Editing Pope Alexander II (section)

== England and William the Conqueror ==
[[File:BayeuxTapestryScene46.jpg|thumb|The [[Bayeux Tapestry]]: [[William the Conqueror]] holds a papal [[gonfalon]] with a golden cross, a gift from Pope Alexander II.]]

In 1066, Pope Alexander received an embassy from [[William the Conqueror|William]], [[Duke of Normandy]], after [[Breton–Norman war|his successful invasion]] of [[Duchy of Brittany|Brittany]]. The embassy had been sent to obtain [[Blessing in the Catholic Church|his blessing]] for William's [[Norman Conquest|prospective invasion]] of [[Anglo-Saxon England]]. Alexander gave it, along with a papal ring, a banner,<ref>Houts, Elisabeth M. C. Van, ''The Normans in Europe'', (Manchester University Press, 2000), 105.</ref> and an edict to the autonomous [[Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England|Old English clergy]] guiding them to submit to the new regime. These favors were instrumental in the submission of the English church following the [[Battle of Hastings]]. [[Eustace II, Count of Boulogne|Count Eustace]] carried his papal insignia, a [[Gonfalon|gonfanon]] with three tails charged with a cross, which [[William of Poitiers]] said was given to William I to signify the pope's blessing of his invasion to secure submission to Rome.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flags in the Bayeux Tapestry|url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/anglo-saxon/flowers/gonfanon.html|website=Encyclopædia Romana}}</ref>

William's successes in England brought the native English church into much greater control from Rome. William even agreed to Alexander's request to restore the payment of the [[Peter's Pence]], which had lapsed in the time of Edward the Confessor. At the same time, William requested that the pope send him legates, to carry out a ceremonial crowning of the king. Alexander therefore sent Bishop Ermenfried of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion|Sion]] (Sitten in Switzerland) and two "clerici cardinales" to England, who, at Eastertide 1070, presided at the coronation at Winchester.<ref>Mann VI, p. 332-333. Ralph de Diceto, ''Abbreviationes Chronicorum'', in ''The Historical Works of Master Ralph de Diceto'' I, ed. William Stubbs (London: Longmans 1876), p. 201, names them as the cardinal priests John and Peter. The latter was probably Cardinal Peter Damiani, who had been serving as legate in Germany in 1069, and then as legate in France.</ref>

The archbishop of Canterbury, [[Stigand]], however, even though he made his peace with William, was a problem for Pope Alexander. Stigand had helped to drive the legitimate archbishop, Robert of Jumièges, from his see, and usurped the archbishopric for himself; he even dared to wear Archbishop Robert's ''pallium''.<ref name="Hook1882">{{cite book|author=Walter Farquhar Hook|title=Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sYdjAAAAMAAJ|edition=4th|volume=I: Anglo-Saxon period|year=1882|publisher=R. Bentley|location=London|pages=505–506}}</ref> Additionally, he continued to hold the diocese of Winchester, of which he was the legitimate incumbent, along with the archbishopric of Canterbury.<ref>This charge, as Hook I, p. 529, points out, is hypocritical, since Archbishop Dunstan had done the same, and Pope Alexander II was currently holding both Lucca and Rome.</ref>  Five successive popes, Leo, Victor, Stephanus, Nicholas, and Alexander himself, had sent legates to England, who excommunicated Stigand. Stigand was therefore not able to crown William king, as was the right of the archbishop of Canterbury.<ref>Mann VI, p. 335, with note 1.</ref> Nonetheless, Stigand and William remained on good terms, until, during a visit of William to the continent in 1067, the Normans in England behaved with particular brutality. Stigand switched sides, and with Edgar the Atheling fled to safety in the camp of refuge in Ely. They were besieged by the Conqueror, and Stigand was captured.<ref>Hook I, pp. 521–524.</ref> Pope Alexander's legates, as instructed, demanded the deposition of Stigand, and at a general council held at Winchester after King William's coronation, the deposition was duly voted.<ref>Mann VI, pp. 334–335.</ref>

King William determined that he would not have his brother, Bishop [[Odo of Bayeux]], as his new archbishop, nor would he promote his chaplain and chancellor, Herfast. He assembled a council of bishops, abbots and other notables, in order to discuss a suitable candidate for the vacant archbishopric. After this consultation, William offered the archbishopric to [[Lanfranc]], the Abbot of the royal monastery of St. Stephen at Caen, to whom he had once offered the archbishopric of Rouen, which Lanfranc had refused. When Lanfranc also refused the see of Canterbury, the determined king sent his queen, Matilda, and his son Robert (a former pupil of Lanfranc), accompanied by a contingent of Norman nobles, to persuade him, to no avail. Abbot Herluin of Bec was called upon to exert his influence, again without result. William then ordered the papal legates to go to Normandy, and convene a council of bishops, abbots, and nobles, to prevail upon Lanfranc to accept the king's offer. Reluctantly, Lanfranc crossed to England, where he engaged in intense talks with William, who only persuaded him by invoking the recommendation which had been expressed by Pope Alexander.<ref>William of Malmsbury, "De gestis pontificum Anglorum libri quinque" [Migne, ''Patrologiae Latinae Tomus CLXXIX'', p. 1460], states: "Anno Dominicae Incarnationis millesimo septuagesimo intravit Anglicam terram Lanfrancus Cadomensis coenobii abbas, moventibus et praecipientibus Willielmo glorioso rege Anglorum, et felicis memoriae Alexandro totius sanctae ecclesiae summo pontifice."</ref> Lanfranc was finally elected by a council on 15 August 1070, the Feast of the Assumption, and consecrated on 29 August, the Feast of St. John the Baptist.<ref>{{cite book|author=Walter Farquhar Hook|title=Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zlc4AQAAMAAJ|edition=fourth|volume=II|year=1879|publisher=R. Bentley|location=London|pages=112–115; 121}}</ref>

When Lanfranc wrote to Pope Alexander and to the Archdeacon Hildebrand that they defend him against the pretensions of the archbishop of York, and that they send him the ''[[pallium]]'' as his symbol of primacy, Hildebrand wrote a letter in reply, claiming that it was not the custom to send the ''pallium'', but that the recipient come to Rome to have it bestowed; and besides, he and the pope wanted to confer personally with Lanfranc about pressing matters. In 1071, therefore, Lanfranc and Archbishop Thomas of York travelled to Rome to receive their ''pallia''.<ref>Mann VI, p. 337, with note 1. Migne, ''Patrologiae Latinae Tomus CXLVIII'' {{in lang|la}} (Paris 1853), pp. 733–734. Hildebrand was either ignorant of the tradition of the sending of the ''pallium'', or (more likely) attempting to initiate a new policy which brought archbishops into closer dependence upon Rome. There are examples of both archbishops of Canterbury and York being sent the ''pallium'' before Lanfranc.</ref>

Subsequently, Pope Alexander wrote to Archbishop Lanfranc, ordering him to see to the state of the monastery of Winchester, and expressing annoyance that he had not yet procured the release of the bishop (Stigand), perhaps out of negligence, perhaps out of disobedience, perhaps fearing punishment by King William.<ref>Jaffé, p. 592, no. 4762.</ref>