Pope Sylvester II

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Reigned 999-1003; also called Gerbert. Born at or near Aurillac, Auvergne,France, about 940-950, ofhumbleparents; died atRome, 12 May, 1003. Gerbert entered the service of theChurch and received his first training in the Monastery of Aurillac. He was then taken by a Spanish count toSpain, where he studied at Barcelona and also under Arabian teachers atCordova and Seville, giving much attention to mathematics and the naturalsciences, in which he made unusual progress. FromSpain he proceeded toRome with Bishop Hatto ofVich, who had been his chieftheological instructor, andJohn XIII recommended him to theEmperor Otto I, who sent him toReims to thearchdeacon Gerannus. There he was soon appointed a teacher in thecathedralschool by Archbishop Adalbero. He undertook journeys of considerable length, e.g., toRavenna, where he held a disputation with Ortricus ofMagdeburg beforeOtto II. In 983Otto II bestowed on him the abbey ofBobbio, but theabbey was very poor and Gerbert returned toReims. He again taught the most varied branches with great success, devoted himselfzealously to study, and helped raiseHugh Capet to the throne. Adalbero wished Gerbert to be his successor, but when the former died in 988 Arnulph, a natural son of King Lothaire, was raised to thesee at the instigation ofHugh Capet. Arnulph was deposed in 991 by asynod held nearReims for alleged treason against the king, and Gerbert was elected his successor. Although Gerbert soon held a provincial synod to condemn those who had injured theproperty of the Church, and these decisions were confirmed at anothersynod held at Chela under the presidency of Robert, King ofFrance, there was much opposition to Gerbert's elevation to theSee of Reims. ConsequentlyJohn XV sent Leo,Abbot of Sts. Boniface and Alexius atRome, aslegate toFrance. On 2 June, 995, Leo held a synod at Mouson. Gerbert appeared personally to defend himself, but was temporarily suspended from his episcopal office. He sought to show that thisdecree was unlawful, but a further synod (concilium Causeiense), held on 1 July, 995, at which Gerbert was present, declared Arnulph's deposition and Gerbert's elevation illegal and invalid.

Gerbert now went to the court of the youthful EmperorOtto III, whose teacher he became and whom he accompanied toItaly for thecoronation. As the Archbishopric ofReims was not restored to Gerbert, he remained inItaly, and in 998Gregory V appointed himArchbishop ofRavenna. Gerbert attended the Roman synod before which the marital affairs of King Robert ofFrance were laid. WhenGregory V died on 18 February, 999, Gerbert was elected his successor through the influence of the emperor, and took the name of Sylvester. He was the firstFrenchpope. The new head of theChurch administered his high office with great earnestness and a profound sense of responsibility. His discourse upon the episcopal office shows what his view of the chief spiritualpastors of theChurch was ("Sermo de informatione episocoporum", P.L., CXXXIX, 169 sq.). He took energetic measures against the abuses in the life of theclergy caused bysimony andconcubinage, and was anxious that only capable men of spotless lives should receive the episcopal office. His relations withOtto III were very friendly, and he supported the emperor's politicalideas. Otto gave thepope eight Italian countships, which formerly had belonged to theStates of the Church, by a deed of gift the genuineness of which, however, is questioned (Wilmans, "Jahrbucher des deutschen Reiches unten den sachsischen Kaisen", II, pt. II, 233 sq.). At the same time the emperor declared the Donation of Constantine to be aforgery. During Otto's residence atRome in the winter of 1000-1001 Sylvester held a Roman synod on 1 February, 1001, in the presence of the emperor, at which amongst other matters the affairs of theconvent of Gandersheim were discussed. A revolt atRome directed against the emperor forced Otto and thepope to flee. Sylvester wasobliged to remain away for several months, during which the city suffered party quarrels. On 27 December he called a second synod atTodi on account of the difficulties at Gandersheim, and shortly after was present at Otto's death.

Sylvester regulated importantecclesiastical matters in various countries. Soon after his elevation to thepapacy he confirmed anew his former opponent Arnulph asArchbishop ofReims, and in theBull which he sent to him gives clearproof that he had now abandoned his earlier position in regard to the authority ofpapal decisions concerning the disputed see. Thepope established anecclesiasticalmetropolitan forPoland atGnesen, and one forHungary atGran. On 27 March, 1000, he granted the title of king to the ruler ofHungary and appointed himpapal vicar for his country. He energetically maintained church discipline in the question of the marriage of the French King Robert, andobliged the king to sendBertha away. Sylvester returned toRome soon after Otto's death, although the leaders of the different parties of nobles still retained all their power. A little later he died. His epitaph has been preserved. Besides a dogmatic treatise, "De corpore et sanguine Domini", Sylvester wrote a series of works principally onphilosophical, mathematical, and physical subjects; they are to be found in P.L., CXXXIX. He was held in high repute for his learning; the common people regarded his as a magician in league with the devil, and many legends grew up around his name. He is said to have introduced the use of Arabic figures into WesternEurope, and to have invented the pendulum clock.

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