POPE ALEXANDER II
157TH Pope (1061-1073)
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Reigned 1061-1073 As Anselm
of Lucca, he had been recognized for a number of years as one of the leaders
of the reform party, especially in the Milanese territory, where he was born
at Baggio, of noble parentage. Together with Hildebrand, he had imbibed in
Cluny (q. v.) the zeal for reformation. The first theatre of his activity was
Milan, where he was one of the founders of the Pataria, and lent to that great
agitation against simony and clerical incontinency the weight of his eloquence
and noble birth. The device of silencing him, contrived by Archbishop Guido
and other episcopal foes of reform in Lombardy, viz. sending him to the court
of the Emperor Henry III, had the contrary effect of enabling him to spread
the propaganda in Germany. In 1057 the Emperor appointed him to the bishopric
of Lucca. With increased prestige, he reappeared twice in Milan as legate of
the Holy See, in 1057 in the company of Hildebrand, and in 1059 with St. Peter
Damiani. Under the able generalship of this saintly triumvirate the reform
forces were held well in hand, in preparation for the inevitable conflict. The
decree of Nicholas II (1059) by which the right of papal elections was
virtually vested in the College of Cardinals, formed the issue to be fought
and decided at the next vacancy of the Apostolic Throne. The death of Pope
Nicholas two years later found both parties in battle array. The candidate of
the Hildebrandists, endorsed by the cardinals, was the Bishop of Lucca- the
other side put forward the name of Cadalus, Bishop of Parma, a protector and
example of the prevailing vices of the age. The cardinals met in legal form
and elected Anselm, who took the name of Alexander II. Before proceeding to
his enthronization, the Sacred College notified the German Court of their
action. The Germans were considered to have forfeited the privilege of
confirming the election. reserved to their king with studied vagueness in the
decree of Nicholas II, when they contemptuously dismissed the ambassador of
the cardinals without a hearing. Foreseeing a civil war, the cardinals on 30
September completed the election by the ceremony of enthronization. Meanwhile
a deputation of the Roman nobles, who were enraged at their elimination as a
dominant factor in the papal elections, joined by deputies of the unreformed
episcopate of Lombardy, had proceeded to the German Court with a request for
the royal sanction to a new election. The Empress Agnes, as regent for her
ten-year-old son, Henry IV, convoked an assembly of lay and clerical magnates
at Basle; and here, without any legal right, and without the presence of a
single cardinal, the Bishop of Parma was declared Pope, and took the name of
Honorius II (28 October). In the contest which ensued, Pope Alexander was
supported by the consciousness of the sanctity of his cause, by public opinion
clamouring for reform, by the aid of the allied Normans of southern Italy, and
by the benevolence of Beatrice and Matilda of Tuscany. Even in Germany things
took a favourable turn for him, when Anno of Cologne seized the regency, and
the repentant Empress withdrew to a convent. In a new diet, at Augsburg (Oct.,
1062), it was decided that Burchard, Bishop of Halberstadt should proceed to
Rome and, after investigating the election of Alexander on the spot, make a
report to a later assemblage of the bishops of Germany and Italy. Burchard's
report was entirely in favour of Alexander. The latter defended his cause with
eloquence and spirit in a council held at Mantua, at Pentecost, 1064 (C. Wile,
Benzos Panegyricus, Marburg, 1856), and was formally recognized as legitimate
Pope. His rival was excommunicated, but kept up the contest with dwindling
prospects till his death in l 072. During the darkest hours of the schism
Alexander and his chancellor, Cardinal Hildebrand, never for a moment relaxed
their hold upon the reins of government. In striking contrast to his
helplessness amidst the Roman factions is his lofty attitude towards the
potentates lay and clerical, of Europe. Under banners blessed by him Roger
advanced to the conquest of Sicily, and William to the conquest of England.
His Regesta fill eleven pages of Jaffe (Regesta Rom. Pontif., 2d ed., 4, nos.
445, 4770). He was omnipresent, through his legates, Punishing simoniacal
bishops and incontinent clerics. He did not spare even his protector, Anno of
Cologne whom he twice summoned to Rome, once in 1068 to do penance, barefoot,
for holding relations with the antipope, and again in 1070 to purge himself of
the charge of simony. A similar discipline was administered to Sigfried of
Mainz, Hermann of Bamberg, and Werner of Strasburg. In his name his legate,
St. Peter Damiani, at the Diet of Frankfurt in 1089, under threat of
excommunication and exclusion from the imperial throne, deterred Henry IV from
the project of divorcing his queen, Bertha of Turin, though instigated thereto
by several German bishops. His completest triumph was that of compelling
Bishop Charles of Constance and Abbot Robert of Reichenau to return to the
King the croziers and rings they had obtained through simony. One serious
quarrel with Henry was left to be decided by his successor. In 1069 the Pope
had rejected as a simonist the subdeacon Godfrey, whom Henry had appointed
Archbishop of Milan- Henry failing to acquiesce, the Pope confirmed Atto, the
choice of the reform party. Upon the king's ordering his appointee to be
consecrated, Alexander fulminated an anathema against the royal advisers. The
death of the Pope, 21 April, 1073, left Hildebrand, his faithful chancellor,
heir to his triumphs and difficulties. Alexander deserved well of the English
Church by elevating his ancient teacher, Lanfranc of Bec (q. v.), to the See
of Canterbury and appointing him Primate of England.
JAMES F. LOUGHLIN
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