Saint Anselm of Canterbury

“Many things are asked of God, and are not obtained; what is asked of Mary, is obtained, not because She is more powerful, but because God decreed thus to honor Her, that men may know that she can obtain all things from God.”

He significantly contributed to the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows through his writings that emphasized Mary’s suffering and compassion at the foot of the Cross. His influence helped shape the veneration of Mary as a Mother who deeply shared in the pain of Her Son.

Anselm was born of noble parents in Aosta, Italy, around 1033. His father had little religious influence but his mother was pious and impressed her instructions upon him. As such, she chose to send him to a Benedictine school where he became a great Latinist.

In his youth, he felt a profound calling to the monastic life but his father forbade it, and as such, he suffered disappointment and severe illness, along with his mother’s early death.

At 23, he left home and wandered France and Italy for several years living a carefree life.

While in Normandy, he met the Benedictine prior Lanfranc who, along with the Archbishop, recognized his intellectual gifts, patience, gentleness, and teaching skill and Anselm became his disciple.

He was ordained, and from the age of 27, the Rule of Saint Benedict reshaped his thought.

When Lanfranc was called away to England, he was elected as prior, and after 15 years, he became Abbot.

Fame of the monastery grew from his intellectual achievements, good example, and loving, kindly discipline. It became the European center of monastic learning while he also defended the abbey’s independence from lay and archiepiscopal control.

Lanfranc had become archbishop of Canterbury and sought Anselm to assist after Normans conquered England. Upon Lanfranc’s death, King William II refused to appoint a successor and took the Church lands and funds.

Anselm reverted to his monastery and did not want to return to England, but in 1092, he was persuaded for the creation of a new monastery.

The king grew gravely ill and sought Anselm because of his reputation for confession and last rites. William nominated him as Archbishop against his will, but accepted on the condition the king return lands and funds to the Church which was reluctantly agreed upon.

Following the Great Schism, the king moved forward with Anselm’s consecration without Church approval.

Anselm managed to free Canterbury from submission to the king and received papal recognition. This clashed with the king’s desire for control and led to his exile and Church property confiscation.

The king was killed while hunting and the youngest brother, Henry, quickly secured the throne and invited Anselm’s return. Ansel refused to violate Canon law and would not pay homage to Henry as ordered. Still, Anselm supported Henry’s claim against his older brother.

Anselm established Gregorian Reform and obtained resolution against the British slave trade. He journeyed to Rome to resolve issues but refused to return. Henry again requested him and as such, restored the seized churches, agreed to not tax clergy, and renounced the right of kings to invest the bishops. The rights of the Church against the king were strengthened and Anselm returned.

Several years later, on his deathbed, he expressed content. He died on Holy Wednesday, April 21, 1109.

He has been declared a Doctor of the Church.

He is the patron saint of theologians and philosphers.

His feast day is April 21.

For God’s Glory.

The Complete Works of Saint Anselm in PDF for free download: