Eugene III
pope of the Catholic Church from 1145 to 1153
Feast: 8 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Bernardo of Pisa came under the influence of St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1130 and became a Cistercian, later Abbot of Tre Fontane. He was unanimously elected pope on 15 February 1145, and, driven from rebellious Rome, found refuge at Viterbo.
He called for the Second Crusade, which St Bernard preached, and was strict with unworthy clergy though gentle by nature. Peter the Venerable called him the truest friend and purest father he had known. He died at Tivoli on 8 July 1153.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia does not describe his cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Cistercian monk and disciple of St Bernard who kept his humility as pope.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Bernard of Clairvaux Saint“Bernardo of Pisa came under the influence of St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1130 and became a Cistercian, later Abbot of Tre Fontane.” — this site's research
- Peter the Venerable Saint“Peter the Venerable called him the truest friend and purest father he had known.” — this site's research
- William of York Saint“William faced opposition from the Cistercians, who after the election of the Cistercian Pope Eugene III, had William deposed in favour of a Cistercian, Murdac.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Pope Blessed Eugene III
- Wikidata Q167610 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Pope Eugene III (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.