St. Gregory VII

St. Gregory VII was born Hildebrand of Sovana in the 11th century in Italy. Before becoming Pope in 1073, St. Gregory VII was an advisor to eight popes. As pope, he wrote official letters and decrees to mend divisions and scandals within the Church, earning him the reputation of a pope willing to reform for the good of the Church. Some of these decrees were on topics such as the healing of the Schism of 1054 with the Eastern Church and the challenges of clergy being appointed by political figures. Gregory VII was one of the first popes to utilize papal supremacy to universally solve issues throughout the Church. In 1085, after fleeing an antipope, Pope Gregory VII died in exile in Salerno. He wasn’t canonized until 1728, but his contributions are recognized today as instrumental in Church history.