Born Suidger von Morsleben, he was the Bishop of Bamberg, when King Henry III nominated him as Pope, after the Council of Sutri deposed his predecessor, Pope Gregory VI. In return, Pope Clement II crowned Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor almost immediately after his election.
His papacy lasted only for 289 days, but - as incredible as that may sound - that was a longer Pontificate than that of any of the five popes before him.
In spite of the short time he was given as a pope, he was quite influential and is known as the first of a line of German-born popes who reformed the Catholic church. Choosing his name after St. Clement, who in the first century created basis of apostolic authority for the clergy, Clement II had the declared goal to return the church to its roots. His main achievement was the ban of simony, the act of selling church offices and roles. |
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