Sunday, December 19, 2010

December 19 -- Blessed Urban V

Blessed Urban V (1310—1370) was a Benedictine and doctor in Canon Law.  He taught at Montpellier and Avignon, and was elected Pope in 1362.

He shunned the prevalent worldliness of his day by living the Benedictine rule in exemplary fashion, wearing his habit most of the time. 

Blessed Urban patronized learning and founded many institutions of higher learning, as well churches and libraries.  He made sure students were supplied with food and lodging as well as the best books and professors.

With the assistance of St. Bridget of Sweden, Blessed Urban fought to return the Papacy to Rome.  From personal experience, he knew how much harm the Avignon papacies were doing to the Church.

In Rome, Blessed Urban also tried to restore the unity of the spiritual and temporal rulers of the day.  The Empress was crowned by him, and the King of Cyprus, Queen Joan I of Naples and the Byzantine Emperor John V paid him homage. 

Blessed Urban knew the importance of true Catholic elites working together with the clergy to lead the people to God.

Today we are fighting one of the greatest moral battles in all of history. Where are the true Catholic leaders? Where are the good Catholic role models? Which Catholic schools teach our youth to fight the errors of modern society? 

May Blessed Urban V, through Our Lady’s intercession, give us discernment to see through the falsehoods of our society; to study how to oppose them by a thorough knowledge of Catholic doctrine. May we see the difference between true and false Catholic elites.

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