Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/June 8 2007

Saint William of York, (d. 1154) also known as William FitzHerbert, William I FitzHerbert and William of Thwayt, was an English bishop and Archbishop of York. He is unique in having been Archbishop of York twice, both before and after his rival Henry Murdac.

A native of York, William was born William FitzHerbert, son of Herbert, chancellor and treasurer of King Henry I. His mother was Emma, half-sister of King Stephen and granddaughter of William the Conqueror.

By 1127 William held the lucrative post of Treasurer of the Cathedral of York, and in 1141 he was elected Archbishop. His main rival for the position was Henry Murdac, a Cistercian monk. Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to recognize William's election due to allegations of simony (the acquisition of church positions by bribery) and of interference by King Stephen. In 1143, Pope Anastasius IV said that William would be confirmed in office if he was able to refute the allegations by oath from himself and the Dean of York. A papal legate subsequently found William innocent, and consecrated him as archbishop.

As Archbishop, William undertook a number of significant reforms, and became quite popular with the people of York. His position became unstable, however, with the rise to power of Pope Eugene III, a Cistercian. English Cistercians renewed their attacks on William, and when he traveled to Rome to obtain his pallium (which he had not received earlier from Cardinal Hincmar), he was suspended from office for an alleged irregularity in the appointment of the Bishop of Durham, his subordinate. It was possibly the influence of Saint Bernard that led to William's suspension, and William was required to obtain an in-person refutation of the old charges by the Dean of York, who had now become the Bishop of Durham. William took up residence with one of his friends, the King of Sicily. His suspension prompted his supporters in England to attack Fountains Abbey which was Murdac's territory, an act which allowed William's enemies to successfully call for his permanent suspension. Murdac became Archbishop in his place.

However, the Pope died before William had received his pallium, and the new Pope rescinded the appointment. Murdac was then appointed Archbishop.

Within a few years however, both Murdac and the new Pope had died, so William traveled to Rome (via Sicily) to plead with the new Pope for re-appointment to the position of Archbishop. William returned to England, devoting himself to prayers in Winchester. After the death of both Pope Eugene and Henry Murdac, however, he successfully appealed to the new Pope, Anastasius IV, for his position to be restored. According to legend, on his return to York, while crossing the Ouse Bridge in York in triumphal procession, the bridge collapsed, yet no one was killed.

However, after less than a month back in York, William died, on June 8th 1154 –allegedly due to poison administered in the chalice at Mass. He was buried in York Minster and within a few months of his death miracles began to be attributed to his intervention and in 1223 a sweet-smelling oil flowed from his tomb. On June 8th 1227 he was canonized by Pope Honorius III.

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