A Brief History of St. Louis IX of France and the Seventh and Eighth Crusades

     St. Louis IX was king of France during the thirteenth century, reigning from 1226 until his death in 1270. [1] [2]  The son of King Louis VIII, he was born in 1214 and became king when he was only twelve on account of the sudden death of his father. [3]  From a young age, St. Louis IX sought to live a life of holiness, and as king he devoted much time to prayer, cared for the poor and the sick, and sought to advance justice for all. [4] [5]  In 1234, he married Marguerite of Provence, who became the mother of eleven children and who was among his closest advisers. [6] [7]  Moreover, he established commissions throughout France in order to provide local government for his subjects. [8]

     In 1244, St. Louis IX became gravely ill with a malady which threatened to take his life. [9]  During this time of distress, he vowed that if God granted him the grace of recovery, he would go on a crusade. [10]  After several years of preparation, this expedition, the Seventh Crusade, set out toward Egypt on 25 August 1247 with Jerusalem as its final goal. [11] [12] [13]  Despite displaying great bravery and capturing Damietta, his army was unable to make significant progress against the Muslim forces and was struck by illness, which affected St. Louis as well. [14]  He endeavored to negotiate with the Muslims; however, his army was tricked into surrendering by a rumor which was deliberately started by the Muslims. [15]  They proceeded to capture St. Louis and his army, executing all of the sick soldiers and a significant number of the healthy men. [16]  Through his skill in negotiating, St. Louis persuaded the Muslims to free him and his army if he would give them Damietta. [17]

     Returning to France, St. Louis spent some time in his home country, but felt compelled to embark upon another crusade. [18]  He began preparations for the Eighth Crusade in 1267, planning to attack Jerusalem by first proceeding through North Africa. [19] [20]  His army landed in Tunisia on 17 July 1270, but was unfortunately struck by the plague a short while later. [21]  St. Louis himself became afflicted with the disease and died on the 25th of August 1270, after having received the Last Sacraments. [22]

     From a military standpoint, the Seventh and Eighth Crusades were highly unsuccessful.  They accomplished very little and were never able to reach the Holy Land, the ultimate objective of King St. Louis IX's army.  Their primary relevance comes not from any strategic accomplishment, but rather from the holiness and dedication of the man who led them.  Although those without faith will see the efforts of St. Louis IX in these wars as a complete failure, they are a glorious success from a spiritual perspective.  For St. Louis was fighting not for himself, nor for any temporal cause, but rather for God.  The life of St. Louis IX, and in particular his dedication to the cause of liberating the Holy Land, is summarized beautifully in these words from Christ the King: Lord of History: "He never saw the earthly Jerusalem, the goal of so many of his efforts, but he entered gloriously into the heavenly Jerusalem, which he had always served." [23]

Endnotes

[1] M. Cecilia Gaposchkin, ed., and Sean L. Field, ed., The Sanctity of Louis IX: Early Lives of Saint Louis by Geoffrey of Beaulieu and William of Chartres, translated by Larry F. Field (Ithaca, NY; and London, England: Cornell University Press, 2014), Introduction, 2.
[2] Anne W. Carroll, Christ the King, Lord of History (Rockford, IL: TAN Books and Publishers, 1994), 184.
[3] The Sanctity of Louis IX, Introduction, 2.
[4] The Sanctity of Louis IX, 73.
[5] Christ the King, Lord of History, 182.
[6] The Sanctity of Louis IX, Introduction, 3.
[7] Christ the King, Lord of History, 182.
[8] Christ the King, Lord of History, 182.
[9] The Sanctity of Louis IX, Introduction, 6.
[10] The Sanctity of Louis IX, Introduction, 6.
[11] The Sanctity of Louis IX, Introduction, 6.
[12] John Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church through the Ages (New York, NY; and Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 133.
[13] Christ the King, Lord of History, 183.
[14] Christ the King, Lord of History, 183-184.
[15] Christ the King, Lord of History, 183
[16] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184.
[17] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184.
[18] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184
[19] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184
[20] The Catholic Church through the Ages, 133.
[21] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184.
[22] Christ the King, Lord of History, 184.
[23] Christ the King, Lord of History,  184.

Image I: Georges Rouget, Mise of Amiens, 1264, 1820 (Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France). At http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2015/08/24/st-louis-ix-king-of-france-august-25th/.

Image II: Charles Henry Niehaus and W.R. Hodges, Apotheosis of St. Louis, 1904-1906 (St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO). At https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-louis-of-france/.