Heribert of Cologne
Encyclopedia
Saint Heribert was Archbishop of Cologne and Chancellor
of Emperor Otto III
, and was canonized c. 1074.
, the son of Hugo, count
of Worms. He was educated in the school of Worms Cathedral
and at the Benedictine Gorze Abbey
in Lorraine
. He returned to Worms Cathedral to be provost
and was ordained a priest in 994.
In the same year Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy
and four years later also for Germany
, a position which he held until Otto's death on 23 January 1002. Heribert accompanied Otto to Rome
in 996 and again in 997, and was still in Italy when he was elected Archbishop of Cologne. At Benevento
he received investiture and the pallium
from Pope Sylvester II on 9 July 999, and on the following Christmas Day he was consecrated at Cologne
.
In 1002, he was present at the death-bed of the emperor at Paterno
. While returning to Germany with the emperor's remains and the imperial insignia, he was held captive for some time by the future Henry II
, whose candidacy he at first opposed, but whom he served faithfully subsequently.
In 1003 Heribert founded the Abbey of Deutz
on the Rhine, at a strongpoint that controlled the western entry to the city of Cologne; when he died in Cologne on March 16, 1021, he was buried in his abbey church.
during his lifetime, and was canonized by Pope Gregory VII
in about 1074. His reported miracle
s included ending a drought; he is thus invoked for beneficial rain
s.
His relics were kept in the abbey church at Deutz in a golden reliquary
, which is now preserved in the parish church of Neu-St.Heribert in Köln-Deutz
.
His feast day is celebrated on 16 March, his private feast day on 12 October.
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of Emperor Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
, and was canonized c. 1074.
Life
He was born in WormsWorms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, the son of Hugo, count
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
of Worms. He was educated in the school of Worms Cathedral
Worms Cathedral
Cathedral of St Peter is a church in Worms, southern Germany. It was the seat of the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Worms until its extinction in 1800.It is a basilica with four round towers, two large domes, and a choir at each end...
and at the Benedictine Gorze Abbey
Gorze Abbey
Gorze Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Gorze in the present arrondissement of Metz-Campagne, near Metz in Lorraine. It was prominent as the source of a monastic reform movement in the 930s.-History:...
in Lorraine
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. He returned to Worms Cathedral to be provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
and was ordained a priest in 994.
In the same year Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and four years later also for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a position which he held until Otto's death on 23 January 1002. Heribert accompanied Otto to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 996 and again in 997, and was still in Italy when he was elected Archbishop of Cologne. At Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
he received investiture and the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
from Pope Sylvester II on 9 July 999, and on the following Christmas Day he was consecrated at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
In 1002, he was present at the death-bed of the emperor at Paterno
Paterno
Paterno may refer to:* Paterno, Basilicata, Italy* Paternò, Catania, Sicily, Italy* Paterno Calabro, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy* The Paterno, a Manhattan apartment building* Monte Paterno, a mountain-People:...
. While returning to Germany with the emperor's remains and the imperial insignia, he was held captive for some time by the future Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
, whose candidacy he at first opposed, but whom he served faithfully subsequently.
In 1003 Heribert founded the Abbey of Deutz
Deutz Abbey
Deutz Abbey was a house of the Benedictine Order located at Deutz, now part of Cologne as Köln-Deutz, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
on the Rhine, at a strongpoint that controlled the western entry to the city of Cologne; when he died in Cologne on March 16, 1021, he was buried in his abbey church.
Veneration
Heribert was already honoured as a saintSaint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
during his lifetime, and was canonized by Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
in about 1074. His reported miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s included ending a drought; he is thus invoked for beneficial rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
s.
His relics were kept in the abbey church at Deutz in a golden reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
, which is now preserved in the parish church of Neu-St.Heribert in Köln-Deutz
Köln-Deutz railway station
Köln Messe/Deutz is a railway station in Deutz, Cologne, a right-Rhenish district of the city of Cologne, Germany. It is situated close to the River Rhine and via the Hohenzollernbrücke, just a several hundred metres away from Köln Hauptbahnhof, the city's main station...
.
His feast day is celebrated on 16 March, his private feast day on 12 October.
External links
- Heribert von Köln (with picture of shrine)