From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 271-272.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
GREGORY VI.
A.D. 1044-1046.
GREGORY the Sixth, Archdeacon of St John at Port Latin, received, as we said, the chair of Benedict. But the Emperor Henry III., hearing of these miscarriages, with a 272 great army enters Italy, and calling a council, causes Benedict IX., Sylvester III., and Gregory VI. all to be deposed for so many wretched monsters, and creates Syndegerus, Bishop of Bamberg, Pope, by the name of Clement II. Yet Gilbertus, the historian, affirms this Gregory to have deserved very well of the Church, having by his authority and great spirit in a short time reasserted the dignity of the see apostolic, which had been much weakened in its powers by the negligence of some of his predecessors; for he recovered the patrimony of the Church, and first with excommunications and curses, and (when they availed not) with downright force of arms he destroyed the banditti who, lurking near the city, would cruelly murder pilgrims as they came to Rome for devotion’s sake. For this reason some wicked rogues slandered him commonly with the names of murderer, simoniac, and bloodthirsty; nay, even some cardinals would say so too, which so moved Gregory that, whilst he lay ill of that sickness of which afterwards he died, he sent for those cardinals, and rebuked them sharply for finding fault with that which was done with so much justice and honesty. And that you may know (says he) whether I have done that which is right or not, when I am dead, carry my corpse to the church doors, which first let be locked up, and if they do miraculously open, then think that I am an honest man, and worthy of Christian burial; if not, that both soul and body is damned, and you may cast out my corpse where you please. The cardinals did accordingly, and the doors were thrown open by a strong wind that rose on a sudden, and the body brought in, to the admiration of all men, and to the great reputation of his sanctity. This is the substance of what various authors write of Gregory, who sat in the chair two years and seven months during the schism.
Previous Pope: 153. Sylvester III. 154. Gregory VI. Next Pope: 155. Clement II.