BONIFACIO di SAVOIA, blessed. — Born in the castle of Ste-Hélène-du-Lac in 1207 to Count Tommaso I and Margherita di Ginevra. Having entered the Grande Chartreuse of Grenoble, he was elected bishop of Belley in 1232. In 1241, through the intervention of Queen Eleonor of England, his niece, he was transferred to the archbishopric of Canterbury. The election was confirmed in 1243 by Innocent IV, and in 1244 B. went to England, where he was ordained deacon and priest by the bishop of Worcester. In 1245 he was consecrated bishop at Lyon by Pope Innocent IV and obtained his support for the settlement of the very serious debts of the Church of Canterbury. Returning to England in 1247, he was enthroned on All Saints’ Day in 1248. To remedy the numerous abuses of the English clergy, he undertook a pastoral visitation of his entire archdiocese and tenaciously sustained long struggles against the bishops and chapters. In 1258 he convened a council at Merton to affirm the rights of the English Church, especially in the election of bishops. At the same time, the barons were forcing the kings to swear to the Provisions of Oxford, while B., in agreement with the barons in demanding that the king respect the pacts set forth in the Magna Charta, was elected head of the Council for the reform of the kingdom. Since the radical barons, however, demanded reforms and changes, he separated from them and was subsequently compelled to withdraw from all involvement in public affairs and take refuge in France. In 1265, with the victory of Henry III, he was able to return to his see, but, exhausted by his labors, on 20 October 1268 he took leave of the king and retired to his native Savoy. On 14 July 1270 he died in the castle of Ste-Hélène-des-Millières, leaving a reputation for great simplicity and purity of conduct and for great generosity toward the poor.
Gregory XVI, on 1 September 1838, confirmed the title of blessed, by which B. had always been invoked, and approved his cult. His feast is set for 29 July.