The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-05-19
HILDEBRAND.

The eleventh century was one
of the darkest periods in the his
tory of the Church of God. For
six long centuries Christianity
had been busy endeavoring to
weld into strong religious units
the barbarian hordes that swept
down from Northern Europe and
sealed the fate Of Rome in 476.
These peoples gradually had been
civilized and Christianized. Old
habits, customs, and traditions,
inherited from the coarseness of
northern paganism, frequently
came to the surface. Princes and
kings of the day, realizing the
vast power exercised in a spirit
ual sense by Christian prelates,
came by degrees to invest these
prelates with temporal power.
Kings learned through experience
that when all their efforts failed
to quell insurrection and rebellion
frequently of a religious nature
the Bishops possessed an effec-
tive weapon in the power Of ex-
communication. Thus gradually
were the prelates Of the Church
endowed with political power,
lands, and all that these things
implied.
In the course Of time, however,
as is wont with human nature,
abuses crept in. To such an ex-
tent did the evils spread that not
rarely kings presumed to confer
spiritual power upon prelates by
the imposition of ring and crozier.
This gave rise to the great abuse
called lay investiture. From time
to time the Popes raised their
voices in vain to stem the trend
of evils that followed from such a
practice. Their efforts, sporadic
or continued, proved, generally
speaking, Intellectual.
In the latter half of the elev-
enth century the Emperor of Ger
many, Henry w, had reached the
climax in this evil practice.
Warned repeatedly of the danger
incurred, the naughty sovereign
feared not to scorn admonition
and threat. The immortal Hide
brand, under the name of Gregory
VII, now assembled the throne Of
Peter. Shorn, practically speak
ing, of human assistance, sur
rounded by enemies, with treason
and treachery rampant in the
rank and file Of the Church,
Gregory looked with sorrow upon
the scenes Of moral and spiritual
desolation. Standing alone in the
midst of world of depravity,
Gregory presents possibly the
most heroic figure amongst all the
heroic characters who have graced
the Papal throne since the days Of
Peter himself. Strong in his faith
in God, possessed of an iron will,
unalterably attached to- the great
virtue of justice, the indomitable
Gregory hurls the thunderbolt of
accommodation and Of deposit
ton against the German Emperor.
The Christian world stood aghast
at such intrepidity. Weaklings in
the Church trembled, whilst enc
mics without ragged. The super
cilious sheer that curled upon the
royal lips quickly vanished as the
unhappy Henry toppled from his
throne. The whole Christian
world shuddered at Gregory act
of supreme courage. The powers
OF evil were let loose upon his de-
voted head, but the immortal Hill
debrand, like Horace's just man,
stood fearless and intrepid
amidst the destruction.
On the twenty-fifth day of May
every Catholic should experience
emotions of pride, gratitude, and
consolation. For on this day the
Church commentaries the men,
Dry OF the great Hildebrand, or
st. Gregory VII. His life and ac-
lions prove that even in these
dark and stormy days Christ was
ever with the Church, and that
the gates Of hell will never, no,