Pope Victor III was described as a man of “unusual holiness” and he much preferred to remain the abbot of his beloved Monte Cassino monastery than become Pope. Reluctant and also gravely ill,Victor had a short and unremarkable Papacy. Victor is one of the few Popes to be buried outside of St.Peter’s basilica. His body is entombed in the chapter-house of Monte Cassino(where he did his greatest work),but it was briefly moved to Rome during World War II for safe keeping. Pope Victor III was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1887 and that puts him one step away from being declared a Saint.
Every Pope. Every week. 