Church Catholic Appointed 722 Quashed 744 Name Milo Milo | Province Austrasia In office 722 | |
Diocese Treves, Rhineland-Palatinate, Austrasia (today Germany)
Reims, Rhineland-Palatinate, Austrasia (today France) | ||
Milo of Treves (d. 762 or 763) was the son of St. Leudwinus and was his successor as Archbishop of Treves and Archbishop of Reims. His great-uncle St. Basinus had preceded his father as Treves. He is the great-grandson of Saint Sigrada and Saint Leodegarius is his great uncle.
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Early life
Milo was the son of the Leudwinus of Treves and Willigard of Bavaria. He was born a nobleman and later styled Count of Treves.
His brother was Wido (Gui), Count of Hornbach. Chrotrude, Duchess of Austrasia (Rotrude), was apparently his sister.
He received a monastic education as was the custom for Medieval noblemen and Milo became an ordained Benedictine monk. Prior to his ecclesiastical career, Milo also had a military career, something he had in common with his brother-in-law Charles Martel.
Archbishop of Treves
As the scion of one of the most powerful Frankish clans in Austrasia, Milo's future seemed secure. He succeeded his father as Archbishop of Treves become the third generation of his family to hold this position.
Bishop of Reims
When Charles Martel drove Saint Rigobert from Reims, Milo was appointed his successor.
As bishop, Milo became a controversial figure in the history of the Church. His avarice and fondness of earthly pleasures soon placed him in opposition with the church.
Milo did not lead a spiritual life and flagrantly ignored the Rules of Saint Benedict that governed his colleagues. He habitually used church property for his personal and political purposes, usually to indulge his illegitimate sons. He accumulated much of the riches of his dioceses and developed a reputation for corruption.
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. However when Milo's own behavior invited the criticism of Pope Zachary, Boniface seized the opportunity and began a campaign to have Milo replaced.
In March 744, Boniface successfully pursued the Synod of Soissons to remove Milo as Archbishop of Treves. By that time, Milo's behavior had become so repugnant even his formidable political connections could not save him. 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 Treves sometime between 753 and 758.
Since the 4th century, it had been a tradition to bury the bishops of Treves in the crypt at St. Maximin's Abbey in Treves. 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.