Christ's Faithful People
Christ's Faithful People
1187 AD
Urban's death in the gloomy days when Jerusalem had just fallen left the cardinals anxious to pick a strong leader. They first wished to choose Henry of Albano, but he firmly declined and urged them to choose Albert de Mora, the chancellor of the Apostolic See. Thereupon the cardinals turned to Albert, who accepted and took the name Gregory VIII.
Albert de Mora was born in Benevento of noble parents. He was a man of learning, piety, and winning ways. He had been a Premonstratensian, but was made cardinal deacon by Hadrian IV in 1155. He served as vice-chancellor when Roland Bandinelli was chancellor, and when Roland became Pope Alexander III Albert succeeded him as chancellor of the Apostolic See. He was the last head of the papal chancery to hold the title of chancellor until the twentieth century.
Alexander III made Albert cardinal-priest and employed him in missions of the highest importance. Albert crowned Alfonso II of Portugal. He went as legate to Hungary and was sent to England to investigate the famous murder in the cathedral of St. Thomas Becket. He it was who absolved the repentant King Henry.
He was a holy man, severe with himself, but kind to others, a great foe to superstitious practices. No wonder that when Cardinal Henry of Albano proposed him, the cardinals were quick to agree.
Gregory soon showed that he grasped the key problem of the hour--the rescue of fallen Jerusalem. He realized that it was first necessary to have peace among Christians if war was to be successfully made on the infidel. He soon let it be known that there was no longer any question of excommunicating Emperor Frederick, and he tacitly ignored the causes of friction between Pope and Emperor. Frederick, now really anxious to go on a crusade, was delighted and did what he could to help the Pope have peace. These tactics of appeasement worked well for the time. Frederick did get ready to lead an army toward Palestine. The third crusade was under way.
Gregory set out for Pisa to try to put a stop to the fight between that port and its commercial rival Genoa. The Christians would need the help of both. On the way the Pope stopped at Parma where he held a council filled with the business of the crusade. It is interesting to note that this pope, usually so mild and merciful, yet ordered the bones of Octavian, the antipope Victor IV, to be thrown out of the church in Parma where they were buried.
To Pisa Gregory called the Genoese leaders and the cause of peace was making progress when a fever carried off this likable pope on December 11, 1187. His pontificate though brief was glorious. He had promoted peace among Christians; he had set in motion the Third Crusade.
