Archbishop of Canterbury, born Pavia, Italy, c.1005;died Canterbury, England, 1089. After a liberal education in England, he went to Normandy and entered the monastery at Bec, where he opened a famous school. An opponent of the doctrines of Berengarius, he succeeded in having the Catholic doctrine defined at the Lateran Council, 1059. He obtained the papal dispensation for the marriage of William, Duke of Normandy, to Matilda of Flanders, and after William's invasion of England, 1066, Lanfranc was made Archbishop of Canterbury. He secured the primacy of the See of Canterbury over that of York, helped reform the Church in Scotland, and prevented many ruptures between the king and pope over the question of tithes. In the struggle over investitures, he consistently upheld the rights of the Church. Lanfranc probably advised the king to name William Rufus his successor, and he subsequently made constant efforts to check the evil deeds of the latter.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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