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Why had the archbishopric of Canterbury been vacant before St. Anselm of Canterbury’s appointment?
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St. Anselm of Canterbury
St. Anselm of Canterbury (center), terra-cotta altarpiece by Luca della Robbia; in the Museo Diocesano, Empoli, Italy.
The archbishopric of Canterbury remained vacant following the death of Lanfranc in 1089 because King William II Rufus intentionally kept the see empty to confiscate its revenues and pillage its lands for his own financial gain.1
This period of vacancy ended in 1093 when the king, fearing death during an illness, finally named St. Anselm of Canterbury to the position.1