When Denmark had a Catholic king

Pope St. Gregory VII to King Harold Hein of Denmark, Oct. 15, 1079: “… we congratulate you that, although placed at the furthest ends of the earth, you nevertheless vigilantly seek to find out the things that are known to belong to the observance of the Christian religion, and, because recognizing the holy Roman church to be your mother and that of all men, you desire for yourself and ask for her instructions… For your excellency ought to bear in mind that the more he stands out above and rules over the many, the more he is able by his example either to turn his subjects (which heaven forbid!) towards what is worse, or even to provoke the slothful to wise counsel. It is also needful for your prudence to reflect how perishable and how fleeting are the joys of earthly life, which, even if life is thought to last long, cannot, however, remain secure when often many misfortunes arise unexpectedly. Hence it is right above all to take heed that you should constantly direct your footsteps and set the desire of your mind toward the things that know no passing away and cannot fail those who possess them.”