When we had entered the Church of Saint Peter [in Rome], we met, before the altar, men of Wibert, the pseudo-Pope, who, with swords in their hands, wrongly snatched the offerings placed on the altar. Others ran up and down on the roof of the church, and from there threw stones at us as we were prostrate praying. . . .To me this story sums up medieval Europe better than any other: the chief church of western Christendom is divided between the followers of two rival popes, who fight over offerings left at the altar and throw stones at the followers of the other pope when they try to worship.
In one of the towers of the church were Lord Urban's men, who carefully guarded it in fidelity to him,and withstood their adversaries as well as they could. We were very grieved when we saw such a great atrocity committed there, but we earnestly wished for nothing to be done except as punishment by the Lord.
Nothing can be done by mere men to solve the problem, so the whole thing is left up to God to sort out. Meanwhile, life goes on, you just have to dodge the rocks.
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