La canonizzazione di san Bernardo di Clairvaux : Tra politica e religiosità

The monks of Clairvaux wished to have their abbot Bernard canonised together with the Irish bishop Malachy of Armagh, about whom Bernard himself had written a biography. In 1163 a delegation formed to promote these canonisations was sent to Alexander III who was in Paris. The Pope's reply was an adamant refusal on the grounds that in this circumstance there had been very numerous similar requests and he thought it would be better to postpone all of them. Furthermore, the biography Vita Bernardi presented in order to promote the canonisation was not appreciated by the pontiff. The composition of a new Vita by Alan of Auxerre and Geoffrey de la Roche was then undertaken, while Geoffrey of Auxerre continued a revision of his own text. Meanwhile in Rome, the abbot of Chiaravalle Milanes Tromundo, who was following the stages of the canonisation, realizes that the pair Bernard-Malachy was going to delay the canonisation of Bernard as the pontiff was openly against Henry II of England and not going to favour him through the canonisation of one of his compatriots. In 1173 a request for the canonisation of Bernard alone is presented and immediately accepted. On 18 January 1174, Pope Alexander III canonised Bernard in the cathedral of Anagni. The political situation had prevail religiosity and the popular piety of the Christendom, which had to wait longer than due in order to officailly venerate the mellifluous Doctor and the troubadour of Mary.