Vatican City, Sep 23, 2009 / 08:50 am
Pope Benedict XVI traveled by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo to Rome for Wednesday’s general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, where he called on all Christians to imitate St. Anselm of Canterbury's example of love for the truth and constant thirst for God.
This year, Benedict XVI recounted, marks eleven centuries since the death of Anselm. Known also as Anselm of Aosta and Anselm of Bec, the saint was born in the northern Italian town of Aosta in 1033. The eldest son of a noble family, his mother gave him a Christian etew experiences and was drawn to the Abbey of Bec by the fame of its prior, Lanfranco of Pavia. There, at the age of 27, he embraced the monastic life. Three years later Lanfranco was appointed abbot of Caeny, and Anselm became the prior of Bec.
The Pope added that in his new role, Anselm “was very demanding with himself and others in monastic observance, but rather than imposing discipline he sought to make people follow it by persuasion.” Instead of resorting to authoritarian methods, Anselm preferred to give them “a 'healthy' measure of freedom,” Benedict XVI summarized.
When Lanfranco of Pavia was appointed as archbishop of Canterbury, England, he asked Anselm to help him in educating the monks. Later, when Lanfranco passed away in 1093, Anselm succeeded him as archbishop.