From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   December 19th - Blessed Urban V, OSB, Pope (RM)   
      
   Born in Grisac, Languedoc, France, 1310; died in Avignon, France, December   
   19,   
   1370; cultus confirmed by Pope Pius IX on March 10, 1870. William   
   (Guillaume) de   
   Grimoard, later Pope Urban V, was born in a chateau and given his name by   
   his   
   godfather Elzear de Sabran. His mother, Amphelise de Montferrand, remarked:   
   "My   
   son, I don't understand you! . . . But God does."   
      
   William had a most distinguished academic career, both studying philosophy,   
   letters and law at Montpellier and Toulouse, and teaching canon law at four   
   universities: Montpellier, Toulouse, Avignon, and Paris. The Benedictines   
   pleased him. He entered the Chirac abbey and followed his vocation, which   
   included ordination as a priest. His serious smile won all hearts; his   
   diplomas   
   opened doors. He was vicar general at Clermont and Uzés. Pope Clement VI   
   appointed him abbot of St. Germain, Auxerre, in 1352, and nine years later   
   Pope   
   Innocent VI appointed him abbot of St. Victor, Marseilles, and legate to   
   Queen   
   Joanna of Naples. He retained such fond memories of St. Victor's that he   
   asked   
   to be buried there.   
      
   Popes Clement VI and Innocent VI used his services as a diplomat. The latter   
   sent him all over as papal legate to obtain the submission of the Italian   
   cities   
   and the little republics that had so clamorously broken loose and, in the   
   disorder of temporal authority, more and more contested the authority of the   
   Holy See.   
      
   William succeeded, not by the ruses of diplomats or severity, but by   
   negotiations and candor. He had no enemies. On September 28, 1362, he was on   
   a   
   papal mission to Naples when he learned that Innocent VI had died and that   
   he   
   himself had been elected pope, though he was not a cardinal. Together with   
   his   
   new name Urban, he took on his new mission without any pomp for he had a   
   horror   
   of all display. He prayed the way everyone prayed. He ate and died as the   
   common   
   folk.   
      
   He immediately began to reform the Church. Because his studies had served   
   him   
   well, he came to the aid of students with all his might, creating thousands   
   of   
   scholarships, reforming or creating new universities. He said, "The first   
   sin of   
   Christians is their ignorance." He restored churches and monasteries that   
   had   
   fallen into disorder. He made peace with Barnabo Visconti in 1364, though he   
   was   
   unsuccessful in his attempts to suppress the marauding condottieri in France   
   and   
   Italy. Through Peter de Lusignan, Urban temporarily occupied Alexandria in   
   1365,   
   but his crusade against the Turks did not succeed.   
      
   For 50 years the papacy had been based at Avignon but in 1366 Urban decided   
   to   
   bring back the papacy to Rome. Unfortunately, the French court and cardinals   
   opposed this move. Once in Rome, he set about restoring the dilapidated   
   city,   
   tightening clerical discipline, and reviving religion. The Emperor Charles   
   IV   
   was won over to a new treaty with the papacy. After Urban crowned Charles'   
   consort German Empress, Charles agreed to respect the rights of the Church   
   in   
   Germany.   
      
   Because the split church seemed to him a permanent injury to Jesus Christ,   
   he   
   made advances to the Christians of the East. Even the Greek emperor, John V   
   Palaeologus, was reconciled to Rome, in an attempt to heal the deep rift   
   between   
   the Eastern and Western Church. It is sad that the emperor was unable to win   
   over the hearts of his people to reconcile with Rome.   
      
   But many princes remained hostile. Because he knew how to live modestly,   
   Urban   
   demanded the same of his entourage. Because he did not value money, he made   
   no   
   economies and condemned the clergy who made profit and business from their   
   positions. If the goodness of Pope Urban has any defect, it is that he   
   didn't   
   hide it under his hat. He did everything in all innocence. Though he was   
   pope,   
   he remained a monk and continued to follow the Benedictine Rule.   
      
   The condottieri, led by Barnabo Visconti, were once again his implacable   
   enemies. The Perugians rose against him. The leaders of France threatened   
   the   
   stability of the Church. Sadly, Urban left Rome on September 5, 1370, and   
   returned to Avignon, despite the prediction of Saint Bridget that he would   
   die   
   an early death if he left Rome. He died less than four months later.   
      
   On Tuesday Urban had a premonition that he would not finish his mission and   
   that   
   he was not the man to reconcile the French and the British. He made them   
   remove   
   him from the Papal Palace at Avignon to his brother's house at the foot of   
   the   
   hill. He did not want to die in fine sheets. He had all the doors to the   
   street   
   opened, for many of the people whom he used to help wanted to say goodbye to   
   him   
   (Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "The sacrament or Baptism may be wanting to someone ... both in reality and   
   in   
   desire; as is the case with those who neither are baptized, nor wished to be   
   baptized: which clearly indicates contempt of the sacrament, in regard to   
   those   
   who have the use of the free-will.   
   Consequently those to whom Baptism is wanting thus, cannot obtain salvation:   
   since neither sacramentally nor mentally are they incorporated in Christ,   
   through Whom alone can salvation be obtained."   
   -St. Thomas Aquinas (Doctor, 1225-74) - "Summa Theologica"   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   "Jesus answered: Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of   
   water   
   and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"  (John 3:5)   
      
   "One body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One   
   Lord, one faith, one Baptism"  (Eph 4:5)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Prayer For and To the Holy Souls: Crown of Thorns   
      
   O Most Holy Wounds,   
   that covered Our Lord.   
   That cost Him so much suffering;   
   Have mercy on the   
   Poor Souls in Purgatory,   
   and have mercy on me,   
   a wretched sinner.   
      
   Then say 50 times:   
   Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord,   
   and let perpetual light shine upon them,   
   may they rest in peace. Amen.   
      
   O Holy Souls,   
   who left this world and   
   are awaited eagerly in Heaven,   
   have mercy on me,   
   and ask for all the   
   graces I need.   
      
   Then say 50 times:   
   Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord,   
   and let perpetual light shine upon them,   
   may they rest in peace. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)