April 19 - Saint Leo IX
Quick Facts- Son of Count Hugh of Egisheim.
- Cousin of Emperor Conrad II.Chapter canon of Saint Stephen's, Toul.
- Deacon.
- Soldier and officer in the imperial army.
- In 1021, while still in the military, he was chosen bishop of Toul, France, a position he held for 20 years.
- Commanded troops under emperor Conrad II in the invasion of Italy in 1026.
- Very disciplined himself, he brought order to the monasteries in his diocese, discipline to the clergy, and the Cluniac reform to many of his houses.
- Mediator between France and the Holy Roman Empire.
- Chosen 151st pope with the support of the Roman citizens and Henry III of Germany.Leo brought his reforming, disciplinary ways to the Church as a whole, reforming houses and parishes, fighting simony, enforcing clerical celibacy, encouraging liturgical development and the use of chant.
- He brought Hildebrand, later Pope Saint Gregory VII, to Rome as his spiritual advisor.
- Fought the coming Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches.
- He received the nickname of Pilgrim Pope due to his travels through Europe, enforcing his reforms, insisting that his bishops, clergy, and councils follow suit.
- Held synods at Pavia, Rheims, Mainz and Vercelli where he condemned the heresy of Berengarius of Tours.
- Authorized the consecration of the first native bishop of Iceland.
- Peacemaker in Hungary.
- Proposed that Popes be elected only by cardinals.
- Leo's papacy was marred by his military action.
- He added new Italian regions to the papal states, and when Normans invaded these areas in 1053, he personally led an army to throw them out.
- This resulted in wide-spread criticism, defeat in the field, his capture at Civitella, and several months imprisonment at Benevento.
- He spent his time there well, learning Greek to better understand the writings of the Eastern Church, but his health suffered badly, and died soon after his release.
