Edmund Stsurnamed Rich

Edmund, St., surnamed Rich (1170-1240), a noted Archbishop of Canterbury. His mother Mabel was very ascetic, and from her he imbibed a strong taste for an ascetic and mystic life. He was born at Abingdon. Many stories are told of his enthusiastically religious character; for instance, that he solemnly betrothed himself to our Lady by putting a ring upon the finger of her statue, and that his asceticism was so great that he seldom went to bed. After studying in Paris he lectured in Oxford in Logic and Philosophy, and then turning to theology he paid a second visit to Paris. He gained as great a reputation as preacher as he already possessed as lecturer. It was against his desire that in 1234 he became Archbishop of Canterbury, and in the quarrels that took place between the king and the nobles he acted as mediator, not hesitating, however, to keep the king up to the mark in fulfilling the promises he had made in confirmation of the Charter. St. Edmund boldly withstood the Papal claims where he considered them to override national rights; but the Pope was too strong for him, and he finally took refuge at Pontigny and at Poissy, where he died. His winning manners and pure, upright life caused him to be admired by his contemporaries.