Pope Gregory VII

Pope Gregory VII (; 1020–May 25, 1085), born Hildebrand (Italian: Ildebrando di Soana), was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 158th Pope from April 22, 1073 until he died in 1085. "List of Popes,"  Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-12-1.

Early life
Hildebrand was born in Sovana in Tuscany.  As a youth, he became a Benedictine monk."Pope St. Gregory VII," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-12-1.  

In Rome, Hildebrand became the chaplain of Pope Gregory VI.  When Gregory VI abdicated and went into in exile in Germany, Hildebrand went with him.

Cardinal
Pope Leo IX raised Hildebrand to the rank of Cardinal in 1049.

 Pope 
Cardinal Hildebrand was elected pope on April 22, 1073; and he chose to be called Gregory.Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. (1838).  "Gregory VII," Penny cyclopaedia, Vol. 11, pp. 444-446. 

Pope Gregory was involved in Italian and European political disputes.

After his death
Pope Gregory died an exile in Salerno. His last words were: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I [now] die in exile." ("Dilexi iustitiam et odivi iniquitatem propterea morior in exilio")..Douglas, J. James Dixon. (1992). "Gregory VII," Who's Who in Christianity, p. 288.  

Gregory was recognized as a saint in 1728..

Gallery

Related pages
 List of popes

References

Other websites


   "Gregory VII", Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911
  Catholic Hierarchy, Popes in sequence
  Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church ,  Cardinal Ildebrando 

Category:Italian popes
Category:1020 births
Category:1085 deaths
Category:Benedictines