Profile
Nephew of Pope Alexander II. Bishop of Lucca, Italy in 1073. Due to a dispute over imperial investiture, Anselm initially refused to accept the regalia of his office from Emperor Henry IV, but later gave in and accepted. He retired to lived as a Benedictine monk in a Cluniac monastery of Polirone in San Benedetto Po, Italy.
Recalled by Pope Gregory VII. Anselm’s canons were slack in observance of the austere life, were placed under papal interdict and excommunicated, revolted, were supported by the emperor, and drove Anselm from his see in 1079.
Anselm retired to Canossa, Italy, as spiritual director of Countess Matilda of Tuscany, and then reformed the monasteries in her lands. Supported Pope Gregory VII‘s efforts to end lay investiture. Apostolic legate to Lombardy under Pope Victor III, again settling problems caused by the lay investiture conflict. Worked against the anti-pope Guibert of Ravenna. His prayers obtained the rout of the enemies of Gregory VII.
Born
- man standing in front of an army that is in confusion
Additional Information
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Catholic Online
- Catholic Online
- Dominican Adaptations from the Catalogus Hagiographicus OP
- Kirken i Norge
- Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
- Medieval Religion Listserv, by John Dillon
- New Catholic Dictionary
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
- Pietro Liberati
- Roman Martyrology
- Santi e Beati
- Wikipedia
MLA Citation
- “Saint Anselm of Lucca the Younger“. Saints.SQPN.com. 17 March 2013. Web. 18 June 2013. <>