Pope Paschal II

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(RAINERIUS).

SucceededUrban II, and reigned from 13 Aug., 1099, till he died atRome, 21 Jan., 1118. Born in centralItaly, he was received at an early age as amonk in Cluny. In his twentieth year he was sent on business of themonastery toRome, and was retained at thepapal court byGregory VII, and madeCardinal-Priest of St. Clement's church. It was in this church that theconclave met after the death ofPope Urban, and Cardinal Rainerius was the unanimous choice of the sacred college. He protested vigorously against his election, maintaining, with somejustice, that his monastic training had not fitted him to deal with the weighty problems which confronted thepapacy in that troublous age. His protestations were disregarded by his colleagues, and he wasconsecrated the following day inSt. Peter's. Oncepope, he betrayed no further hesitation and wielded the sceptre with a firm and prudent grasp. The main lines of his policy had been laid by the master minds ofGregory andUrban, in whose footsteps he faithfully followed, while the unusual length of his pontificate, joined to a great amiability of character, made his reign an important factor in the development of themedievalpapal dominion.Urban II had lived to witness the complete success of his wonderful movement for the liberation of the Holy Land and the defence ofChristendom. He had died a fortnight afterJerusalem fell into the hands of thecrusaders. To continue the work inaugurated byUrban remained the fixed policy of theHoly See for many generations. Paschal laboured vigorously bysynods and journeys throughItaly andFrance to keep alive the crusading spirit. Of more vital importance was the Investiture Conflict. It was fortunate that theantipope,Guibert (Clement III), died a few months after the elevation of Paschal. Three otherantipopes, Theodoric (1100), Aleric (1102), and Maginulf, who took the name of Sylvester IV (1105), were offered by the imperialistic faction; but theschism was practically ended. Two of these pretendants were sent by Paschal to do penance inmonasteries; the third had little or no following.Henry IV, broken by his previous conflicts, had no desire to renew the struggle. He obstinately refused toabjure his claim to imperial investitures, and, consequently, was againexcommunicated, and died atLiège, 7 Aug., 1106.

His death and the accession of his son were of dubious advantage to thepapal cause; for although he had posed as the champion of theChurch, he soon showed himself as unwilling as hisfather had been to relinquish any of the pretensions of the crown. Since thepope continued to denounce andanathematize lay investitures in thesynods over which he presided, the chief of which were atGuastalla (1106) and Troyes (1107), and since Henry persisted in bestowingbenefices at pleasure, the friendly relations between the two powers soon became strained. Paschal decided to change his proposed journey toGermany, and proceeded toFrance, where he was received enthusiastically by King Philip (who did penance for hisadultery and was reconciled to theChurch) and by the French people. Henry resented the discussion of a German question on foreign soil, though the question of Investitures was one of universal interest; and he threatened to cut the knot with his sword, as soon as circumstances permitted his going toRome to receive the imperial crown. In August, 1110, he crossed the Alps with a well-organized army, and, what emphasized the entrance of a new factor inmedieval politics, accompanied by a band of imperialistic lawyers, one of whom, David, was of Celtic origin. Crushing out opposition on his way through the peninsula, Henry sent an embassy to arrange with the pontiff the preliminaries of hiscoronation. The outcome was embodied in the Concordat of Sutri. Before receiving the imperial crown, Henry was toabjure all claims to investitures, whilst thepope undertook to compel theprelates andabbots of the empire to restore all the temporalrights and privileges which they held from the crown.

When the compact was made public in St. Peter's on the date assigned for thecoronation, 12 Feb., 1111, there arose a fierce tumult led by theprelates who by one stroke of the pen had been degraded from the estate of princes of the empire to beggary. The indignation was the more intense, because therights of theRoman See had been secured from a similar confiscation. After fruitless wrangling and three days of rioting, Henry carried thepope and hiscardinals into captivity. Abandoned as he was by everyone, Paschal, after two months ofimprisonment, yielded to the king that right of investiture against which so many heroes had contended. Henry'sviolence rebounded upon himself. AllChristendom united inanathematizing him. The voices raised to condemn the faint-heartedness of Paschal were drowned by the universal denunciation of his oppressor. Paschal humbly acknowledged his weakness, but refused to break the promise he had made not to inflict any censure upon Henry for hisviolence. It was unfortunate for Paschal's memory that he should be so closely associated with the episode of Sutri. As head of theChurch, he developed a far-reaching activity. He maintained discipline in every corner ofEurope. The greatest champions of religion, men likeSt. Anselm of Canterbury, looked up to him with reverence. He gave his approval to the new orders ofCîteaux and Fontevrauld. On his numerous journeys he brought thepapacy into direct contact with the people and dedicated a large number of churches. If it was not given to him to solve the problem of Investitures, he cleared the way for his more fortunate successor.

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