Victor II

Who he was

Gebhard, a kinsman of Emperor Henry III, was made Bishop of Eichstätt at twenty-four and became the emperor's most trusted adviser. After the death of Leo IX, Hildebrand asked for him as pope; he accepted only when Henry promised to restore the lands taken from the Holy See, and he was enthroned on Maundy Thursday 1055, keeping his diocese.

What he is remembered for

He carried on the fight against simony and clerical concubinage, holding a large synod at Florence in 1055. He was with Henry III when the emperor died in 1056 and, given charge of the six-year-old Henry IV, made sure of the boy's succession. He died at Arezzo and was buried in Ravenna.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-14): Pope Victor II