Milo (bishop of Trier)

Milo of Trier (d. 762 or 763) was the son of St. Leudwinus and was his successor as Archbishop of Trier and Archbishop of Reims.^[1][2] His great-uncle St. Basinus had preceded his father as Trier.^[1] He is the great-grandson of Saint Sigrada and Saint Leodegarius is his great uncle.

Early life

Milo was the son of the Leudwinus of Trier and Willigard of Bavaria.^[1][2] He was born a nobleman and later styled Count of Trier.^[2]

His brother was Wido (Gui), Count of Hornbach.^[1] Chrotrude, Duchess of Austrasia (Rotrude), was apparently his sister.^[2]

He received a monastic education as was the custom for Medieval noblemen and Milo became an ordained Benedictine monk.^[3] Prior to his ecclesiastical career, Milo also had a military career, something he had in common with his brother-in-law Charles Martel.^[3]

Archbishop of Trier

As the scion of one of the most powerful Frankish clans in Austrasia, Milo's future seemed secure.^[3] He succeeded his father as Archbishop of Trier become the third generation of his family to hold this position.^[3]

Bishop of Reims

When Charles Martel drove Saint Rigobert from Reims, Milo was appointed his successor.^[2][3]

As bishop, Milo became a controversial figure in the history of the Church.^[2][3] His avarice and fondness of earthly pleasures soon placed him in opposition with the church.^[2][3]

Milo did not lead a spiritual life and flagrantly ignored the Rules of Saint Benedict that governed his colleagues.^[2][3] He habitually used church property for his personal and political purposes, usually to indulge his illegitimate sons.^[2][3] He accumulated much of the riches of his dioceses and developed a reputation for corruption.^[2]

Accounts of Milo's time as bishop are collected in the Gesta Treverorum.

Deposition

Politically, Milo was a formidable opponent of St. Boniface's reforms of the church in the eastern Frankish Empire.^[2][3] However when Milo's own behavior invited the criticism of Pope Zachary, Boniface seized the opportunity and began a campaign to have Milo replaced.^[2]

In March 744, Boniface successfully pursued the Synod of Soissons to remove Milo as Archbishop of Trier.^[2] By that time, Milo's behavior had become so repugnant even his formidable political connections could not save him.^[2] Though he put up a lengthy resistance, Milo was deposed as bishop and replaced by Abel.

Death

Milo was killed by a wild boar in a hunting accident in Meulenwald near Trier sometime between 753 and 758.^[2][3][4]

Since the 4th century, it had been a tradition to bury the bishops of Trier in the crypt at St. Maximin's Abbey in Trier.^[4][5] However, due to his controversial life, Milo was not given this honor and was instead buried near the scene of the accident where a memorial, The Cross of Milo, was erected.^[3][4]

See also

• Order of St Benedict
• Lambertus

Notes