Pope Urban II (12 marzo 1088 anni – 29 lugl 1099 anni)
Descrizione:
The Appeal at Clermont
In this climate the First Crusade was called by Pope Urban II. In his eyes military action to reconquer Jerusalem and Palestine would serve several purposes. It would consolidate the unity of Western Christendom and reaffirm the primacy of the Roman Church. It would provide a vent for perpetual disputes among the upper classes. In exchange for religious and, above all, economic benefits, these would put their military expertise to work for a “noble” cause, becoming the armed wing of the church.
On November 27, 1095, before a council at Clermont, France, Urban launched his appeal. The church painted a dark picture of their foes, as those deserving of divine retribution. Foucher de Chartres, a priest who took part in the First Crusade, said that the war was necessary to defend Eastern “Christians” from Muslims. An immediate remission of sins was promised for those who died on the road or in battle. The feudal lords could thus convert their fratricidal disputes into a “holy” war against the “infidels.” At that council, a cry resounded that was to become the motto of the First Crusade: “God wills it!”
The Two Departures
Once the departure date, August 15, 1096, was fixed, the pope ensured the support of lay lords, to whom military operations were entrusted. The church guaranteed the protection of their estates for the duration of the undertaking. The less well-off were urged to finance the mission with alms.
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At Swords’ Points
In 1095 Pope Urban II called on European Catholics to take up the literal sword. Islam was to be deposed from the holy lands of the Middle East to which Christendom claimed exclusive rights.
Part 15—1095-1453 C.E.—Resorting to the Sword
Urban’s action was partially in response to a request for help from Byzantine emperor Alexius. But since relations between the Eastern and the Western parts of Christendom seemed to be improving, the pope may also have been motivated by the possibility this offered of reuniting the bickering sister churches. At any rate, he convoked the Council of Clermont, which declared that those willing to engage in this “holy” undertaking were to be granted a plenary indulgence (the remission of all penance for sin). The response was unexpectedly positive. “Deus volt” (“God wills it”) became a rallying cry in East and West.
A series of military expeditions began that covered the better part of two centuries.
The First Crusade (1096-99) resulted in the recapture of Jerusalem and the establishment of four Latin states in the East: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Tripoli. An authority quoted by historian H. G. Wells says of the capture of Jerusalem: “The slaughter was terrible; the blood of the conquered ran down the streets, until men splashed in blood as they rode. At nightfall, ‘sobbing for excess of joy,’ the crusaders came to the Sepulchre from their treading of the winepress, and put their blood-stained hands together in prayer.”
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