St. Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor:
1033-1109 A.D.
Feast day, April 21
Birth and early life
St. Anselm of Canterbury was born to noble French parents in Aosta, northern Italy, ca. 1033 A.D. His parents were Gundolf and Ermenberga from an old Burgundian family. Deeply infuenced by his pious mother Ermenberga, Anselm asked that he be admitted to a monastery when he was 15 years of age. However, Gundolf, Anselm's father, was opposed to this desire of his son, and the abbot of the monastery, who was also well aware of that opposition, refused to admit Anselm. Unable to enter the monastery, Anselm lost interest in religion and began to lead the life of a carefree young nobleman.
Studies and entrance to the Bec Monastery
When Anselm's mother passed away, Anselm left home in 1056 A.D. to move to Burgundy, France, where he studied. He entered a school at Bec in Normandy, France in 1059 A.D. While at Bec, St. Anselm learned of his father's death and this left his soul torn between returning to Italy to manage the estates he inherited from his father, or entering a monastery - a youthful desire since he was fifteen. However, Archbishop Maurillus of Rouen advised Anselm to become a monk. Anselm acted upon the good counsel of the Archbishop and entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec. Anselm was 27 years of age when he entered. After three years in the Bec Monastery, the abbot Lanfranc was transferred to St. Stephen's in nearby Caen. Anselm was thus appointed prior of the Bec Monastery.
Elevation to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury
Anselm was named abbot of Bec in 1078 A.D., a position that required him to visit England and inspect the abbey property there. In 1092 A.D., the English clergy elected Anselm archbishop of Canterbury, a position that was left vacant since the death of Lafranc - who had been archbishop since 1070 A.D. At the time of Anselm's elevation to the position of archbishop, there was great strife between King William and the Church. The issue at hand was the Church's independence from the State. Because of this strife, St. Anselm was exiled several times. In exile, and unable to return to England, St. Anselm found a quiet retreat in a monastery in Italy. It was here that he resumed his writing (the Monologion, and then Proslogion). He completed his work Cur Deus Homo, in which he explained the wisdom, justice, and necessity of the Incarnation.
The Regional Council of Bari
St. Anselm attended the regional Council of Bari in 1098 A.D. He contributed well to the reconciliation between the Eastern and Western churches over the Filioque question: whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father only (as the Greek Church claimed), or whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son (as the Latin Church claimed). St. Anselm's discourse on this question helped the Church under Pope Urban II to resolve the issue. Aside from the Filioque question, the regional Council also denounced King William for simony, for persecuting Anselm, for oppression of the Church, and for personal depravity. Only entreaties from St. Anselm prevented the Pope from excommunicating the King. When King William passed away, he was succeeded by King Henry I. As with King William, the strife between Anselm and the English royal head, continued in the reign of King Henry I. This matter was again referred to the pope.
Preeminent theologian, "Father of Scholasticism" and Doctor of the Church
Though preoccupied for many years with defending the Church's right against the English kings, St. Anselm was also a preeminent theologian and has been called "the Father of Scholasticism". His Monologion speaks on the existence of God, and his Proslogion deduces God's existence from man's notion of a perfect being. Among his other writings are: De fide Trinitatis, De conceptu virginali, De veritate, Liber apologeticus pro insipiente, and many other letters, prayers, and meditations.
St. Anselm of Canterbury died on Wednesday of Holy Week, April 21, 1109 A.D., in his seventy-sixth year. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. In 1720 A.D., St. Anselm was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI. The Church celebrates his feast on April 21.
References of this article
- Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
- The Doctors of the Church vol 2, by John F. Fink
- A Year With the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
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