Ancient Diocese of Viborg
Encyclopedia
The former Roman Catholic diocese of Viborg, in Denmark existed from 1065 to the Protestant Reformation
. It was created from the Diocese of Ribe.
, the town of Aalborg
, and the hundreds of Fleskum, Hornum
, Hellum
, Hindsted, Aars
, Gislum, and Slet
in the Aalborg County
. The hundreds of Gjerlev, Onsild, Nörhald, and Stövring in the Randers County also belonged to the Diocese of Viborg until 1396 when they were transferred to the Diocese of Aarhus.
The diocese was founded in 1065 after the death of Bishop Vale. It was originally a suffragan of the archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen until 1104, when the Diocese of Lund
was elevated to an archdiocese and became its metropolitan. Herbert was first Bishop of Viborg (1065-1100?). In 1080 St. Canute endowed the bishopric and chapter. The latter consisted of Canons Regular of St. Augustine. Bishop Svend I (1106–1112) was drowned in the Elbe
by the Count of Stade, and Eskild (1112–33), who began rebuilding the cathedral about 1130, was murdered during Matins
in the Church of St. Margaret by command of King Eric Emun. Svend II (1135–51) was succeeded as provost of the chapter by Willo, and he by St. Kjeld or Ketil (d. 27 September 1150).
Bishop Niels I (1153–91) was very generous towards his chapter. He founded the hospital of St. Michael, Viborg, in 1159, and the Cistercian nunnery of Asmild in 1169, and finished the original Romanesque cathedral, of which only the crypt now remains. It is also largely due to him that St. Kjeld was beatified, and his body translated to the shrine, suspended from the vaulting of his chapel on 11 July 1189.
Bishop Gunner was one of the greatest men of his time. He was born in 1152 and educated at the University of Paris
, where he acquired a great knowledge of law. In 1208 he entered the Cistercian Abbey of Öm (Cara Insula), of which he was chosen abbot in 1216. In 1222 he was elected Bishop of Viborg by the chapter on the advice of Cardinal Gregory of Crescentia. As bishop he devoted special care to the training of the clergy. He probably wrote out the Law of Jutland (Jydske Lov) and composed the original preface to it, and was present when it was published at Vordingborg
in 1241. He died at Asmild, 25 August 1251, and was buried in front of the shrine of St. Kjeld.
Thorleif Olafssön (1438–50) was translated to the Diocese of Bergen, and was succeeded at Viborg by Canute Mikkelsen (1451–78), dean of the Church of Our Lady at Copenhagen, and rector of the University of Erfurt
in 1434. A diplomatist and jurist, he was author of the Latin notes appended to the first two editions of the Law of Jutland and of a popular treatise on the plague. The last Catholic bishop was Jörgen Friis (1521–36). He was a worldly- minded man and quite unable to cope with the movement to which the preaching of Hans Tausen
at Viborg (1525) gave rise. In 1530 Viborg Cathedral
was in the possession of the Protestants. Friis retired to Hald Castle, where he was imprisoned in his own dungeon in 1536. Two years later he was released on promising to submit to the new order of things. In 1540 he was endowed with the lands of the Abbey of Vrejlev and some of the property of the see, and though he never married, he led the life of a lay nobleman until his death in 1547.
Though the Danish Reformation began at Viborg, certain Catholic usages were kept up in its cathedral longer than anywhere else in Denmark. The shrines of St. Kjeld and St. Willehad were removed to the choir of the cathedral in 1538, but Lutheran ministers continued to recite daily the Office of the Dead for the soul of King Eric Glipping (d. 1286) from 1560 to 1630. The Protestant Bishop Hans Wandal shortened and Protestantized the service and entrusted its performance to the senior curate of the cathedral and twelve of the school boys. These all benefited by the endowment, and continued the service until 1684.
Of the twelfth-century cathedral nothing remains but the crypt. The upper church built in 1876 contains frescoes by Joachim Skovgaard begun in 1895 and a seven-branched candlestick from 1494. The abbey church of Grinderslev, the Church of St. Botolph, at Aalborg, and numerous village churches are memorials of the Catholic past. At Karup there was a pilgrimage to Our Lady's Well. The chapter of the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Kjeld was secularized in 1440, after which it consisted of a dean, an archdeacon, a precentor, and twelve secular canons. There were also at Viborg the Benedictine
nunnery of St. Botolph, a Franciscan
friary from 1235, and a Dominican
friary from 1246, as well as the hospitals of St. Michael and of the Holy Ghost. At Aalborg there were a Benedictine nunnery and a Franciscan friary. The Cistercian Abbey of Vidskild (Vitae Scola) founded in 1158, the Augustinian abbey at Grinderslev founded before 1176, and the Augustinian nunnery of Asmild were all situated in the diocese, as were also the Benedictine (?) nunnery of Sibber, and the hospitals at Tesdrup and Karup.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. It was created from the Diocese of Ribe.
History
Ir comprised the Viborg CountyViborg County
Viborg Amt is a former county in the north-central part of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The county was abolished on 1 January 2007, when most of it merged into Region Midtjylland...
, the town of Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
, and the hundreds of Fleskum, Hornum
Hörnum
Hörnum is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the southern headland of the island of Sylt...
, Hellum
Hellum
Hellum is a small town in the municipality Slochteren. It has approximately 600 inhabitants. It has the oldest church in the municipality, which was built in approximately the year 1100....
, Hindsted, Aars
Aars
Aars is a Danish town with a population of 8,010 in the Himmerland area on Jutland. Administratively, it is located in Region Nordjylland in the Vesthimmerland municipality...
, Gislum, and Slet
Slet
Slet is a suburb of Aarhus in Denmark....
in the Aalborg County
Aalborg County
Aalborg County is a former province in Denmark, located in north-eastern Jutland around the eastern approach to the Limfjord. Aalborg County was established in 1793 and abolished in 1970 when it merged with Hjørring County forming the new North Jutland County.The region belonged to Himmersyssel...
. The hundreds of Gjerlev, Onsild, Nörhald, and Stövring in the Randers County also belonged to the Diocese of Viborg until 1396 when they were transferred to the Diocese of Aarhus.
The diocese was founded in 1065 after the death of Bishop Vale. It was originally a suffragan of the archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen until 1104, when the Diocese of Lund
Diocese of Lund
-External links:* from Nordisk Familjebok, in Swedish...
was elevated to an archdiocese and became its metropolitan. Herbert was first Bishop of Viborg (1065-1100?). In 1080 St. Canute endowed the bishopric and chapter. The latter consisted of Canons Regular of St. Augustine. Bishop Svend I (1106–1112) was drowned in the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
by the Count of Stade, and Eskild (1112–33), who began rebuilding the cathedral about 1130, was murdered during Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
in the Church of St. Margaret by command of King Eric Emun. Svend II (1135–51) was succeeded as provost of the chapter by Willo, and he by St. Kjeld or Ketil (d. 27 September 1150).
Bishop Niels I (1153–91) was very generous towards his chapter. He founded the hospital of St. Michael, Viborg, in 1159, and the Cistercian nunnery of Asmild in 1169, and finished the original Romanesque cathedral, of which only the crypt now remains. It is also largely due to him that St. Kjeld was beatified, and his body translated to the shrine, suspended from the vaulting of his chapel on 11 July 1189.
Bishop Gunner was one of the greatest men of his time. He was born in 1152 and educated at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, where he acquired a great knowledge of law. In 1208 he entered the Cistercian Abbey of Öm (Cara Insula), of which he was chosen abbot in 1216. In 1222 he was elected Bishop of Viborg by the chapter on the advice of Cardinal Gregory of Crescentia. As bishop he devoted special care to the training of the clergy. He probably wrote out the Law of Jutland (Jydske Lov) and composed the original preface to it, and was present when it was published at Vordingborg
Vordingborg
Vordingborg is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Masnedø, and covers an area of 621 km². It has a total population of 46,600...
in 1241. He died at Asmild, 25 August 1251, and was buried in front of the shrine of St. Kjeld.
Thorleif Olafssön (1438–50) was translated to the Diocese of Bergen, and was succeeded at Viborg by Canute Mikkelsen (1451–78), dean of the Church of Our Lady at Copenhagen, and rector of the University of Erfurt
University of Erfurt
The University of Erfurt is a public university located in Erfurt, Germany. Originally founded in 1379, the university was closed in 1816 for the next 177 years...
in 1434. A diplomatist and jurist, he was author of the Latin notes appended to the first two editions of the Law of Jutland and of a popular treatise on the plague. The last Catholic bishop was Jörgen Friis (1521–36). He was a worldly- minded man and quite unable to cope with the movement to which the preaching of Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen , the protagonist of the Danish Reformation, was born at Birkende on Funen in 1494 and died in Ribe in 1561.- Life :...
at Viborg (1525) gave rise. In 1530 Viborg Cathedral
Viborg Cathedral
Viborg Cathedral, Our Lady Cathedral is the site of one of Denmark's most important historic churches located in the town of Viborg in northern Jutland...
was in the possession of the Protestants. Friis retired to Hald Castle, where he was imprisoned in his own dungeon in 1536. Two years later he was released on promising to submit to the new order of things. In 1540 he was endowed with the lands of the Abbey of Vrejlev and some of the property of the see, and though he never married, he led the life of a lay nobleman until his death in 1547.
Though the Danish Reformation began at Viborg, certain Catholic usages were kept up in its cathedral longer than anywhere else in Denmark. The shrines of St. Kjeld and St. Willehad were removed to the choir of the cathedral in 1538, but Lutheran ministers continued to recite daily the Office of the Dead for the soul of King Eric Glipping (d. 1286) from 1560 to 1630. The Protestant Bishop Hans Wandal shortened and Protestantized the service and entrusted its performance to the senior curate of the cathedral and twelve of the school boys. These all benefited by the endowment, and continued the service until 1684.
Of the twelfth-century cathedral nothing remains but the crypt. The upper church built in 1876 contains frescoes by Joachim Skovgaard begun in 1895 and a seven-branched candlestick from 1494. The abbey church of Grinderslev, the Church of St. Botolph, at Aalborg, and numerous village churches are memorials of the Catholic past. At Karup there was a pilgrimage to Our Lady's Well. The chapter of the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Kjeld was secularized in 1440, after which it consisted of a dean, an archdeacon, a precentor, and twelve secular canons. There were also at Viborg the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nunnery of St. Botolph, a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friary from 1235, and a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friary from 1246, as well as the hospitals of St. Michael and of the Holy Ghost. At Aalborg there were a Benedictine nunnery and a Franciscan friary. The Cistercian Abbey of Vidskild (Vitae Scola) founded in 1158, the Augustinian abbey at Grinderslev founded before 1176, and the Augustinian nunnery of Asmild were all situated in the diocese, as were also the Benedictine (?) nunnery of Sibber, and the hospitals at Tesdrup and Karup.