Saint Henry II

Holy Roman Emperor
(972–1024)

Saint Henry II, born in 972, was the last ruler of the Ottonian dynasty and one of the greatest of the medieval Holy Roman Emperors. He was the son of Henry the Quarrelsome, Duke of Bavaria, and grew up receiving an excellent education under the bishop of Regensburg, with whom he studied theology and philosophy alongside the subjects appropriate to a prince. His education gave him not only a love of learning but a deep and personal faith that would shape his entire reign.

He became Duke of Bavaria in 995 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1002, following the death of Emperor Otto III without direct heirs. His reign was marked by constant military campaigns to maintain the unity of the empire against both external enemies and internal rebellion, and in these campaigns he showed considerable military skill and political wisdom. But his deepest concern was always the spiritual welfare of his realm and the reform of the Church.

He founded the diocese of Bamberg in 1007, endowing it richly and building there a cathedral of great beauty that became his favourite residence and the place of his burial. He reformed monasteries throughout his territories, supporting the reforming movement emanating from Cluny, and he worked closely with Pope Benedict VIII, whom he met at Rome in 1020, in the cause of ecclesiastical renewal. He was a devoted friend of the monastic life and at one point considered retiring to a monastery, from which ambition he was dissuaded by the Abbot of Saint Vanne.

He and his wife Cunigunde, who is also venerated as a saint, lived in what is believed to have been a celibate marriage, though this tradition is debated by historians. Together they built churches, endowed monasteries, and devoted the resources of the empire to the service of God and the Church. Henry died on July 13, 1024, at the castle of Grona near Göttingen. He was canonised in 1146 by Pope Eugenius III. His feast is celebrated on July 13th.