Why did Bernard of Clairvaux criticize Pope Innocent II and the Roman Curia?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux criticized Pope Innocent II and the Roman Curia because he believed they were failing to uphold the integrity and spiritual mission of the Church. In a letter to the Pope, Bernard expressed the view that justice was vanishing within the Church and that episcopal authority was becoming corrupt.1

Specifically, Bernard argued that:
* The power of the keys—the spiritual authority to bind and loose—was being undermined.1
* Bishops were increasingly unable to address or punish wrongs and misdeeds within their own dioceses, a failure he attributed directly to the influence and administration of the Pope and the Roman Court.1

Bernard, who acted as a confidant to several popes and a mediator during times of papal disunity, viewed it as his duty to rebuke leadership when he felt the Church’s moral and spiritual standards were being compromised. His criticisms reflected his broader commitment to monastic ideals and his belief that the Church should prioritize spiritual leadership over temporal power.1