Pope Alexander II facts for kids

Pope Alexander II (born Anselm of Baggio, around 1010-1015 – April 21, 1073) was the leader of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 1061 until his death. He was born in Milan, Italy. Anselm was very involved in a movement called the Pataria, which aimed to reform the Church. He was the first pope elected by cardinals alone, without the people or lower clergy of Rome taking part. He also gave his approval for the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Life and Church Work

Anselm was born into a noble family in a suburb of Milan called Baggio. We don't know much about where he went to school. He became a priest in Milan and joined the Pataria movement. This group wanted to fix problems in the Church, like the buying and selling of church positions (called simony) and priests getting married.

Anselm was suggested to become the bishop of Milan. But Emperor Henry III chose someone else. To keep Anselm quiet, the bishop of Milan sent him to the Emperor's court. Instead, the Emperor made Anselm the bishop of Lucca in 1056 or 1057. As a bishop, he worked with Hildebrand to stop simony and make sure priests remained unmarried.

Anselm attended several important meetings (called synods) in Rome with Pope Nicholas II.

How Alexander II Became Pope

Pope Nicholas II died in July 1061. The cardinals met to choose a new pope. They didn't ask for permission from the Emperor, which was a big change. With help from Norman troops, they entered Rome and, on October 1, 1061, chose Bishop Anselm of Lucca. He became Pope Alexander II.

This election was important because it followed a new rule set by Pope Nicholas II, which said that only cardinal bishops could elect the pope. This took away the power of the Emperor and Roman nobles in choosing the pope.

Pope Alexander II was crowned at night in a different church because some people in Rome and Germany didn't agree with his election. The German court chose their own candidate, Cadalus, who became known as Antipope Honorius II. Honorius marched to Rome and challenged Alexander's position for a long time.

Eventually, a change in the German court led to Honorius being abandoned. He was officially removed by a council in 1064. However, Honorius continued to challenge Alexander until his death in 1072.

Dealing with the Normans

The Normans were a powerful group in southern Italy. In 1063, they took advantage of the Church's disagreements and expanded their territory. In 1066, Richard I of Capua, a Norman prince who had helped Alexander become pope, suddenly turned against him. The Normans were no longer the main supporters of the Pope.

Prince Richard attacked areas near Rome. Cardinal Hildebrand asked Marquis Godfrey of Tuscany for help. In 1067, Godfrey's army lifted the siege of Rome, forcing Prince Richard to retreat.

A new agreement was made between the Pope and the Normans. At a meeting in August 1067, Prince Richard promised his loyalty again and was confirmed as Duke of Apulia and Calabria.

Pope Alexander II's Policies and Reforms

In April 1063, Pope Alexander held a large meeting in Rome with over a hundred bishops. During this meeting, he officially removed Antipope Honorius II from his church position. The Pope and bishops also made important rules:

• No mercy for those who bought church positions (simoniacs).
• Priests who had wives or mistresses should not say Mass.
• No church leader should receive a church from a non-church person.
• No priest should hold two churches at once.

Pope Alexander also sent out special representatives (called legates) across Europe to make sure these reforms were followed. He wanted to stop simony and ensure that church property was not passed down like family inheritance.

In 1071, German King Henry IV tried to regain power that had been lost during his childhood. He appointed a new archbishop for Milan, but Pope Alexander II said this was not allowed. The Pope chose his own candidate, Attone. In February 1072, Alexander officially removed Henry's choice and confirmed Attone. This caused more tension between the King and the Pope.

In October 1071, Pope Alexander blessed the new altar at the famous Montecassino monastery. He also reformed how some churches in Rome were run. He changed the rules for singing "Alleluia" during Lent, a change that remains in the Catholic Church today.

Protecting Jewish Communities

In 1065, Pope Alexander II wrote to leaders in France, praising them for stopping the killing of Jewish people in their area. He reminded them that God does not approve of shedding innocent blood. He also wrote that Jewish people should not be forced to convert to Christianity. He praised Spanish bishops who protected Jews from those who wanted to harm them.

England and William the Conqueror

The Bayeux Tapestry: William the Conqueror holds a papal gonfalon with a golden cross, a gift from Pope Alexander II.

In 1066, William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, asked Pope Alexander for his blessing for his plan to invade England. Alexander gave his approval, along with a special ring, a banner, and instructions for the English clergy to accept the new rule. These gifts helped William gain control of the English Church after the Battle of Hastings.

William's success in England brought the English Church under closer control from Rome. William also agreed to restart payments to the Pope, known as Peter's Pence. Pope Alexander sent his representatives to England, who helped crown William king in 1070.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Stigand, was a problem for the Pope. Stigand had taken his position unfairly and held two church offices at once. Several popes, including Alexander, had tried to remove him. After William's coronation, Stigand was officially removed from his position.

William then chose Lanfranc, a respected abbot, to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc at first refused, but after much persuasion, including a message from Pope Alexander, he accepted the role. In 1071, Lanfranc traveled to Rome to receive his pallium, a special scarf that symbolizes his authority as archbishop.

Poland and Bohemia

In 1072, Alexander ordered Stanislaus of Szczepanów to become the Bishop of Kraków in Poland. Stanislaus became an important Polish bishop but later had conflicts with the Polish King, Bolesław II the Bold. The King had Bishop Stanislaus killed in 1079. As a result, Poland was punished by the Church for four years. Stanislaus was later recognized as a saint.

Pope Alexander also dealt with disagreements between bishops in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic). He sent representatives to resolve the issues, but they were murdered. Shocked, Alexander sent another cardinal. He temporarily removed one bishop and punished the region, but later restored the bishop after pleas from a countess.

Death

Pope Alexander II died on April 21, 1073, at the Lateran Palace in Rome. He was buried in the Lateran Basilica.

See also

• List of Catholic saints
• List of papal elections
• List of popes