This Blog Discusses How the First Crusade sparked and Why Alexios asked Pope Urban II for help.
Pope Urban II & Beginning of the Crusade
When the First Crusade was launched, Pope Urban II was 60 years old. What inspired him to give the speech at Clermont? Was it his faith, or was it for his ambitions?
Even if this was for religious purposes, he had to convince the peace-loving religious people to launch the most violent war sequels in the history of humankind.
The death count is still not confirmed, but historians are sure that there is at least a twice death count than the Vietnam war.
Can you imagine what a series of wars bring to humans? Even when it is in the name of religion, it gets only death to mortals. We are the same mortals who think that Immortal gods might be enjoying the achievements we do on the battlefield.
Pope Urban II was born to a noble family; his diplomatic mindset helped him gather an audience to hear him.
At first, he thought that he could only gather 100 Knights. Still, when he saw the opportunity and announced his intentions at Clermont, thousand first joined his campaign.
But no god offered him a platform or place from where he could reveal his intentions. He had to gather this audience by himself.
What challenges Pope Urban II had to face before November 1095?
- Stable Control over Roman Lateran Palace.
- Securing a seat at Papal authority.
- Uniting Greeks and Latins.
- Preaching in the regions of North Alps.
- Increase his influence beyond Central Italy.
Urban II became the Pope in 1088. He still faced challenges to control Rome’s Lateran Palace.
Rome’s Lateran Palace was the place where Roman Cathedral Church is located. It was also used for the residence of Popes until the 14th Century.14
From 1088, it took him six years to secure the seat of Papal Authority. It is Pope Supremacy that grants the unblocked and universal power over the Church. In the Medieval era, Churches were more or equal influential than the Kingdoms that were settled in the name of Christ.
How a Spark of the idea came in Pope Urban II
It was 1095 when Urban II had the authority over the Ecclesiastical council.
In the Ecclesiastical council, Bishops gather to discuss their views on theological and organizational matters.
At that time, Byzantine Ambassadors came to Pope Urban II on behalf of King Alexios I Komnenos, a Great Byzantine Emperor. The latter controlled the internal civil wars about the governance that was happening within the Great Eastern Empire.
The substantial taxation he implemented made the treasuries in Constantinople so fat that he restored the authority of the Byzantine empire.
Even when he enjoyed this authority, he still faced challenges from the Muslim Turks, and their raids made him restless.
He wanted Urban II to dispatch the Latin forces for helping him to repeal the threat he was sensing by the Muslim Turks.
When Ambassadors came to Pope Urban II for the appeal demanded by Alexios, he saw an opportunity to unite both the Latins and Greeks.
Pope Urban II realized the importance of Unity far earlier than any other Christian living in Europe. He started the execution of his ideas.
For him, helping the Alexios was equivalent to defending the Eastern Christendom. With this, he wouldn’t just have improved relations with the Greek Churches. Still, also, he saw the opportunity of expansion of Roman Churches authority.
For himself, it is none less than a massive opportunity to increase his name and influence beyond central Italy.
Executions of Crusade Plans
It was July 1095, when he started preaching at the North Sides of Alps and started stating about the Major Church council.
He visited the Old and New monasteries to preach and went to the regions near his former house. He impacted that people support the Roman Cathedral Church and ultimately blessed by God himself if people support him.
He was already a holy figure during preaching so that people could follow his words blindly in the name of faith.
At first, his ideas for the Major Church council were unclear, but later, he revealed his concept of Holy war for the Holy Land.
27th November 1095
This was the day. At the Clermont when the crowd gathered to hear his speech. He had two men beside him for this expedition purpose:
- A Prominent Provençal churchman and the Papacy supporter. Adhémar, bishop of Le Puy,
- southern France’s wealthiest and most powerful secular lord. Count Raymond of Toulouse,
there weren’t just a few warlords, Common men, Ambassadors, and Kings were there, but also there were at least,
- 12 Archbishops
- 80 Bishops
- 90 Abbots
gathered there to hear his speech.
What was Pope Urban II speech,
What exactly happened after this speech was discussed in Next Blog.
