Henry (973–1024)

Biography

He was crowned Emperor of the West in the year 1014. People called him Henry the Pious, as he sought with all his might to spread Catholicism. He supported everything that contributed to evangelization. His wife Cunegonda, an exemplary woman, helped him a lot. One day when he was advised to treat certain rioters cruelly, he responded what he firmly believed: “God did not give me the authority to make people suffer, but to try to do the greatest good possible.” He deservedly earned the love and veneration of his subjects. Those who exercise authority can be saints. Let us pray for them so that they know how to serve as Saint Henry did.