JULY 29 is the feast day of St. Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary. However, in times past, it was also the feast day of
BLESSED POPE URBAN II (+1099).
Urban was born Odo, or Eudes, and kept that name up to his consecration
into the papacy. He was a French man who was both abbot of Cluny and
bishop of Ostia. As pope (1088-1099), he had to deal with anti-pope
Clement III, the infighting of the various Christian countries and the
incursion of the Moslems into Europe. He was
the pope who initiated the First Crusade in 1095. At the same time, he
supported the Spanish in their ongoing fight with the Moors. At the same
time, he was obligated to fight simony, lay investitures and clerical
marriages.
“Let no one be
chosen in order of succession unto the episcopacy except one who has
been found living religiously in sacred orders. Moreover, we call sacred
orders the diaconate and the priesthood.”
Council of Benevenuto, 1091
Recent Comments