Saint William of York

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This article is about St. William, Archbishop of York, England. See also Saint William for other saints with this name.

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. H William, a native of York, is said to have been the nephew of King Stephen and great-grandson of William the Conqueror. William became a priest, and rose rapidly through the ecclesiastical hierarchy until he was elected by a majority of the Chapter as Archbishop of York in 1142. His main rival for the position was Henry Murdac, a Cistercian monk. Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to recognise 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 confirmedf 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 him, and when William travelled 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 had 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 and destroy an abbey led by Henry Murdac, an act which allowed William's enemies to successfully call for his suspension to become a permanent removal from office. Murdac became Archbishop in his place.

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 the restoration of his position. According to legend, on his return to York, his crossed the River Tweed in a triumphal procession; due to the adulating crowds following him, the bridge collapsed, yet no one was killed.

Only a short time—often reported to have been only 30 days—after returning to power, however, William died. His death was unexpected enough that some have claimed he was poisoned, although no proof of this has been presented. He is buried in York Minster and was regarded as a martyr. Miracles were reported at his tomb. He was canonized in 1227 by Pope Honorius III.

His feast day is June 8, although his cult (veneration) is largely local to York. Traditioanl iconography and windows often depict William's crossing of the Tweed; some iconography shows him crossing in a boat. William's coat of arms traditionally depict seven mascles (lozenges).

A St. William's College exists in York, next to the Cathedral. The college was established between 1465 and 1467 with the permission of King Edward IV as the home for chancery priests of the Cathedral. [1]

[edit] External links

• Information on St. William's College, York, and iconography of William
• Information on St. William
• [*Information of St. William from Catholic Forum

Religious Posts
Preceded by: Thurstan	Archbishop of York 1143–1147	Succeeded by: Henry Murdac
Preceded by: Henry Murdac	Archbishop of York (2nd Enthronement) 1153–1154	Succeeded by: Roger de Pont L'Evêque

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