Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor

Who they were

Henry, son of the Duke of Bavaria, was born in 973 and raised in a deeply Christian setting, taught by the canons of Hildesheim and then by St Wolfgang, bishop of Regensburg. He succeeded his father and then his cousin Otto III, becoming king of Germany in 1002 and of Italy two years later; one of his sisters married the future St Stephen of Hungary. In 1014 Pope Benedict VIII crowned him Holy Roman Emperor.

He supported the moral reform that came from the abbey of Cluny and spread through the whole Church. His marriage to Cunigunde was childless, but, unlike many rulers of the age, he refused to repudiate her, out of respect for the sacrament of marriage and love for his wife.

The miracles

The miracles examined for his canonisation are not described in the sources we have used.

Why that counted as sanctity

Henry used the highest power in Christendom to serve the reform of the Church, and kept faith with his wife when politics would have had him put her away.

Connected on this site

• Cunigunde of Luxembourg Saint Spouse
• Gisela of Hungary Blessed Brother or sister
  “985 – 7 May 1065) was the first queen consort of Hungary by marriage to Stephen I of Hungary, and the sister of Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.” — Wikipedia
• Heribert of Cologne Saint
  “He became an advisor and ally to Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor; their relationship began poorly, but strengthened over time.” — Wikipedia