A saintly Leo loses on the battlefield
And: The only British pope crowns an emperor
OR
1053 A.D.
Today in Papal History marks one of the most consequential battles of perhaps the most consequential century in Medieval Christendom: The Battle of Civitate.
The belligerents were the Italian Normans on one side and the forces of Pope St. Leo IX on the other. As I wrote in a prior episode on Leo IX, the Normans were, in those days, on a bit of a rampage through southern Italy.
From nearly the beginning of his papacy, Leo had tried sorting things out with them in non-violent ways, but nothing seemed to work. And so he resorted to recruiting an army – hearkening back to his old days of arranging soldiers, as it were – in a last-ditch effort to repel their forces.
That’s saying something, too, when a guy who’s about as virtuous and merciful as they come ends up saying “yep, time to drop the gloves.”
In any case, the pope’s army was defeated soundly at the Battle of Civitate, and the pope – technically – was taken captive by the Normans. However, he certainly wasn’t treated like a normal prisoner. In fact, his biographer writes that
“…after contemplating his admirable self-confidence, their minds were changed and they were converted to obedience and, kissing his footprints, they earnestly request the pardon that they so little deserved.”
Leo apparently all but converted the Normans – at the very least to soften their harsh ways and preserve his own dignity as their spiritual father, despite holding him captive for nearly a year.
For a fuller treatment on the Battle of Civitate, along with the cultural milieu that led up to it and its aftermath, check out an episode we did last Fall with Michael of Memory Medieval:
1155 A.D.
Barely a century later, it was Pope Adrian IV, history’s sole British pontiff, who was experiencing a headache by the name of Frederick Barbarossa, who in 1155 was making his way across Italy with the goal of being crowned emperor by the pope.
The pair met in Sutri on the 9th of June of that year – as the Catholic Encyclopedia recounts,
Frederick of Hohenstaufen, then the most powerful ruler in Europe, and the humble canon of Sts. Rufus, now the most powerful spiritual ruler in the world. As the Pope approached, the Emperor advanced to meet him, but did not hold the Pope’s stirrup, which was part of the customary ceremony of homage. The Pope said nothing then, but dismounted, and the Emperor led him to a chair and kissed his slipper.
Custom required that the Pope should then give the kiss of peace. He refused to do so, and told Frederick that until full homage had been paid he would withhold it. This implied that he would not crown him. Frederick had to submit, and on the 11th of June another meeting was arranged at Nepi, when Frederick advanced on foot and held the Pope’s stirrup, and the incident was closed.
Adrian then did crown Barbarossa without much issue – 871 years ago today, as of this writing – but that was just about the last time the two were on the same page.
Barbarossa would all but abandon the pope shortly thereafter (for reasons both in and out of his own control), and then a tiff with William I, the King of Sicily, a couple of years later would only make matters worse for the pope. William had laid siege to papal lands, so naturally Adrian had to respond – but it was a response that would fall painfully short. The war between pope and king that took place in Benevento, in southern Italy, ended with William stealing 5,000 pounds of gold meant for Adrian, capturing the pope’s munitions and food, and kidnapping and selling into slavery many wealthy Greeks.
For his spoils William claimed the crowns of Sicily and several other territories, but did pledge later to defend the papal possessions and pay a yearly tribute to the pope.
So there’s that, I guess?
2025 A.D.
In one of his first General Audiences as the new Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV spoke on healing and not giving up hope:
Let us continue to contemplate Jesus who heals. In a particular way, I would like to invite you to think about the situations in which we feel “blocked” and stuck in a dead end. At times, in fact, it seems to be pointless to continue to hope; we become resigned and no longer have the desire to fight…
…Let us ask the Lord for the gift of understanding where our life is stuck. Let us try to give voice to our desire to be healed. And let us pray for all those who feel paralyzed, who do not see a way out. Let us ask to return to dwell in the Heart of Christ, which is the true house of mercy!