Today, in the Church, we also celebrate the Feast Day Henry II Holy Roman Emperor
He was born on May 6 973 Henry II Duke Of Bavaria and Gisela of Burgundy.
On May 14th 1004, he was crowned King Of Italy, he then returns home to begin preparing for the first of two Polish Wars when the Corrupt Polish Kings Invaded Germany, He defeated and wiped out most of the Pagan Polish Troops in 1 year.
From 1007 to 1013 he wasn’t accepting the fake peace treaties of the Pagan King Boleslaw I, which Boleslaw broke three times, on the final time he had to recognize Henry II as overlord.
So Henry II defeated Pagan Poland.
On 14 February 1014 Pope Benedict VIII Crowned Henry II Holy Roman Emperor.
A 4 Year War, the 4th and Final War With Poland wasn’t easy, it led into winter and both Boleslaw and Henry had excellent Armies but cities they captured were so well naturally fortified they had many stalemates and when winter hit, winter illness began to kick in and hurt the soldiers.
When Henry was crowned King Of Italy, relations with Byzantium broke down further, especially after Otto I and Emperor John I Tzimiskes both died, also family relations to me, things went south when John’s nephew Basil was put on the throne. It went further south with Henry, but he led another military campaign to Italy to stop the rise of the Byzantine Power in Italy by orders of the Holy Father. It didn’t do much.
He strictly enforced Celibate Clergy and Religious, because he and the empress also took the vow of being celibate. He helped to build monasteries, especially one, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaufungen_Abbey
“Henry II wished to become a monk, and in virtue of his imperial power he ordered the Abbot of Verdun to accept him in his monastery. Thereupon, the Abbot ordered him, in virtue of the vows he had professed, to continue the administration of the empire. Henry II fulfilled his duties in the spirit of humility and service, being convinced that temporal power was given by God for the good of the people.”
He also persuaded Benedict VIII to add the Filioque into the Nicene Creed
He also founded the Diocese Of Bamberg
Returning to Magdeburg, Germany from southern Italy to celebrate Easter, Henry II fell ill in Bamberg. After celebrating Easter, Henry retired to his imperial palace in Göttingen. He died there on 13 July 1024 at the age of 51, after suffering from a chronic, painful urinary infection.
Empress Cunigunde arranged for Henry to be interred at Bamberg Cathedral.
