Bernard of Sédirac facts for kids

Bernard of Sédirac (around 1050 – 1125), also known as Bernard of Agen, was a very important church leader in Spain. He was the Archbishop of Toledo starting in 1086, and became the first "Primate of Spain" (the highest-ranking bishop in the country) in 1088. He held this position until he died. Bernard was important because during his time as archbishop, the church in the Kingdom of Castile and León became more connected with the wider Christian world.

Bernard was born in a region of France called Gascony around 1050. His family was thought to be from a noble line called the viscounts of Sédirac. When he was young, an illness stopped him from becoming a soldier. Instead, he decided to become a monk.

He joined a famous monastery called the Abbey of Cluny. From there, he was sent to Spain to help with important changes in the church, known as the Gregorian Reform. These reforms aimed to make the church stronger and more independent. In 1080, Bernard became the abbot (leader) of a monastery in Sahagún. Later, Alfonso VI of Castile, a king who supported Cluny, chose Bernard to be the Archbishop of Toledo.

The Pope at the time, Gregory VII, wanted to make several changes in Spain. He wanted to stop priests from marrying, prevent the buying and selling of church jobs (called simony), and stop kings from choosing church leaders (called lay investiture). He also wanted to change the way church services were done, replacing the old Spanish "Mozarabic" style with the "Roman" style used in most of Europe. The change in worship style was mostly done before Pope Gregory died, even though many people were against it.

Later, Pope Urban II made Bernard's position in Toledo even more powerful. This gave Bernard the authority he needed to continue bringing the Roman style to the Spanish church. Bernard worked closely with Pope Urban II. This cooperation allowed the Pope to get involved in a church meeting in León in 1091. It also meant that the king, Alfonso VI, couldn't just appoint anyone he wanted to important church jobs, especially when he tried to choose someone for Santiago de Compostela to balance Bernard's influence.

Bernard was always very loyal to the Pope. When he first became archbishop, he took control of the main mosque in Toledo and turned it into a cathedral. He also planned a holy war against Muslims in the East. However, both Pope Urban II and Pope Paschal II told him not to, because Christian knights in Spain had enough to do fighting at home.

Some of Bernard's sermons (religious speeches) are still known today. He was also made fun of in a book from the 11th century called The Treatise of Garcia of Toledo, which was supposedly written by one of his own priests.

See also

In Spanish: Bernardo de Sedirac para niños

Images for kids

• 

  This is the tomb of Bernard of Sedirac, who was Archbishop of Toledo. He was born in France in 1050 and died in Spain in 1125. His tomb is in the Cathedral of Sigüenza.

• 

  This old castle in Sigüenza, Spain, was improved by Bernard of Sedirac around the early 1120s. It was the home of bishops for many centuries.