Pope Clement II facts for kids

Pope Clement II (born Suidger von Morsleben) was the leader of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States (lands controlled by the Pope) from December 25, 1046, until his death in 1047. He was the first in a line of popes from Germany who wanted to make big improvements in the Church. Before becoming Pope, Suidger was the bishop of Bamberg. In 1046, he joined King Henry III of Germany. Henry went to Italy because people in Rome asked him to help fix problems with the papacy. Henry called a meeting called the Council of Sutri. This meeting removed two popes, Benedict IX and Sylvester III, and accepted the resignation of Gregory VI. Henry then suggested Suidger as the next pope. Suidger was chosen and took the name Clement II. After his election, Clement crowned Henry as the Holy Roman Emperor. During his short time as pope, Clement II made stronger rules against simony, which was the buying or selling of Church offices.

Early Life and Role

Suidger was born in Hornburg, in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany. His father was Count Konrad of Morsleben and Hornburg. In 1040, Suidger became the bishop of Bamberg.

In the autumn of 1046, there were three different people claiming to be the Pope. This caused a lot of confusion and problems in Rome. Two of these claimants, Benedict IX and Sylvester III, were supported by different powerful families. The third, Pope Gregory VI, had paid Benedict money to step down. He did this to try and fix the problems in the city and stop Benedict's bad behavior. However, this payment looked like "simony," which was forbidden. Because of these issues, it was hard to know who the real Pope was. This also made it difficult for King Henry to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor. So, King Henry led a large army and many important leaders across the Alps into Italy. His goals were to receive the imperial crown and to bring order back to the Church.

Becoming Pope

In 1046, Suidger went with King Henry on his trip to Italy. In December, he took part in the Council of Sutri. This council removed Benedict IX and Sylvester III from their positions. It also convinced Gregory VI to resign. King Henry then suggested Suidger to be the next pope, and the council elected him. This made him the first pope chosen by the power of the German emperors. Suidger wanted to keep his old job as bishop of Bamberg. He did this partly because he needed the money and partly because he worried the people of Rome might send him back to Bamberg if things got difficult. Suidger took the name Clement II. Right after he was elected, Henry and the new pope traveled to Rome. There, Clement was officially made Pope. He then crowned Henry III as the Holy Roman Emperor.

Some people later criticized Clement's election. They felt that the king had too much say in choosing the Pope. They also didn't like that the new Bishop of Rome was already a bishop of another area. Unlike later popes, Clement kept both his roles, leading both Rome and Bamberg at the same time. Clement II's first official act as Pope was to crown Henry and Agnes of Poitou. He gave the Emperor the title of a Roman patrician. This title was often thought to give the person the right to suggest who should be chosen as pope.

Pope Clement II's time as pope was short, but it brought improvements to the Roman Church. Starting with a meeting in Rome in 1047, he made new rules against simony. This helped to stop the buying and selling of Church positions. He also settled a disagreement about which city's church was most important among Ravenna, Milan, and Aquileia. He decided that Ravenna should have the highest rank.

Death

Clement traveled with Henry III through southern Italy. He placed the city of Benevento under an interdict (a Church punishment) because they refused to let them in. Continuing with Henry to Germany, Clement officially recognized Wiborada as a saint. She was a nun from St. Gall who was killed by Hungarians in 925. On his way back to Rome, Clement died near Pesaro on October 9, 1047. His body was taken back to Bamberg, a place he loved very much. He was buried in the western part of the Bamberg Cathedral. His is the only tomb of a pope north of the Alps.

Later, in the mid-20th century, scientists examined his remains. They found out that the pope had been poisoned with lead sugar. This confirmed old rumors. However, it is not clear if he was murdered or if the lead sugar was used as a medicine.

See also

In Spanish: Clemente II para niños