Saint Arialdo (c. 1010 – June 27, 1066) is a

Christian saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

of the eleventh century. He was assassinated because of his efforts to reform the

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

ese

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

Life

Arialdo was the child of a noble family, born at ''Cutiacum'' (

Cucciago Cucciago (Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about south of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,205 and an area of 5.0&n ...

), near

Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

. After studying in

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, he was made a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

in the cathedral city of Milan. According to Andrea da Parma, abbot of San Fedele di Strumi, who wrote a ''Vita'' concerning Arialdo, the church in Milan was rife with immoral clerics, fornicating, sleeping with prostitutes, lending money, and selling indulgences. According to Henry Charles Lea marriage was commonplace among the Milanese clergy.Lea, Henry Charles. ''An Historical Sketch of Sacerdotal Celibacy in the Christian Church'', J.B. Lippincott, 1867
/ref> Together with Bishop of Lucca Anselmo da Baggio (later Pope Alexander II), Arialdo headed the

pataria The ''pataria'' was an eleventh-century Catholic movement focused on the city of Milan in northern Italy, which aimed to reform the clergy and ecclesiastic government within the city and its ecclesiastical province, in support of papal sanctions ...

, a movement that sought to reform Milan's simoniacal clergy. Due to this, he was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

by the Bishop of Milan

Guido da Velate Guido da Velate (also Guy or Wido) (died 1071) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1045 until his death, though he had simoniacally abdicated in 1067. He had been chosen as successor to Aribert by the people in opposition to the choice of the noble ...

Pope Stephen IX Pope Stephen IX (, christened Frederick; – 29 March 1058) was the Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 3 August 1057 to his death on 29 March 1058. He was a member of the Ardenne-Verdun family, who ruled the Duchy of Lorra ...

removed the excommunication and Arialdo returned to Milan to continue his efforts towards reformation. In 1069 the Pope sent Peter Damiani as legate to attempt a resolution. The issue then became less a matter of clerical conduct than the authority of Rome over Milan. Damiani was able to demonstrate that the city's beloved patron

St Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Aria ...

had acknowledged the precedence of the papacy. Eventually, these endeavours lead to bishop Guido da Velate's excommunication. While traveling to Rome, Arialdo was set up by emissaries of Guido and killed.

Veneration

Ten months after the assassination, his body was found in

Lago Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the List of lakes of Italy, second largest lake in Italy and the List of lakes of Switzerland, largest in southern Sw ...

(allegedly in a perfect state of preservation, and emitting a sweet odour). It was carried to Milan and exposed in the church of St. Ambrose from Ascension to

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

. Subsequently, Arialdo's body was interred in the church of St. Celsus, and in the following year, 1067,

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform mo ...

declared him a

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

References

External links

*
Archdiocese of Milan
at the

Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

Sant' Arialdo di Milano

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arialdo 1010s births 1066 deaths People from the Province of Como 11th-century Italian clergy 11th-century Christian saints 11th-century Christian martyrs Medieval Italian saints

Life

Veneration

See also

References

External links