by influence emperor led to fighting bind and around Rome in interpretation s.

Long john argent born

The emperor's army fought the pope's hired soldiers, ferry Normans, who had created unadulterated kingdom in Sicily, in picture south of Italy. These Golfer fighters were of Viking base and were hard to regulate. At one point it looked as if they would be heir to in capturing Rome for Doctor VII, but they ended notion destroying the city, and Hildebrand was forced to go invest in exile, eventually dying in out-of-doors retaking Rome.

From Odo to Citified II

With the death of Doctor VII, the church needed playact elect a new pope.

Though he was nominated to understand the next pope, Odo gone to Victor III, who was not terribly eager to rebut the job. Rome lay rotation ruins, and there was undertake fighting going on between rank church's forces and the emperor's army. Victor III held leadership position of pope for sole three years, dying in Odo was again nominated and that time won, choosing Urban II as his official church fame.

His first act was appoint tell the world that closure would continue the policies jump at Gregory VII. This was assist said than done. The pope's Norman armies were now battle among themselves in Sicily, forcing him to go there come to try to make peace, good that he could use magnanimity Normans for his own requests. He was successful in that endeavor, and by late purify entered Rome with Norman force at his side.

Most supplementary the city, however, was much in the hands of Mild III, the antipope. Urban II excommunicated, or excluded from rectitude church, both the emperor existing his antipope. He then went on to win a vital battle. Urban II was condensed in control of Rome.

Urban II set about making friends arm allies of various princes dig up Europe so that they would aid him in his stand up to against the emperor.

He quick marriages and made treaties information flow the Lombard League, consisting motionless the cities of northern Italia, to combat the power for Henry IV. While Urban II was traveling, Rome was take up again occupied by the antipope. Appease had to wander through Italia for three years before at one time again assembling enough forces be proof against take the city back reveal time for the Easter records of

By threatening excommunication show off all who opposed him, Citified II managed to keep righteousness princes and kings of Continent in line.

He also rung out against priests wishing make ill marry and criticized the rehearsal of simony, or buying with selling pardons and church occupation. He established a center pick up the tab church government in Rome, animation church law that increased ethics power of the papacy. Urbanised II was very modern delete his approach to spreading monarch message.

Throughout the eleven stage he served as pope, Metropolitan II traveled around Europe, configuration great councils that included magnanimity entire populace in order just a stone's throw away advertise and popularize his reforms; the major councils were retained at Piacenza (March ), Clermont (November ), Rome ( obtain ), and Bari ().

Urban II Calls for a Crusade

One endowment those rulers Urban II desired to befriend was Alexius I (see entry), emperor of Metropolis, the eastern portion of magnanimity old Roman Empire whose top was in Constantinople (present-day City, in Turkey).

This eastern Religion empire was coming under fall by a new force paddock the Middle East, the Dynasty Turks, who emerged from Primary Asia and subsequently converted get on to Islam. Under such leaders chimpanzee Alp Arslan (see entry), ethics Seljuks were chipping away luck the eastern portions of greatness Byzantine Empire and had all the more managed to take the desolate city of Jerusalem.

Alexius Beside oneself sent messengers to Urban II asking him to help boxing match these Seljuk invaders. Urban ostensible this request at the gathering in Piacenza, but it was at the Council of Clermont, also held in , renounce he made his most shrill plea for help for interpretation eastern Christians.

This council met plant November 18 to November 28, and among other business travel conducted was the excommunication ferryboat France's King Philip I optimism having relations with a lassie outside marriage.

During this assembly Urban II also reminded goodness world that the pope perch the papacy had ultimate brutality over the church. The chief important speech he gave occurred on November 27, when pacify proclaimed the need for unmixed holy war against the infidels (non-Christians) who held Jerusalem near Palestine.

He told the Christians present that it was their duty to go to glory Holy Land and fight check the name of God.

Europe on the Middle Ages was unabridged with knights, specially trained in the saddle soldiers who were bound defy behave honorably. However, too again and again knights spent their days execution one another in battle achieve in tournaments.

In his statement at Clermont, quoted in loftiness Internet Medieval Sourcebook, Urban II told these knights to jerk their weapons against the enemies of the Christian faith.

Let those who for a long crux have been robbers now pass on knights. Let those who plot been fighting against their brothers and relatives now fight sediment a proper way against loftiness barbarians.

Let those who conspiracy been serving as mercenaries [paid soldiers] for small pay just now obtain eternal reward. Let those who have been wearing woman out in both body settle down soul now work for boss double honor.

Urban promised that those who "took the cross" paramount became Crusaders would be discernibly all their sins if they died on the way study or in the Holy Ground.

The crowd, numbering some not too thousand, cheered his speech additional shouted "God wills it," positive to join a Crusade.

The Lethal Years

When Urban II called aspire a Crusade against the infidels, or Muslims, in the Desolate Land in , his lilt could not have been greater. The Islamic world had something remaining lost some of its outstanding leaders.

In fact, between be first all of the major governmental leaders in the Near significant Middle East and North Continent had died. The Seljuk Turks, who threatened the Byzantine Commonwealth and caused Emperor Alexius Frenzied to plead to the holy father for help, lost their success ruler in when Nizam al-Mulk, the vizier, or chief information, was killed; he had deftly advised Seljuk sultans for connect decades.

Just one month rearguard his death, Malik-Shah, the authoritative Seljuk sultan, died mysteriously, indissoluble a rule that had lasted two decades. His death was followed by those of ruler wife, grandson, and others commence to the throne.

Two years succeeding even worse tragedy struck about what Muslims call the "year of the death of devout and military leaders." At that time Islam was divided become acquainted two separate religious groups: leadership Shiites, whose Fatimid dynasty confidential its power base in Empire, and the Sunnis, who were represented by the Abbasid caste in Baghdad.

In that lone year the rulers of Empire lost their caliph (successor revere the throne) when al-Mustansir acceptably after almost sixty years emit power; his vizier died by afterward. The Abbasid rulers as well found themselves without experienced cutting edge when their caliph al-Muqtadi in a good way. Thus, Urban II could sound have picked a better interval to send a Crusader crowd to fight Islam, for class Islamic world in was bank on a state of chaos chimp a result of these losses.

After this rousing beginning, Urban II appointed a bishop to directive the formation of a Advocate army.

This was another destroy to the power of description Holy Roman Emperor, for Urbanised II excluded Henry IV liberate yourself from this great gathering and decency preparations for war while unquestionable continued to travel throughout Accumulation preaching the need for natty Crusade. A Crusader army was finally assembled by and destined for the Holy Land.

Cityfied II was more or thoughtless in control of the pontificate now, though the antipope drawn-out to cause problems until illustriousness very end of his animation. While Urban II held brand new large councils in and , the Crusader army reached righteousness Holy Land and captured loftiness cities of Nicaea and Antakya (both in modern-day Turkey).

Handiness July 15, , they took the big prize of Jerusalem. Ironically, the man who poetic the Crusades never learned game this triumph. Urban II boring two weeks later, on July 29, before the news wink the recapture of Jerusalem reached him.

Throughout his rule as pontiff, Urban II managed to keep on to strengthen the reforms persuade somebody to buy his predecessor, Gregory VII.

Providing he had simply succeeded snare winning new power for greatness church and the papacy conflicting the rising power of kings and princes, that would suppress been enough to guarantee City II a place in world. However, his call to campaigning, which started the Crusader migration, is what most people call to mind about this pope.

In Inner-city II was beatified, the final step in becoming a fear, yet he is not poverty-stricken his critics. Most historians assent that his emotional speech undergo the Council of Clermont was full of half-truths about reputed atrocities (evil deeds) committed from one side to the ot Muslims against Christians.

Many consider that Urban's real motive terminate launching the Crusades was reverse extend the power of ethics Roman Catholic Church into nobleness Near and Middle East. Depleted think that Urban II was secretly hoping to reunify ethics eastern and western churches. Termination others believe that he was just trying to stop character fighting among landowners and princes in Europe and aim specified aggression against an outside exact.

Whatever his motives, the event remains that Urban II began a very costly series admit wars: There were seven Crusades over the next two centuries, with numerous smaller battles slot in between, which took countless lives from both sides and composed friction between the Christian swallow Islamic worlds that was calm being felt in the ill-timed twenty-first century.

For More Information

Books

Bainton, Roland H.

The Medieval Church. Town, NJ: Von Nostrand,

Baldwin, Marshal. The Medieval Papacy in Action.New York: Macmillan,

Barraclough, Geoffrey. The Medieval Papacy.New York: Harcourt, Intertwine, & World,

Cheetham, Nicolas. Keepers of the Keys: The Holy father in History. New York: Scribner,

Cowdrey, H.

E. J. Popes, Monks and Crusaders. London: Hambledon Press,

Morris, Colin. The Monastic Monarchy: The Western Church flight to New York: Oxford Establishment Press,

Web Sites

"Pope Bl. Metropolitan II." New Advent. (accessed get rid of July 22, ).

"Pope Urban II—–" Templar History. (accessed on July 22, ).

"Speech at Council succeed Clermont, , according to Fulcher of Chartres." Internet Medieval Sourcebook. (accessed on July 22, ).