Saint Gregory the Seventh. Pope and Confessor

Our Easter Calendar has already given us the two great Popes, Leo the Great and Pius the Fifth ; it bids us, to-day, pay honour to the glorious memory of Gregory the Seventh. These three names represent the action of the Papacy, dating from the period of the Persecutions. The mission divinely put upon the successors of St. Peter, is this : — the maintaining intact the truths of Faith, and the defending the liberty of the Church. St. Leo courageously and eloquently asserted the ancient Faith, which was called in question by the heretics of those days ; St. Pius the Fifth stemmed the torrent of the so-called Reformation, and delivered Christendom from the yoke of Mahometanism ; St. Gregory the Seventh came between these .two, and saved society from the greatest danger it had so far incurred, and restored the purity of Christian morals by restoring the Liberty of the Church.

The end of the 10th, and the commencement of the 11th, Century, was a period that brought upon the Church of Christ one of the severest trials she has ever endured. The two great scourges of Persecution and Heresy had subsided ; they were followed by that of Barbarism. The impulse given tom civilisation by Charlemagne was checked early in the 9th Century; the Barbarian element had been but suppressed,and broke out again with renewed violence, Faith was still vigorous among the people, but. of itself, it could not triumph over the depravity of morals. The Feudal system had produced anarchy throughout the whole of Europe ; anarchy created social disorder, and this, in its turn, occasioned the triumph of might and licentiousness over right. Kings and Princes were do longer kept in check by the power of the Church ; for, Rome herself being a prey to factions, unworthy or unfit men were but too frequently raised to the Papal Throne.

The 11th century came; its years were rapidly advancing ; and there seemed no remedy for the disorders it had inherited. Bishoprics had fallen a prey to the secular power, which set them up for sale, and the first requisite for a candidate to a Prelacy was, that he should be a vassal subservient to the Ruler of the nation, ready to supply him with means for prosecuting war. The Bishops being thus, for the most part, simoniacal, as St. Peter Damian tells us they were, — what could be expected from the inferior Clergy, but scandals ? The climax of these miseries was, that ignorance increased with each generation, and threatened to obliterate the very notion of duty. There was an end to both Church and society, had it not been for the promise of Christ, that he would never abandon his own Work.

In order to remedy these evils, in order to dispel all this mist of ignorance, Rome was to be raised from her state of degradation. She needed a holy and energetic Pontiff, whose consciousness of having God on his side would make him heedless of opposition and difficulties ; a Pontiff, whose reign should be long enough to make his influence felt, and encourage his successors to continue the work of reform. This was the mission of St. Gregory the Seventh.

This mission was prepared for by holiness of life ; it is always so with those whom God destines to be

MAY 25. ST. GREGORY THE SEVENTH. 60J> the instruments of his greatest works. Gregory, or, as he was then called, Hildebrand, left the world, and became a Monk of the celebrated Monastery of Cluny, in France. It was there, and in the two thousand Abbeys which were affiliated with it, that were alone to be then found zeal for the Liberty of the Church, and the genuine traditions of the Monastic life. It was there, that, for upwards of a hundred years, and under the four great Abbots, Odo, Maiolus, Odilo and Hugh, God had been secretly providing for the regeneration of Christian morals Yes, we may well say secretly, for no one would have thought that the instruments of the holiest of Reforms were to be found in those Monasteries, which existed in almost every part of Europe, and had affiliated with Cluny for no other motive, than because Cluny was the sanctuary of every monastic virtue. It was to Cluny itself that Hildebrand fled, when he left the world ; he felt sure that he would find there a shelter from the scandals that then prevailed.

The illustrious Abbot Hugh was not long in discovering the merits of his new disciple, and the young Italian was made Prior of the great French Abbey. A stranger came, one day, to the gate of the Monastery, and sought hospitality. It was Bruno, Bishop of Toul, who had been nominated Pope by the Emperor Henry III. Hildebrand could not restrain himself, on seeing this new candidate for the Apostolic See, — of this Pope, whom Some, which alone has the right to choose its own Bishop, had neither chosen nor heard of. He plainly told Bruno that he must not accept the Keys of heaven from the hand of an Emperor, who was bound in conscience to submit to the canonical election of the Holy City. Bruno, who' was afterwards St. Leo the Ninth, humbly acquiesced to the advice given him by the Prior of Cluny, and both set out for Rome. The

PASCH: TIME. II. 2r elect of the Emperor became the elect of the Roman Church, and Hildebrand prepared to return to Cluny ; but the new Pontiff would not hear of his departure, and obliged him to accept the title and duties of Archdeacon of the Roman Churchy

This high post would soon have raised him to the Papal Throne, had he wished it ; but Hildebrand's only ambition was to break the fetters that kept the Church from being free, and prepare the reform of Christendom. The influence he had, he used in procuring the election, canonical and independent of imperial favour, of Pontiffs who were willing and determined to exercise their authority for the extirpation of scandals. After St. Leo the Ninth, came Victor the Second, Stephen the Ninth, Nicholas the Second, and Alexander the Second, — all of whom were worthy of their exalted position. But he who had thus been the very soul of the Pontificate under five Popes, had, at length, to accept the Tiara himself. His noble heart was afflicted at the presentiment of the terrible contests that awaited him ; but his refusals, his endeavours to evade the heavy burthen of solicitude for all the Churches, were unavailing; and the new Vicar of Christ was made known to the world, under the name of Gregory the Seventh. " Gregory" means vigilance; and never did man better realise the name.

He had to contend with brute force personified in a daring and crafty Emperor, whose life was stained with every sort of crime, and who held the Church in his grasp, as a vulture does its prey. In no part of the Empire would a Bishop be allowed to hold his See, unless he had received investiture from the Emperor, by the ring and crosier. Such was Henry the Fourth of Germany ; and his example encouraged the other Princes of the Empire to trample on the liberty of canonical elections by the same iniquitous measures. The twofold scandal of simony and incontinence was still frequent among the clergy. Gregory's immediate predecessors had, by courageous zeal, checked the evil ; but not one of them had ventured to confront the fbmenter of all these abuses, — the Emneror. That great contest, with its perils and anxieties, was left for Gregory ; and history tells us how fearlessly he accepted it.

The first three years of his Pontificate were, however, comparatively tranquil. Gregory treated the youthful Emperor with great kindness, out of regard for his father, who had deserved well of the Church. He wrote him several Letters, in which he gave him good advice, or affectionately expressed his confidence in the future. Henry did nob allow that confidence to last long. Aware that he had to deal with a Pope whom no intimidation could induce to swerve from duty, he thought it prudent to wait a while and watch the course of events. But the restraint was unbearable ; the torrent had but swollen by the self-imposed check ; — the enemy of the spiritual power gave full vent to his passion. Bishoprics and Abbeys were again sold for the benefit of the imperial revenue. Gregory excommunicated the simoniacal prelates ; and Henry, imprudently defying the censures of the Church, persisted in keeping in their posts men who were resolved to follow him in all his crimes. Gregory addressed a solemn warning to the Emperor, enjoining him to withdraw his support from the excommunicated Prelates, under penalty of himself incurring the bans of the Church. Henry, who had thrown off the mask, and thought he might afford to despise the Pontiff, was unexpectedly made to tremble for the security of his throne by the revolt of Saxony, in which several of the Electors of the Empire joined. He felt that a rupture with the Church, at such a critical time, might be fatal. He turned suppliant, besought Gregory to absolve him, And made an abjuration of his past conduct in the

PASCHAL TIMEi presence of two Legates, sent by the Pontiff into Germany. But scarcely had the perjured Monarch gained a temporary triumph over the Saxons, than he recommenced hostilities with the Church. In an assembly of Bishops, worthy of their imperial master, he presumed to pronounce sentence of deposition against Gregory. He, shortly afterwards, entered Italy with his army ; and this gave to scores of Prelates an opportunity for openly declaring rebellion against the Pope, who would not tolerate their scandalous lives.

Then did Gregory, — in whose hands were placed those Keys, which signify the Power of loosing and binding in heaven and on earth, — pronounce against Henry the terrible sentence which declared him to be deprived of his crown and to have forfeited the allegiance of his subjects. To this the Pontiff added the still heavier anathema ; — he declared him to be cut off from the communion of the Church. By thus setting himself as a rampart of defence to Christendom, which was threatened on all sides with tyranny and persecution, Gregory drew down upon himself the vengeance of every wicked passion ; and even Italy was far from being as loyal to him, as he had a right to expect her to be. More than one of the princes of the Peninsula sided with Henry ; and as to the simoniacal Prelates, they looked on him as their defender against the sword of Peter. It seemed as though Gregory would soon not have a spot in Italy whereon he could set his foot in safety ; but God, who never abandons his Church, raised up. an avenger of his cause. Tuscany, and part of Lornbardy, were, at that time, governed by the young and brave countess Matilda. This noble-hearted woman stood up in defence of the Vicar of Christ. She offered her wealth and her army to the Holy See, that it might make use of them as it thought best, as long as she lived ; and as to her possessions, she willed them to St Peter and his Successors.

Matilda, then, became a check to the Emperor's prosperity in crime. Her influence in Italy was still strong enough to procure a refuge for the heroic Pontiff, where he could be safe from the Emperor's power. He was enabled by her management to reach Canossa, a strong fortress near Reggio. At the same time, Henry was alarmed by news of a fresh revolt in Saxony, in which more than one feudal lord of the Empire took part, with a view to dethrone the haughty and excommunicated tyrant. Fear again took possession of his mind, and prompted him to recur to perjury. The spiritual power marred his sacrilegious plans ; and he flattered himself, that by offering a temporary atonement, he could soon renew the attack. He went barefooted and unattended to Canossa, garbed as a penitent, shedding hypocrite tears, and suing for pardon. Gregory had compassion on his enemy, and readily yielded to the intercession made for him by Hugh of Cluny and Matilda. He took off the excommunication, and restored Henry to the pale of holy Church; but thought it would be premature to revoke the sentence, whereby he had deprived him of his rights as Emperor. The Pontiff contented himself with announcing his intention of assisting at the Diet which was to be held in Germany ; there he would take cognizance of the grievances brought against Henry by the Princes of the Empire, and then decide what was just.

Henry accepted every condition, took his oath on the Gospel, and returned to his army. He felt his hopes rekindle within him at every step he took from the dreaded fortress, within whose walls he had been compelled to sacrifice his pride to his ambition. He reckoned on finding support from the bad passions of others, and, to a certain extent, his calculation was verified. Such a man was sure to come to a miserable end ; but Satan was too en deeply interested in his success, to refuse him his support.

Meanwhile, Henry met with a rival in Germany: — it was Rodolph, duke of Suabia, who, in a Diet of the Electors of the Empire, was proclaimed Henry's successor. Faithful to his principles of justice, Gregory refused, at first, to recognise the newly elected, although his devotedness to the Church and his personal qualifications were such as to make him most worthy of the throne. The Pontiff persisted on hearing both sides, that is, the Princes and representatives of the Empire, and Henry himself ; this done, he would put an end to the dispute by an equitable judgment. Rodolph strongly urged his claims, and importuned the Pontiff to recognise them ; but Gregory, though he loved the Duke, courageously refused his demand, assuring him that his cause should be tried at the Diet which Henry had bound himself, by his oath at Canossa, to stand by, though he had good reasons to fear its results. Three years passed on, during which the Pontiff's patience and forbearance were continually and severely tried by Henry s systematic subterfuge, and refusal to give guarantees against his further molesting the Church. At length, after using every means in his power to put an end to the wars that ravaged Italy and Germany, and after Henry had given unmistakeable proofs that he was impenitent and a perjurer, — the Pontiff renewed the excommunication, and, in a Council held at Rome, confirmed the sentence, whereby he had declared him deposed of his crown. At the same time, Gregory ratified Rodolph 's election, and granted the Apostolic benediction to his adherents.

Henry's rage was at its height, and his vengeance threw off all restraint. Among the Italian prelates who had sided with the tyrant, the foremost in subserviency and ambition was Gilbert, Archbishop of

Ravenna, and, of course, there was no bitterer enemy to the Holy See. Henry made an Anti-pope of this traitor, under the name of Clement the Third. He had his party ; and thus Schism was added to the other trials that afflicted the Church. It was one of those terrible periods, when, according to the expression of the Apocalypse, it was given unto the Beast to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them. The Emperor suddenly became victorious : Rodolph was slain fighting in Germany, and Matilda's army was defeated in Italy. Henry had then but one wish, and he determined to realise it : — enter Rome, banish Gregory, and set his Anti-pope on tbe Chair of St. Peter.

What were the feelings of our Saint in the midst of this deluge of iniquity, from which, however, the Church was to rise purified and free ? Let us listen to him, describing them in a letter written to his former Abbot, St. Hugh of Cluny. " Tbe troubles 44 which have come upon us are such, that even they ' that are living with us, not only cannot eudure " them, but cannot even bear to look at them. The " holy king David said : According to the multitude " of my sorrows in my heart, thy consolations have " given joy to my sovd : whereas to us, life is of ten " a burthen to us, and death a happiness that we sigh "for. When Jesus, that loving Consoler, true God " and true Man, deigns to stretch out his hand to me, "his goodness brings back joy to my afflicted hearc ; " but when he leaves me, immediately my trouble is "extreme. Of myself, I am for ever dying ; but in " so far as he is with me, there are times when I live. " When my strength wholly leaves me, I cry out to "him, saying with a mournful voice : 'If thou nadst " ' put a burthen as heavy as this on Moses or Peter,

*Apoc.xiii. 7. 8 Ps. xciii. 19.

" ' they would, methinks, have sunk beneath it. " ' What, then, can be expected of me, who, com- 4< 1 pared to them, am nothing ? Thou hast then, O 44 ' Lord, but one thing to do : — thou thyself, with " ' thine Apostle Peter, must govern the Pontificate " 1 thou hast imposed on me ; else thou wilt find me u 1 sink beneath the load, and the Pontificate, in my " * person, be disgraced.'

These words of heartfelt grief depict the whole character of the sainted Pontiff. The one great object of his life, was the reformation of society by the Liberty of the Church. It was nothing but his zeal in such a cause that could have made him face this terrible situation, from which he had nothing to look for in this life, but heart-rending vexations. And yet, Gregory was that Father of the Christian world who, from the very commencement of his Pontificate, was full of the thought of driving the Mahometans out of Europe, and of delivering the Christians from the yoke of the Saracens. It was the inspiration taken up by his successors, and carried out under the name of the Crusades. In a Letter addressed to all the Faithful, our Saint thus speaks of the enemy of the Christian name, whom he describes as being at the very gates of Constantinople, committing every kind of outrage and cruelty.

" If we love God, if we call ourselves Christians, " we must grieve over such evils ; but we should "do more than grieve over them. Our Saviour's " example and the duty of fraternal charity impose " upon us the obligation of giving our lives for the * deliverance of our fellow-Christians. Know, then, " that trusting in the mercy of God and in the might "of his arm, we are doing and preparing everything " in our power, in order to give immediate help to the

1J)ata Bomce, nonis Mmi, Indictione 1. (1078.)

" Christian Empire."1 He shortly afterwards wrote to Henry, who, at that time, had not shown his hostile intentions against the Church. " My admo- . " nition to the Christians of Italy and the countries "beyond the Alps has been favourably received. " At this moment, fifty thousand men are preparing ; " and, if they can have me to head the expedition as " leader and Pontiff, they are willing to march to " battle against the enemies of God, and, with the " divine assistance, to go even to our Lord's Sepulchre. * Thus, despite his advanced age, the noble-minded Pontiff was willing to put himself at the head of the Christian army. " There is," says he, " one thing " which urges me to do this : it is the state of the " Church of Constantinople, which is separated from "us in what regards the dogma of the Holy Ghost, "and which must be brought back to union with " the Apostolic See. Almost the whole of Armenia " has abandoned the Catholic Faith. In a word, the "greater portion of the Orientals require to know " what is the faith of Peter, on the various questions " which are being mooted among them. The time u is come for using the grace bestowed, by our merci- " ful Redeemer, on Peter, when he thus spoke to 41 him : I have prayed for th.ee, Peter, that thy faith "may not fail: do thou confirm thy brethren. Our u Fathers in whose footsteps we would walk, though " we be unworthy to be their successors, have more " than once visited those countries, that they might "confirm the Catholic Faith. We, then, also feel "urged, if Christ open to us a way, to undertake " this expedition, for the interests of the Faith, and "in order to give aid to the Christians. n

With his characteristic good faith, Gregory went so far as to reckon on Henry's protecting the Uhurch,

1 Data Roma, Kalendis Martii, Indictume 12. (1074.) •St. Luke, xxii. 32.

PASC.fi AL TIME. during his absence. " This design," says he, in the same Letter to the Emperor, u requires much counsel " and powerful co-operation, in case God permits us u to attempt it : I therefore come to you, asking l< you for this counsel and co-operation, and hope you " will grant me them. If, by divine favour, 1 go, it "is to you, after God, that I leave the Roman "Church, that you may watch over her as a holy "mother, and protect her from insult. Let me "know, as soon as may be, what, in your prudence, " aided by God's counsel, you decide on. If I had " not greater confidence in you, than people suppose, " I should not have written this to you ; but as it "may happen that you may not fully believe I have " the affection for you that I profess, I appeal to the " Holy Spirit who can do all things. I beseech him "to make you understand, in his own way, how " attached I am to you ; and that he may so guide " your soul, as to disappoint the desires of the wicked ' and strengthen the hopes of the good." 1

The interview at Canossa took place in less than three years from the date of the above Letter ; but at the time he wrote it, Gregory's hopes for carrying out the expedition were so well grounded, that he acquainted the Countess Matilda with his intention. He wrote to her as follows. " The matter which " engrossed my thoughts, and the desire I have to " cross the seas in order to give succour to the Chris- " tians, who are being slain as brute beasts by the " Pagans, makes me seem strange to many people, " and fear they think me guilty of a sort of levity. "But it costs me nothing to confide it to you, my " dearly beloved daughter, whose prudence I esteem "more than words could express. After you have "perused the Letters which I am sending to the " countries beyond the Alps, if you have any advice to

Data Romce, 7 Idus Decembrts, Indiclione 13. (1074.)

" offer, or, what is better, any aid to give to the cause " of God your Creator, exert yourself to the utmost ; " for if, as men say, it be a grand thing to die for " one's country, it is grander and nobler to sacrifice " this mortal flesh of ours for Christ, who is Eternal " Life. I feel convinced that many soldiers will aid " us in this expedition. I have grounds for believing " that our Empress (Agnes, the saintly mother of " Henry) intends going with us, and would fain take " you with her. Your mother (the Countess Beatrice) " will remain here in Italy, to protect our common " interests ; and all things thus arranged, we shall, "with Christ's help, be enabled to set out. By " coming hither to satisfy her devotion, the Empress, " especially if she have you to help her, will doubtless " encourage many to join in this enterprise. As for " me,honoured with the company of such noble sisters, " I will willingly cross the seas, ready to lay down " my life for Christ with you, from whom 1 would " not be separated in our eternal country. Send me " a speedy answer upon this project, as also regarding "your coming to Rome. And may the Almighty " God bless you, and give you to advance from virtue " to virtue, that thus the common Mother may rejoice " in you for many long years to come ! "!

The project on which Gregory set his heart with so much earnestness, was not a mere scheme suggested by his own greatness of soul ; it was a presentiment infused into his mind by God. The troubles he had nearer home, and which he so heroically combated, left him no time for a long expedition ; he had to* engage with an enemy who was not a Turk, but a Christian. Still, the Crusade so dear to his heart was not far off. Urban the Second, — his second successor, and, like himself, a Monk of Cluny, — was soon to arouse Christian Europe and give battle to the

1 16 December, 1074. Jaffe. Monumenta Gregoriana, page 532.

Infidels. But as this subject has led us to mention Matilda's name, we take the opportunity thus afforded us of entering more fully into the character of our great Pontiff. We shall find that this illustrious champion of the Church's Liberty, with all his elevation of purpose, and all his untiring zeal in what concerned the interests of Christendom, was as solicitous about the spiritual advancement of a single soul as any Direetor could be. Writing to the Countess Matilda, he says : " He who fathoms the secrets of the " human heart, he alone knows, and knows better " than I do myself, how interested I am in what " concerns your salvation. I think you understand " that I feel myself bound to take care of you for the " sake of so many people, in whose interest I have " been compelled, by charity, to deter you, when you " were thinking of leaving them in order to provide "for the salvation of your own soul. As I have " often told you, and will keep on telling you " in the words of heavens herald, Charity seeketh " not her own? But as the principal armour where- " with I have provided you in your battle against the " prince of this world, is the frequent receiving of our " Lord's Body, and a firm confidence in the protection " of his Blessed Mother, — I will now add what St. " Ambrose says on the subject of Holy Communion."

The Pontiff then gives her two quotations from the Writings of this Holy Father, to which he also adds others from St. Gregory the Great and St. John Ohrysostom, on the blessings we derive from receiving * the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He then continues : " Therefore, my daughter, we should have recourse to "this greatest of the Sacraments, this greatest of all " remedies. 1 have written all this to you, beloved " daughter of Blessed Peter, with a view to increase "your faith and confidence when you approach to

1 1 Cor. xiii. 5.

" Communion. This is the treasure, and this the " gift, more precious than gold and gems, which your " soul, out of love for the King of heaven, your " Father, expects from me, — although you would " have received the same, in a far better way, and " one more worthy of your acceptance, had you " applied to some other of God's ministers. With " regard to the Mother of God, to whose care I have "confided you, for the past, the present, and the " future, until we are permitted to see her in heaven, " as we desire, — what can I say ? How can I say " anything worthy of Her, whom heaven and earth " are ever praising, and yet never so much as she " deserves ? Yes, — hold this as a most certain truth : " that as she is grander and better and holier than " all mothers, so is she more merciful and loving to " all sinners who are sorry for their sins. Be, then, " determined never to commit sin ; prostrate your- "self and weep before her, with a contrite and " humble heart ; and I unhesitatingly promise you " this, — you will find her more ready to assist you, " and more affectionate, than any mother on earth " ever was to her child."1

A Pontiff like this, who, amidst all his occupations could devote himself, with such paternal zeal, to the advancement of one single soul, was sure to be on the watch for men whose piety and learning promised well for the interests of the Church. It is true, there were very few such men, in those times ; but, Gregory would find them out, wheresoever they might be. The great St. Anselm, who was living in the peaceful retirement of his Monastery at Bee, had not escaped the watchful eye of the Pontiff, who wrote him these touching words amidst the troubles of the year 1079. " The good odour of your fruits " has spread even to us. We give thanks to God,

1 Data Borna, 14 Kalendas Martii. (1074.) t>22

" and we embrace you with affection in the love of 44 Christ ; for we are well assured of the benefits which " the Church of God will derive from your studies, " and of the succour which, through God's mercy, she " will receive from your prayers, united as they are " with those who are of a like spirit. You know, my " Brother, of how much avail with God is the prayer " of one just man; how much more, then, must not " avail the prayer of many just ones ? No, we can- " not doubt it ; — it obtains what it asks. The authorc< ity of Truth himself obliges us to believe it. It is a he who said : Knock, and it shall be opened to you,! "Knock with simplicity of heart, — ask with sim- " plicity of heart, — for those things which are pleas- " ing to him ; then shall it be opened to you, then " shall you receive ; and it is thus that the prayer of " the just is graciously heard. We therefore beg of " you, Brother, of you and your Monks, that you be- " seech God, in assiduous prayer, that he may vouch- " safe to deliver, fiom the tyranny of heretics, his " Church and us, who, though unworthy, are placed " over it ; and that, dispelling the error which blinds " our enemies, he may lead them back to the path of "truth."i

But Gregory's atteution was not confined to persons of such eminence and learning, as a Matilda or an Anselm. His quick eye discerned every Christian, how humble soever his station, who had suffered persecution for the cause of holy Church; he honoured aod loved him far more than he would the bravest soldier who fought for earthly glory, and got it at the risk of his life. Let us read the following Letter, which he wrote to a poor priest of Milan, named Liprand, who had been cruelly maimed by the Simoniacs. " If we venerate the memory of those " Saints who died, after their limbs had been severed

1 St. Anselmus. Epist. Lib. ii. 31.

M by the sword ; if we celebrate the sufferings of those, " whom neither the sword nor torture could separate " from the Faith of Christ ; — you, who have had your " oose and ears cut off for his Name, you deserve " still greater praise, for that you have merited a " grace, which, if it be accompanied by your perse- " verance, gives you a perfect resemblance to the " Saints. Your body is no longer perfect in all its " parts ; but the interior man, who is renewed from " day to day, is now grander than ever. Tour out- " ward face is maimed, and therefore disfigured ; but 4C the image of God, which consists in the brightness " of virtue, has become more graceful by your wounds, "and its beauty heightened by the deformity which u men have brought on your features. Does not the " Church, speaking of herself, say : / am black, 0 ye " daughters of Jerusalem V If, then, your interior " beauty has not been impaired by these cruel muti- " lations, neither has your priestly character, which " manifests itself rather by the perfection of virtue " than by that of the body. Did not the Emperor Con- " stantine show his veneration for a Bishop who had " had one of his eyes pulled out ? was he not seen to " kiss the wound ? Have we not the examples of the " Fathers, and the early history of the Church, tell- " ing us that the Martyrs were allowed to continue " the exercise of the sacred ministry, even after their " limbs had been mutilated ? You, then, Martyr of " Christ ! must confide in the Lord without reserve. " You must congratulate yourself on having made an " advance in your Priesthood. It was conferred upon " you by the holy oil ; but now, you have sealed it "with your own blood. The more your body has " lost, the more must you preach what is good, and "sow that Word which produces a hundredfold. u We know that the enemies of holy Church are yow

1 Cant. i. 4.

" enemies and persecutors; fear them not, and tremble " not in their presence ; for we lovingly hold both 44 yourself and everything that belongs to you under 44 our own protection and that of the Apostolic See. 44 And if you should, at any time, find it necessary to 44 have recourse to us, we now at once admit your " appeal, and will receive you with joy and every 44 mark of honour, when you visit us and this Holy "See."1

Such was Gregory, keeping up the simplicity of the Monk amidst all his occupations as Pope ; and what engrossing occupations were not these, even forgetting that fearful contest with tyranny and crime which cost him his life ! We have already mentioned his project of the Crusade, which, at a later period, was enough to immortalise the name of Urban the Second. As to his other labours for the good of religion in every part of Christendom, we may truly say, that at no period of the Church's existence, did the Papacy exercise a wider, more active, or more telling influence, than during the twelve years of his Pontificate. By his immense correspondence, he furthered the interests of the Church in Germany, Italy, France, England and Spain ; he aided the rising Churches of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway ; he testified his vigilant and tender solicitude for the welfare of Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, Servia, yea, even for Russia. Despite the rupture between Rome and Byzantium, the Pontiff withheld not his paternal intervention, with a view to remove the schism which kept the Greek Church out of the centre of Unity. On the coast of Africa, he, by great vigilance, succeeded in maintaining three bishoprics, which had survived the Mussulman invasion. In order to knit the Latin Church into closer unity, by greater uniformity in Prayer he

1 1075. Jaffe. Page 533. abolished the Gothic Liturgy that was used in Spainr and forbade the introduction of the Greek Liturgy, into Bohemia. What work was not all this for one man 1 And what a martyrdom he had to go through ! Let us resume our history of his trials. The Church and Society were to be saved by him ; but, like his Divine Master, he had to drink of the torrent in the way, as the condition of his mission being a successful one.

We have seen how its defenders were defeated in battle ; how he was menaced by the conqueror, who had once stood trembling in his presence ; and how there was set up, in opposition, an Anti-pope, whose side was taken by unworthy prelates. Henry marched on towards Rome, taking with him the false vicar of Christ. He set fire to that part of the City which would expose the Vatican to danger ; Gregory sent his blessing to his terrified people, and, immediately the fire took the contrary direction and died out. Enthusiasm was, for a while, the feeling of the Romans, who have so often been ungrateful to their Pontiff, without whom, their Rome, with all its glory, sinks into a poor contemptible town. Henry was afraid to consummate his sacrilege. He therefore sent word to the Romans, that he only asked one condition ; it was, that they should induce Gregory to consecrate him Emperor of Germany, and that he would for ever be a devoted son of the Church : — as to the ignoble phantom he had set up in opposition to the true pope, he (Henry) would see to his being soon forgotten. This petition was presented to Gregory by the whole City. The Pontiff made them this reply: "Too well do I know the king's " treachery. Let him first make atonement to God " and to the Church which he tramples beneath his

1 Pb. cix. 7. pasch : time. n. 2 s

"feet. Then will I absolve him, if penitent, and " crown the convert with the imperial diadem." The Romans were earnest in their entreaties, — but this was the only answer they could elicit from the inflexible guardian of Christian Justice. Henry was about to withdraw his troops, when the fickle Romansbeing bribed by money from Byzantium, (for, then as ever, all schisms were in fellowship against the Papacy,) abandoned their King and Father, and delivered up the keys of the City to him who enslaved their souls. Gregory was thus obliged to seek refuge in the Castle of Sant' Angelo, taking with him, into that fortress- prison, the Liberty of holy Church. Thence, or perhaps a few days previously to his retiring thither, he wrote this admirable Letter, in the year 1084. It is addressed to all the Faithful, and may be considered as the last Will and Testament of this glorious Pontiff.

" The kings of the earth and the Princes of the " priests have met together against Christ, the Son " of the Almighty God, and against his Apostle Peter, "to the end that they may destroy the Christian " Religion and propagate the wickedness of heresy " in every land. But, by the mercy of God, they " have not been able, with all their threats, and cruel- " ties, and proffers of worldly glory, to seduce those i4that put their confidence in the Lord. Wicked "conspirators have raised up their hands against us, " for no other reason than because we would not pass "over in silence the perils of holy Church, nor " tolerate them that blush not to make a slave of the " very Spouse of God. In every country the poorest " woman is allowed, yea, she is assisted by the law of " the land, to choose her own husband ; and yet, now- " a-days holy Church, the Spouse of God and our

1 P». ii. 2.

• Mother, is not allowed to be united to her Spouse, u aa the Divine Law commands, and as she herself " wishes. It cannot be that we should suffer the chilu dren of this Church to be slaves to heretics, adul- " terers, and tyrants, as though these were their " parents. Hence we have had to endure all manner " of evil treatment, perils, and unheard-of cruelties, " as you will learn from our Legates.

"You know, Brethren, that it was said to the " Prophet : Cry from the top of the mountain, " cry, cease not ! I, then, — urged irresistibly, laying " human respect aside, and raising my mind above " every earthly consideration, — I preach the Gospel, " I cry out, yea, I cry out unceasingly, and I make " known to you, that the Christian Religion, the true " Faith which the Son of God, who came down on " the earth as taught us by our Fathers, is in " danger of being corrupted by the violence of secular " power ; that it is on the way to destruction, and " to the loss of its primitive character, being thus " exposed to be scoffed at, not only by Satan, but by " Jews, and Turks, and Pagans. The very Pagans " are observers of their laws, though these cannot " profit the soul's salvation, neither have they been " guaranteed by miracles, as ours have been, to which " our Eternal King has borne testimony ; — they keep " their laws, and believe them. We Christians, in- " toxicated with the love of the world, and led astray " by vain ambition, we make every principle of religion and justice give way to covetousness and "pride; we seem as though we had neither law nor " sense, for we have not the earnestness our Fathers " had for our salvation, and for the glory of both the " present and future life ; we do not even make them " the object of our hopes. If there be some still left " who fear God, they only care for their own salva- " tion, and the common good seems not to concern u them. Where do we now find persons who labour

" and toil, or expose their lives by fatigue, out of " the motive of the fear or love of the Omnipotent

«God? whereas we see soldiers of this world's

"armies braving all manner of dangers for their "masters, their friends, and even their subjects! " There are thousands of men to be found who face " death for the sake of their liege lord ; but when " the King of heaven, our Redeemer, is in question, "so far from being lavish of their lives, Christians " dare not even incur the displeasure of a few scoffers. " If there be some, (and thanks to the mercy of God. " there are still a few such, left among us,)— if, we " repeat, there be some, who, for the love of the " Christian Law, dare to resist the wicked to their "face, not only are they unsupported by their " Brethren, but they are accused of imprudence and " indiscretion, and are treated as fools. t( We, therefore, who are bound, by our position. " to destroy vice and implant virtue in the hearts of "our Brethren, we pray and beseech you, in the " Lord Jesus who redeemed us, that you would con- " sider within yourselves, and understand why it is " that we have to suffer such anguish and tribulation " from the enemies of the Christian Religion. From "the day, when, by the Divine will, the Mother- " Church, despite my great un worthiness, and (as 44 God is my witness) despite my own wish, placed "me on the Apostolic Throne, — the one object of " all my labours has been that the Spouse of God, "our Mistress and Mother, should recover her just " rights, in order that she may be free, chaste, and " Catholic. But such a line of conduct must have " caused extreme displeasure to the old enemy ; and " therefore it is, that he has marshalled against us "them that are his members, and has stirred up " against us a world-wide opposition. Hence it is " that there have been used against us, and against " the Apostolic See, efforts of a more violent character

4i than any that have ever been attempted since the " days of Constantine the Great. But there is nothing 4i surprising in all this : it is but natural, that the " nearer we approach to the time of Antichrist, the 44 more furious will be the attempts to annihilate the " Christian Religion."1

These words vividly describe to us the holy indignation and grief of the great Pontiff, who, at this terrible crisis, stood almost alone against the enemies of God. He was weighed down, he was crushed, by adversity ; but conquered, no ! From the fortress, within whose walls he had withdrawn the majesty of the Vicar of Christ, he could hear the impious cheers of his people, as they followed Henry to the Vatican Basilica, where, at St. Peter's Confession, the mock pope was awaiting his arrival. It was the Palm Sunday of 1085. The sacrilege was committed. On the previous day, Guibert had dared to ascend the Papal Throne in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran ; and on the Sunday, whilst the people held in their hands the Palms that glorify the Christ, whose Vicar was Gregory, — the Antipope took the crown of the Christian Empire and put it on the head of the excommunicated Henry. But God was preparing an avenger of his Church. The Pontiff was kept a close prisoner in the Fort, and it seemed as though his enemy would soon make him a victim of his rage ; when the report suddenly spread through Rome that Robert Guiscard, the valiant Norman chieftain, was marching on towards the City, He had come to fight for the captive Pontiff, and deliver Rome from the tyranny of the Germans. The false Caesar and his fake Pope were panic-stricken ; they fled, leaving the perjured City to expiate its odious treason in the horrors of a ruthless pillage.

Gregory's heart bled at seeing his people thus

1 1084. Jaffb. Page 572. treated. It was not in his power to prevent the depredations of the barbarian troops ; they had done their work of delivering him from his enemies, but they were not satisfied ; they had come to Rome to chastise her, but now they wanted booty, and they were determined to have it. Not only was the Saint powerless to repress these marauders; he was in danger of again falling into Henry's hands, who was meditating a return to Rome, for he made sure that the people's angry humour would secure him a welcome back, and that the Normans would withdraw from the City, as soon as it had no more to give them. Gregory, therefore, overwhelmed with grief, left the Capital ; and, shaking off the dust from his feet, he repaired to Monte Cassino, where he sought shelter, and a few hours' repose, with the Sons of the great Patriarch St. Benedict. The contrast of the peaceful years he spent when a young Monk at Cluny, with the storms that had so thickly beset his Pontificate, was sure to present itself to his mind. A wanderer and fugitive, and abandoned by all, save a few faithful and devoted souls, he was passing through the several stations of his Passion ; but his Calvary was not far off, and God was soon to admit him into rest eternal. Before descending the holy Mount, he was honoured with the miraculous manifestation, which had been witnessed on several previous occasions. Gregory was at the Altar, offering up the Holy Sacrifice ; when suddenly a white dove was seen resting on his shoulder, with its beak turned towards his ear, as though it were speaking to him. It was not difficult to recognise, under this expressive symbol, the guidance which the saintly Pontiff received from the Holy Ghost.

It was the early part of the year 1085. Gregory repaired to Salerno, where his troubles and life were to be brought to a close. His bodily strength was gradually railing. He insisted, however, on going through the ceremony of the dedication of the Church of St. Matthew, the Evangelist, whose body was kept at Salerno. He addressed a few words, in a feeble voice to the assembled people. He then received the Body and Blood of Christ. Fortified with this life-giving Viaticum, he returned to the house where he was staying, and threw himself upon the couch, whence he was never to rise again. There he lay, like Jesus on his Cross, robbed of everything, and abandoned by almost the whole world. His last thoughts were for Holy Church, He mentioned to the few Cardinals and Bishops, who were with him, three from whom he would recommend his successor to be chosen ; Desiderius, Abbot of Monte Cassino, who succeeded him under the title of Victor the Third ; Otho of Chatillon, a monk of Cluny, who was afterwards Urban the Second, Victor's successor ; and the faithful Legate, Hugh of Die, whom Gregory had made Archbishop of Lyons.

The by-standers asked the dying Pontiff what were his wishes regarding those whom he had excommunicated. Here again, he imitated our Saviour on his Cross, — he exercised both mercy and justice ; "Excepting," said he, " Henry, and Guibert the " usurper of the Apostolic See, and them that con- "nive at their injustice and impiety, I absolve and " bless all those who have faith in my power, as being " that of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul." The thought of the pious and heroic Matilda coming to his mind, he intrusted this devoted daughter of the Roman Church to the care of the courageous Anselm of Lucca ; hereby imitating, (as the biographer of this holy Bishop remarks,) our dying Jesus, who consigned Mary to his Beloved Disciple John. Gregory's last blessing to Matilda drew down upon her thirty years of success and victory.

Though so near his end, yet was Gregory as full of paternal solicitude for the Church as ever he had been. Calling to him, one by one, the faithful few who stood round his couch, he made them promise on oath that they would never acknowledge Henry as Emperor, until he had made satisfaction to the Church. Summing up all his energy, he solemnly forbade them to recognise any one as Pope, unless he were elected canonically and in accordance with the rules laid down by the holy Fathers. Then, after a moment of devout recollected ness, he expressed his conformity to the Divine Will, (which had ordained that his Pontificate should be one long martyrdom,) and said : "I have loved justice and hated " iniquity : for which cause, I die in exile !" One of the Bishops who were present, respectfully made him this reply : " No, my Lord, you cannot die in exile ; "for, holding the place of Christ and the holy " Apostles, you have had given to you the Nations " for your inheritance, and the utmost parts of the " earth for your possession." Sublime words 1 — but Gregory heard them not : his soul had winged its flight to heaven, and had received a Martyr's immortal crown.

So that Gregory was conquered by death, as Christ himself had been ; but as the Master triumphed over death, so too would he have his disciple triumph. Christianity, which had been insulted in so many forms, rose again in all its grandeur. Nay, on the very day that Gregory breathed his last at Salerno, heaven seemed to give a pledge of this Resurrection ; for on that day, — the 25th of May 1085, — Alphonsus 6th entered, with his victorious troops, into the City of Toledo, and there, after four centuries of slavery under the Saracen yoke, he replanted the Cross of Christ.

But the Church had need of some one who would take Gregory's place in defending her against oppression. The need was supplied. The martyrdom of our saint was like a seed that produced Pontiffs imbued with his spirit. As he had prepared his own predecessors, he also prepared worthy successors. There are few names on the list of the Popes more glorious than those that begin with Victor the Third, (Gregorys immediate successor,) and continue to Boniface the Eighth inclusively, in whom was recommenced the struggle for which our great Pontiff so heroically lived and died. Scarcely had death put an end to his trials in this vale of tears, than victory came to the Church ; for her enemies were defeated, her sacred law of Celibacy was every where re-enforced, and the canonical election of her Bishops was secured by the suppression of Investitures and Simony.

Gregory had been the instrument used by God for the reformation of the Christian world ; and although his memory be held in benediction by all true children of the Church, yet his mission was too grand, and too grandly fulfilled, not to draw down upon him the hatred of Satan. The Prince of this world, then, took his revenge. Gregory was of course detested by heretics ; but that could scarcely be called an insult; he must be rendered odious to Catholics ; Catholics must be made ashamed of him. The devil succeeded, and, it may be beyond his expectations. The Church had passed her judgment ; but her judgment, her Canonisation, had no weight with these cowardly, temporising, half Catholics ; and they persisted in calling the Saint, simply and reproachfully, " Gregory the Seventh" Governments, styling themselves Catholic, forbade his being honoured as a Saint There were even Bishops who issued Pastorals to the same effect. The most eloquent of french Preachers declared his Pontificate and conduct to be unchristian. There was a time, and that not so very long ago, when these lines would have exposed the writer to a

1 St. John, xii. 31. heavy penalty, as being contrary to the Law of the land. The Lessons of to-day's Feast, which we give on the next page, were suppressed by the Parliament of Paris, in the year 1729 ; and those who dared to recite them, were to be punished by the forfeiture of their property. Thank God ! all this is now passed ; and the name of St. Gregory the Seventh is honoured in every country, where the Roman Liturgy is in use. Yes, this glorious name will remain now to the end of the world, on the universal Calendar of holy Church, as one of the brightest glories of Paschal Time. May it produce the same enthusiastic admiration, and bring the same blessings, upon the Faithful of these our times, as it did on our Catholic forefathers of the Middle Ages !

We will now read the Lessons of to-day's Feast wherein the Church speaks to us of the life and actions of our admirable Pontiff : we will read them with all the greater reverence, because they have been scoffed at by men, who knew not what they did?

Gregorius papa Septimus, Pope Gregory the Seventh, antea Hildebrandus, Soanse whose baptismal name was in Etruria natus, doctrina, HUdebrand, was born at sanctitate, omnique virtu- Soana, in Tuscany. He ex- tum genere cum primis no- celled in learning, sanctity, bUi mirifice universam Dei and every virtue, and ren-

Ulustravit Ecclesiam. Cum dered extraordinary service to

Earvulus ad fabri ligna edo- the whole Church of God. It ratis pedes, jam litterarum is related of him, that, when inscius, luderet, ex rejectis he was a little boy, he hap- tamen segmentis ilia Da- peued to be at play in a car- vidici elementa oraculi: penter's shop: when, gather-

Dominabitur a mari usque ing together the waste pieces ad mare ; casu f ormasse nar- of wood, he arranged them so ratur,manumpueriductante as that they formed these

Nomine, quo significaretur words of David's prophecy, ejus fore amplissimam in though the boy knew not his mundo auctoritatem. Bo- alphabet: He shall rule from

1 St Luke, xxiii. 34.

MAY 25. ST. GREG sea to sea. It was God that guided the child's hand, and would thus signify that, at some future time, Gregory was to exercise an authority that would extend over the whole world. He afterwards went to Rome, and was educated under the protection of St. Peter. He was intensely grieved at finding the Liberty of the Church crushed by Lay interference, and at beholding the depraved lives of the Clergy ; he, therefore, whilst still young, retired to the monastery of Cluny, where strict monastic discipline was then in full vigour, under the Rule of Holy Father Benedict. He there received the Habit. So fervent was he in the service of the Divine Majesty, that the holy Religious of that Monastery chose nim as their Prior. Bat divine Providence having, for the general good, destined him to a higher work, Hildebrand was taken from Cluny, and was first made Abbot of the monastery of St. Paul's {outside the walls of Rome,) and, afterwards, was created Cardinal of the Roman Church. He was intrusted with offices and missions of the highest importance, under Popes Leo the Ninth, Victor the Second, Stephen the Ninth, Nicholas the Second, and Alexander the Second. St Peter Damian used to call him the most holy and upright Counsellor. Having been sent into France, as Legate & latere, by Pope Victor the Second, mam deinde profectus, sub protectione sancti Petri educatus.est. Juvenis Ecclesi® libertatem a laicis oppressam, ac depravatas Ecclesiasticorum mores vehementius dolens, in Cluniacensi monasterio, ubi sub regula sancti Patris Benedict i austerioris vitae observantia eo tempore maxime vigebat, monachi habitum induens, tanto pietatis ardore divinsB Majestati deserviebat, ut a Sanctis ejusdem Ccenobii Patribus Prior sit electus. Sed divina Providentia majora de eo disponente in salutem plurimorum, Cluniaco eductus Hildebrandns, Abbas primum raonasterii sancti Pauli extra muros Urbis electus, ac postmodum romanse Ecclesiae Cardinalis creatus, sub summis pontificibus, Leone Nono, Victore Secundo, Stephano Nono, Nicolao Secundo et Alexandre Secundo, praecipuis muneribus et legation ibus perfunctus est, sanctissimi et purissimi consilii vir a beato Petro Damian o nuncupatus. A Victore papa Secundo legatus a latere in Galliam missus, Lugduni episcopum simoniaca labe infectum ad sui criminis confessionem miraculo adegit Berengarium in concilio Turonensi ad iteratam haeresis abjurationera compulit. Cadolai quoque schisma sua virtute compressit he, by a miracle compelled the Archbishop of Lyons to own that he had been guilty of simony. He also obliged Berengarius to repeat, at a Council held at Tours, his abjuration of heresy. The schism of Cadolaus was also repressed by his energetic measures.

Mortuo Alexandro Se- At the death of Alexander cundo, invitus et moerens the Second, he, in spite of his unanimi omnium consensu, own repugnance, and to his decimo kalendas Maii, anno great sorrow, was chosen as

Christi millesimo septua- Sovereign Pontiff, by the gesimo tertio, summus Pon- unanimous votes, on the tenth tifex electus, sicut sol efful- of the Calends of May, in the sitindomoDei: nampotens year of our Lord 1073. He tic* discipline reparandse, of God ; for, being mighty in

Ecclesise restituendae, extirpandis erroribus, et corruptelis tanto studio incubuit, nt ex Apostolorum, setate storation Linullus Pontificum f uisse tra - berty, datur, qui majores pro Ecclesia iJei labores, molest.asque pertulerit, aut qui pro ejus Hbertate acrius pugnaverit. Aliquot provincias a simoniaca labe expurgavit. Contra Henrici imperatoris impios conatus nuously fortis per omnia athleta impavidus permansit, seque pro muro domui Israel povtnere non timuit, ac eumdem ly de- Henricum in profunduui malorum prolapsum, fidelium communione, regnoque privavit, atque subditos populos fide ei data liberavit. himself to the renovation of Ecclesiastical discipline, to the propagation of Faith, to the reof the Church's and to the extirpation of false doctrines and scandals, — but, all this with so much zeal, that it may truly be said, that no Pontiff, since the time of the Apostles, ever laboured or suffered more for God's Church, or fought more strefor that same Chuich's Liberty. He drove simony out of several provinces. He, like a dauntless soldier, bra withstood the impious signs of the Emperor Henry, and feared not to set bijnself as a wall for the defence of the house of Israel ; and when that same Henry had plunged him- shone as the sun in the house fidei propaganda, libertati self into the abyss of crime,Gregory deprived him of communion with the Faithful, and of his kingdom, and absolved his subjects from their oath of allegiance.

At times, when he was saying Mass, several holy persons saw a dove come down from heaven, rest upon his right shoulder, and cover his head with its wing. Hereby was signified, that Gregory, in governing the Church, was guided by the inspirations of the Holy Ghost, and not by the suggestions of human prudence. When Rome was closely besieged by the wicked Henry's army, the Pontiff, by the sign of the Cross, quenched a conflagration that had been raised by the besiegers. When, afterwards, he was delivered from his enemy by the Norman chieftain, Robert Guiscard, Gregory repaired to Monte Cassino, and thence to Salerno, that he might dedicate the Church of St. Matthew the Apostle. After preaching a sermon to the people of that town, he fell ill, for he was worn out by care. He had the presentiment that this would be his last sickness. The last words of the dying Pontiff were these: "I have loved justice, * and hated iniquity : for " which cause,! die in exile ! " Ir numerable were the trials he courageously went through. He held several Synods in the City, and enacted regulations full of wisdom. He was, in all truth, a saintly man, an avenger of crime, and a most vigorous defender of the Church. After a Pontificate of twelve years, he left this earth for heaven in the year of

Dum missarum solemnia perageret, visa est viris piis columba e coelo delapsa humero ejus dextro insidens alis extensis caput ejus velare, quo significatum est, Spiritus Sancti atflatu, non humanae prudentise ration ibus ipsum duci in Ecclesiae regimine. Cum ab iniqiu Henrici exercitu Roma gravi obsidione premeretur excitatum ab hostibus incendium signo crncis exstinxit. De ejus manu tandem a Roberto Guiscardo duce Northmanno ereptus, Cassinumse contulit; atque inde Salernum ad dedicandam Ecclesiam sancti Matthaei Apostoli contendit. Cum aliqnando in ea ci vita te sermonem habuisset ad populum, aerumnis confectus in morbum incidit, quo se interiturum praescivit. Postrema morientis Gregorii verba fuere : Dilexi justitiam et odivi iniquitatem, propterea morior in exilio innumerabilia sunt qu» vel fortiter sustinuit, vcl multis coactis in Urbe synodis sapienter constituit, vir vere sanctus, criminutn vindex, et acerrimus Ecclesiae defensor. Exactis itaque in pontificatu annis duodecim, migravit in ccelum, anno salutis millesirao octogesimo quinto, pluribus in vita et post mortem miraculis clarus, eju*que sacrum corpus in cathedrali basilica Salernitana. est honorifice conditum. our .Redemption 1085. Many miracles were wrought by him, and through his merit, both before and after his death. His holy remains were buried, with all due honour, in the Cathedral Church of Salerno.

The following Responsories, which we select from the Office of his Feast, celebrate the struggles and triumphs of the holy Pontiff

J$. Gregorius primo tern- Gregory who was pre- pore Hildebrandus, nomen viously known as Hildebrand, ignis sortitus est, non sine received the name that signi- grandi praesagio f uturorum : fies fire, and it was a great

• Qui divini eloquii jaculo presage of his future : * For, ingruentes hostes a domo by the dart of his divine word,

Dei propulsavit. he drove from the House of

God the enemies that attacked it.

^.Nomine prsetulit in- % His name meant Jire, and cendium, quod exhibuit he fulfilled it by his burning ferventi charitate. * Qui charity. * For by the dart of divini eloquii jaculo ingru- the divine word, he drove from entes hostes a domo Dei the House of God the enemies propulsavit. that attacked it.

BJ. Cernens juvenis saecu- 19- When young, seeing the lum peccatis inveteratum, world had grown old in sin, nec inveniens ubi cor suum and finding not where his requiesceret, patrium solum heart could rest, he left his reliquit : * Et ad partes native land : * And passing

Gallorum transiens, soli Deo into France, he resolved to sub Cluniacensi disciplina serve no other master but militare decievit. God, and that under the discipline of Cluny. f. Fide egressus est de f. By faith, he went out terra sua, quaerens civitatem from his own land, looking cujus artifex et conditor for a city that had God for

Deus. * Et ad partes Gallo- builder and maker. * And rum transiens, soli Deo sub passing into France, he re-

Cluniacensi disciplina mili- solved to serve no other master tare decrevit but God, and that under the discipline of Cluny.

MAY 25. ST. GREGC

I?. The holy Pontiff Leo called unto a sbare of his own solicitude that Hildebrand who had inspired him with courage : * And by the united labours of the two, the garden of the Lord began to bloom afresh.

Hildebrand, the most holy and upright counsellor, was courageous in adversity, and temperate in prosperity. * And by the united labours of the two, the garden of the Lord began to bloom afresh.

I?r. Leo pontifex sanctus, cujus animum Hildebrandus accenderat, nunc in partem sollicitudinis vocavit : * Et amborum concordia Dominions ager jam reflorescere ccepit.

% Hildebrand us, sanctissimi et purissimi consilii, in adversis visus est fortis, in prosperis temperatus. * Et amborum concordia Dominicus ager jam reflorescere ccepit.

Rr. Pope Leo, the spiritual husbandman, was in admiration at the f ruitfulness of so rich a branch, and gave him, by the ordaining him a Levite, a fuller indwelling of Christ :* And by an order of the Apostolic See, Hildebrand was honoured with the dignity of Archdeacon of the Roman Church. f. Vigilant, day and night, for the welfare of the Church, he, though holding the last place for himself, gave wonderful aid to five Pontiffs. * And by an order of the Apostolic See, Hildebrand was honoured with the dignity of Archdeacon of the Roman Church.

I?. Spiritualis agricola, Leo pontifex, tanti palmitis feracitatem admiratus, in eo mansionem Christi per impositionem levitici ordinis dilatavit : * Et Apostolico mandato, Hildebrandus romanae Ecclesia Archidiaconus effulsit.

% Qui die noctuque saluti Ecclesiae invigUans, minori considens loco, quinque Pontificibus mirum in modum prof uit. * Et Apostolico mandato, Hildebrandus roman« Ecclesiae Archidiaconus effulsit.

I$r. At length the Roman Church called him to govern her, though it was against his wills * For he would have preferred to end his days in banishment, rather than as-

I^r. Invitum tandem Qregorium romana Ecclesia ad sua gubernacula traxit : * Qui potius voluisset vitam in peregrinatione finire, quam Petri locum pro mundi gloria conscen- cend on Peter's throne from a dere. motive of worldly glory. f. Nec sibi sumpsit ho- f. Neither did he take the norem, sed a Deo vocatus honour to himself, but, like est tanquam Aaron. * Qui Aaron, was called by God. * potius voluisset vitam in pe- For he would have preferred regrinatioue finire, quam to end his days in banishment,

Petri locum pro mundi glo- rather than ascend on Peter's

R7. Vineam Domini exer- B7. A boar from the wood cituum, quam plantavit hath laid waste the Vineyard dextera ejus, exterminavit of the Lord of hosts, which his aper de silva, et singularis right hand hath planted ; and ferns depastus est earn : * a singular wild beast hath de-

Accingere gladio tuo super voured it. * Gird thy sword f. Si Angelos judicatu- ft If thou art to judge even rus es, quanto magis ssecu- Angels, how much more the larial * Accingere gladio things of this world? * Gird tuo super femur tuum, fide- thy sword upon thy thigh, O lissime. thou most faithful one !

I?. Rex castellum ingres- B?. The King having entered

8us, deposito cultu regio, the fortress, laid aside his jejunus a mane usque ad royal robes ; and fasting from vesperam perstabat ; indu- morn till evening, clad in a tus laneis, et nudis pedibus, woollen vest, and barefooted,

• Apostolic® miserationis * He implored pardon and aid auxilium implorabat from the Apostolic See.

Qui dixerat in corde V. He that had said in his suo : Super altare Dei exal- heart : I will exalt my throne tabo solium meum, sedabo above the altar of God, Iwill sit in montetestamenti. * Apos- on the mountain of the cove- tolicae miserationis auxi- nant : * He implored pardon lium implorabat and aid from the Apostolic See.

R7. Dixit Gregorius ad Rf. Gregory said to King

Henricum regem : Ecce Henry : Lo ! here is the Body

Corpus Dominicum ; fiat ho- of the Lord : let it be, th is day, die experimentum innocen- the test of my innocence : ti» me® : * Fac ergo, fili, * Thou therefore, my Son, if ria conscendere. throne from a motive of worldly glory. femur tuum, fidelissime. upon thy thigh, O thou most faithful one 1 '

Digrfeed by

MAY 25. ST. GKEG< so it please thee, do what thou hast seen me do. f. But the King dare not to stretch out his hand, and take the Holy of holies. * Thou therefore, my Son, if so it please thee, do what thou hast seen me do.

37. When the blessea Gregory was one day celebrating the sacrifice of the Mass, a snow-white dove suddenly lighted on the holy altar ; and, nimbly flying up, * It rested on the Pontiff's right shoulder, with its wings extended. y. And so it remained until was made the mingling of the sacred mystery in the chalice. * It rested on the Pontiffs right shoulder, with its wings extended. si placet, quod me facere vidisti. f. Nec ausus est rex manum extendere, ut acciperet Sancta sanctorum. * Fac ergo, fili, si placet, quod me facere vidisti.

38. Dum beatus Gregoriua Missarum' solemnia celebraret, nivei candoris columba sacro altari protinus astitit : quae inde leviter advolans, * Supra dextrum Pontificis humerum recubuit, alis expansis.

Et tamdiu sic perstitit quousque sacri mysterii commixtio in calice fieret. * Supra dextrum Pontificis humerum recubuit, alis expansis.

19. When the blessed Gregory was suffering his last agony, he said to them that were present : I make no account of any of my trials : * In this alone have I confidence : that I have always loved justice, and hated iniquity.

And raising his eyes to heaven, he said : Thither shall I ascend, and will commend you, with earnest prayer, to the God of mercy. * In this alone have I confidence : that I have always loved justice and hated iniquity.

I^. Cum ultimi doloris iuctam inchoasset beatus Gregorius, astantibus dixit: Nullos labores meos alicujus momenti facio : * In hoc solummodo confidens, quod semper dilexi justitiam et odivi iniquitatem. jr. Et elevatis in ccelum oculis, ait : Illuc ascendam, et obnixis precibus Deo propitio vos committam. * In hoc solummodo confidens, quod semper dilexi justitiam, et odivi iniquitatem.

19. When the holy Pontiff grieved at his dying in exile, a venerable Bishop said to

*ASCfc : flME. 11.

Pontifex sanctissimus com doleret se mori in exsilio, quidam venerabilis epis- 2 T copus ait : In exsilio mori non potes, qui vice Christi et Apostolorum ejus, * Accepisti gentes in haereditatem, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.

% Dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum * Accepisti gentes in haereditatem, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae. him : Thou canst not die in exile, for, holding the place of Christ and his Apostles, * Thou hast had given to thee the Nations for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

% He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. * Thou hast had given to thee the Nations for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

We unite in one, three Hymns that celebrate the virtues and services of St. Gregory the Seventh.

HYMN.

Te triumpbanti celebramus ore, Inclytum Rom» jubar, o

Gregori ; Corde qui magno superans procellas, Littora tangis. Gaudeat coetus Benedicti patris,

Qui tot et tantos generavit orbi

Filios : nullus simili refulsit

Laude verendus. Nuntium latae ditionis adfert

Dextra ludentis pueri, do- lantem Dum secus fabrum,Dominus regente, Segmine scribit. Alta conscendas, Pater; oriaris

Sol novus mundum radiis serenans :

In hymns of triumph, we celebrate thy memory, O Gregory, thou bright ray of Rome's glory ! With a brave heart, thou masteredst the storm,and reachedst the shore.

Let the family of the Patriarch Benedict, that has given so many and such noble children to the world, — yes, let it rejoice in this its son, than whom there never lived one worthier of praise.

He, when playing, as a boy, foretold his future sway ; he wrote it with the fragments that lay beneath a carpenter's feet, and God guided his hand.

Arise then, 0 Father ! yea, rise as a new sun upon this world, and gladden it with thy beams. Thy Throne, O Pontiff, judge of the world, is to be the Chair of Peter.

Let them now hide themselves and flee, who, with hostile rage, were rushing 'gainst the flock of Christ, and had their sacrilegious weapons raised to dart them at his Church.

For lo ! there is a Shepherd come, vigilant and full of the Spirit from on high : he has the sword of the Word ; and with its power he will crush the dark plots wherewith Satan threatens our peace.

Henry, the audacious ruler of the Germans, heedless of the counsels of the holy Father, strives to fan the flame of ancient persecution.

But, thou, Gregory, didst from the holy citadel cast against the disobedient prince the thunderbolt that checked his pride. What was the haughty daring of mortal power to thee I

Then from his unworthy hands thou didst take the royal sceptre and command, and absolve his subjects from the fealty forfeited by the tyrant's crimes.

This great Pontiff was seen, by the wondering people, to receive from the Holy Ghost, who appeared under the shape of a dove, the inspirations that guided his acts.

The valiant woman, Matilda, oame to the assistance of the

Pontifex Petri sedeas cathedra, Arbiter orbis. In latebrosos fugiant recessus,

Quotquot hostili rabie furentes,

In giegem Christi satagunt nefanda

Tela vibrare. En adest Pastor vigil et superno Spiritu plenus : gladioque verbi

Conteret tetros Zabuli minan tis Fortier astus. Jam Sicambrorum dominator audax Gestit Henricus, monitis supremi Patris abscedens, veterum furorum Flare favillas. Sed reluctantem cohibes, Gregori, £ sacra fulmen jaculatus arce :

Et potestatis tumidos caducae Despicis ausus. Mox ab indignis manibus revulsa Sceptra regnantis regimen- que transfers, A fide cives relevans tyranno Jure negata. Pontifex magnus, populo stupente, Sub columbina specie, lo- quentis Spiritus Sancti documenta sensit, Actibus implet. Fortis occurrit mulier Mathildis,

Quae, Patri sum mo tribuens juvamen, Inclytae Sedis, studio fideli,

Jura tuetur. Triticum cernens loliis, scatere

Praesul, et messem manibus profanis Objici ; zelo rapiente, ssevit, Alter Elias.

Ut viam currant patriae supernse Libero gressu populi fideles, Anteit pastor, propriam paratus Tradere vitam. Murus Israel domui stetisti,

Oriminum vindex, colu- menque Romse, inter aeruninas placida, Gregori, Morte potiris. Martyres pergis prope, laureatus ; Firinus et constans, fidei tenacem, O Pater, praebes animum : triumphi Gaudia sum as. Sis memor chari gregis, et patronus, Sis ad aeternam Triadera, precamur : Cuncta cui dignas resonent per orbem Saecula laudes. Amen.

Sovereign Pontiff, and, with faithful zeal, defended the rights of the Holy See.

Perceiving that the wheat was choked with tares, and that the harvest was in the hands of worthless men, Gregory, like another Elias, was impelled by zeal to holy indignation.

That the Faithful might, with unfettered action, tread the path to their heavenly country, the Shepherd led the way, ready to give his life for his sheep.

Thou wast a wall unto the House of Israel, the avenger of crime and the pillar of Home ! But, after all thy trials, thy death, 0 Gregory, was peaceful.

Thou wearest on thy brow a laurel-wreath, like that of the Martyrs. Thy soul, O Father, was firm and true and unflinching in the faith:— well dost thou deserve a conqueror's triumphant joy.

Be mindtul, we beseech thee, of the much-loved flock, and intercede for us to the Eternal Three to whom may every age give worthy praise throughout the world's wide range. Amen.

Our Paschal joy is increased by thy triumph, O Gregory ! for in thee we recognise an image of Him who by the announcement of bis glorious Resurrection, raised the world from its fallen state. Divine Providence had prepared thy Pontificate, and made

Digitised by it an era of regeneration for Society, which was then oppressed by the tyranny of Barbarism. Thy courage was founded on confidence in Jesus' word; and nothing could daunt thee. Thy reign on the Apostolic See was one long combat ; and because thou hatedst iniquity and lovedst justice, thou hadst to die an exile. But in thee was fulfilled the prophecy, which had been spoken of thy Divine Master : If he shall lay down his life for sin he shall see a long-lived seed? A glorious succession of six and thirty Popes continued the work which thy heroism had begun : — the Church had regained her Liberty, and Might was made subservient to Righb, It was a period of triumph : it passed ; war was again declared, and has never since ceased. Kings and Emperors and Governments have rebelled against the Spiritual Power ; they have thrown off obedience to the Vicar of Christ ; they have refused to acknowledge the control of any authority on earth. The people, on their part, have revolted against their Governments, that is, against a power which has ceased to have any visible and sacred connection with God ; and this twofold Revolt is now hurrying Society on to destruction.

This world belongs to Christ, for he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords? and to him Iwuth been given all power in heaven and in earth? It matters not who they may be that rebel against him, — be they kings or be they people, they must inevitably be chastised, just as were the Jewish people who said in their pride : We will not have this Man to reign over us !A Pray, 0 Gregory, for this world which thou didst rescue from barbarism, and which is now striving to relapse into degradation. The men of this generation are ever talking lIs. Uii. 10. 3 St. Matth. xxviii. 18.

•L Tim. vi. 15. 4 St. Luke, xix 14 of Liberty ; it is in the name of this pretended Liberty, that they have unchristianised Society; and the only means now left for maintaining order, is outward violence and force. Thou didst triumph over brute force, by making the laws of Bight acknowledged and loved ; thou gavest the world what it had lost, — the Liberty of the sons of God, the Liberty of doing one's duty, — and it lasted for ages. O come, noble-hearted Pontiff ! aid this Europe of ours a second time. Beseech our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive the wickedness of them that have driven him from the world, and scoff at his threat of returning on the day of his triumph and his justice. Yes, pray him to have mercy on the thousands among us, who call themselves Christians,— and perhaps are so, — yet who are led astray by the absurd sophistry of the times, by blind prejudice, by a godless education, by high-sounding and vague words, and who call, by the name of Progress, the End for which God created them.

From the abode of peace, where thou art now resting after thy labours, look with an eye of affectionate pity on Holy Churcb, whose path is beset by countless difficulties. Everything conspires against her : — remnants of by- gone laws, that were made in times of persecution ; the phrensy of pride, which chafes at everything that favours subordination of rank or authority ; and the determination to secularise Society, by scoutinsr every element of the Supernatural. In the midst of this storm of irreligion, the Rock, on which thou, O Gregory, didst once hold the place of Peter, is furiously beaten by the waves of persecution. Pray for our Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ., Like thee, he has loved justice and hated iniquity ; and it seems as though he, too, will scourge may be turned from Rome. The followers the system ofkeepi far as possible from of Satan, as St. John prophesies in the Apocalypse, are come upon the breadth of the earthy and have encompassed the camp of the Saints, and the beloved City. This Holy City was thy Spouse, when thou wast Pontiff here on earth ; watch over her now. Disconcert the plots that are laid for her ruin. Rouse the zeal of the children of the Church, that, by their courage and generous offerings, they may labour for the noblest cause on earth.

Pray, too, for the Episcopal Order, of which the Apostolic See is the source. The Anointed of the Lord have never had greater need of thine intercession than now, when they have to contend with a world that has openly divorced itself from the laws of God and his Church. May they be endued with strength from on high ; courageous in the confession of Truth ; and zealous in warning the faithful against the errors that are now so rife against Faith and Morals. The power of the Church, in these our days, is confined to the sanctuary of the souls of her devoted children; external support is everywhere denied her. The Holy Ghost, whose Mission is to maintain the Church of Christ, will indeed assist her even to the consummation of the world ; but he does his work by instruments, and these must be men who are detached from the world, men who are not afraid to be unpopular, and men who are resolved, at every risk, to proclaim the teachings of the Sovereign Pontiff. Great, by the mercy of God, is now the number of Pastors of the Church, who are all that He would have them be, who is the Prince of Pastors, as St. Peter calls him. Pray for all, that all may, like thee, love justice and hate iniquity, — love truth and hate error ; and fear neither exile, nor persecution, nor death: — for the Disciple is not above the Master /»