Canonization of Henry II of Germany

1134

Innocent II canonized the long-dead Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, the only medieval ruler of Germany to be made a saint. The pope needed German support in his war against Anacletus; the German clergy needed a holy emperor. Both got what they wanted. The canonization was a masterpiece of political theology, transforming a dead emperor into a heavenly patron whose intercession could be invoked by both church and state.