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'''Adalbert''' (born ''Vojtěch''; c. 956–April 23, 997) was a high-born Czech who served his faith as a bishop of Prague and a Benedictine monk. In spite of his efforts, he was martyred during his mission to convert the Baltic Prussians—a mission that had been instigated by the king of Poland [[Bolesław I the Brave]]. For his service to the Catholic Church, he was was posthumously honored as the [[patron saint]] of [[Bohemia]], [[Poland]], [[Hungary]], and [[Prussia]]. His feast day is celebrated on April 23.
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'''Adalbert''' (born ''Vojtěch''; c. 956–April 23, 997) was a high-born Czech who served his faith as a bishop of Prague and a [[Benedictine]] [[monk]]. In spite of his efforts, he was martyred during his mission to convert the Baltic Prussians—a mission that had been instigated by the king of Poland Bolesław I the Brave. For his service to the Catholic Church, he was was posthumously honored as the patron [[saint]] of [[Bohemia]], [[Poland]], [[Hungary]], and [[Prussia]]. His feast day is celebrated on April 23.
 
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{{toc}}
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
===Early Life===
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===Early life===
Vojtěch was born into the noble family of Prince Slavnik and his wife Střezislava in Libice nad Cidlinou, Bohemia.<ref>The prince had no shortage of heirs, as Vojtěch had five full brothers: Soběbor (Slavnik's next-of-kin), Spytimir, Pobraslav, Porej, Caslav and a half-brother Radzim Gaudenty (from his father's liaison with another woman).</ref> As was common at the time, Radzim and Vojtěch, two of the prince's sons, were groomed for ecclesiastical careers.<ref>The phenomenon of courtier-bishops is discussed at length in Jaeger's article, with specific mention of Adalbert on p. 300 (ff. 26).</ref> Of the two, Vojtěch was an exceptionally well-educated man, having studied for about ten years (970-80) in Magdeburg under Saint [[Adalbert of Magdeburg|Adalbert]], who so impressed his young pupil that he chose to take his mentor's name at his confirmation. Gifted and industrious, though lacking in an overarching goal or vision, Adalbert Vojtěch completed his studies and took up the carefree life of a man of arms (ca. 980).<ref>Baring-Gould, 311; Farmer, 3. A more complete account of his illustrious family's history can be found in the ''Chronica Boëmorum'', accessible online (in the original Latin) at [http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00000683/images/index.html?seite=2 Monumenta Germaniae Historica].</ref>
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Vojtěch was born into the noble family of Prince Slavnik and his wife Střezislava in Libice nad Cidlinou, Bohemia.<ref>The prince had no shortage of heirs, as Vojtěch had five full brothers: Soběbor (Slavnik's next-of-kin), Spytimir, Pobraslav, Porej, Caslav and a half-brother Radzim Gaudenty (from his father's liaison with another woman).</ref> As was common at the time, Radzim and Vojtěch, two of the prince's sons, were groomed for ecclesiastical careers.<ref>The phenomenon of courtier-bishops is discussed at length in C. Stephen Jaeger's article, "The Courtier Bishop in Vitae from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century." Speculum 58 (2) (April 1983): with specific mention of Adalbert on page 300 (ff. 26).</ref> Of the two, Vojtěch was an exceptionally well-educated man, having studied for about ten years (970-80) in Magdeburg under Saint Adalbert of Magdeburg, who so impressed his young pupil that he chose to take his mentor's name at his confirmation. Gifted and industrious, though lacking in an overarching goal or vision, Adalbert Vojtěch completed his studies and took up the carefree life of a man of arms (ca. 980).<ref>Sabine Baring-Gould. ''The Lives of the Saints. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. (Edinburgh, UK: J. Grant, 1914)
 +
, 311</ref><ref>David Hugh Farmer. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Saints.'' (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 3. A more complete account of his illustrious family's history can be found in the ''Chronica Boëmorum,'' accessible online (in the original Latin) at [http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00000683/images/index.html?seite=2 Monumenta Germaniae Historica].Retrieved March 17, 2008. </ref>
  
===Religious Career===
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===Religious career===
 
[[Image:Sanctus Adalbertus.jpg|thumb|right| Saint Adalbert.]]
 
[[Image:Sanctus Adalbertus.jpg|thumb|right| Saint Adalbert.]]
Though Adalbert's future seemed both joyful and boundless, he was soon afflicted with a surfeit of personal tragedies. In 981, his father, Prince Slavnik, and his eponymous mentor died. Not long after, he was also witness to the agonizing demise of Bishop Thietmar of Prague, with whom he had developed a strong relationship. Despite his own feelings of unreadiness, he was named successor of Thietmar, a post that he accepted with utmost gravity.<ref>Baring-Gould notes that his youthful gaiety was abruptly silenced by the responsibilities of this new appointment (311). Likewise, Butler quotes from one of the ''Vitae'' of the saint to similar effect: "It is easy to wear a mitre and carry a crozier," Adalbert was heard to say, "but it is a terrible thing to have to give account of a bishopric to the Judge of the Living and the Dead" (152).</ref> Accepting his role, Adalbert took it upon himself to rectify the Christianity of his home diocese&mdash;a task that was made considerably more challenging due to the prevalence of pre-Christian ("[[paganism|pagan]]") beliefs in the area. Though he developed a certain notoriety for his impassioned preaching and his devotion to the poor, his attempts to encourage ecclesiastical reform (such as priestly celibacy) earned him many enemies.<ref>Campbell (1910); Butler, 152).</ref> Growing deeply discouraged at the seeming failure of his efforts, the young bishop eventually resigned from his office and left Prague (989), traveling to Rome and taking up residence in the Benedictine monastery of St. Alexis.<ref>Baring-Gould, 312. While many accounts suggest that Adalbert left Bohemia of his own volition, Farmer opines that he was "exiled in 990 by nationalist opposition (3).</ref>
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Though Adalbert's future seemed both joyful and boundless, he was soon afflicted with a surfeit of personal tragedies. In 981, both the saint's father (Prince Slavnik) and his eponymous mentor died. Not long after, he was also witness to the agonizing demise of Bishop Thietmar of Prague, with whom he had developed a strong relationship. Despite his own feelings of unreadiness, he was named Thietmar's successor, a post that he accepted with utmost gravity.<ref>Baring-Gould notes that his youthful gaiety was abruptly silenced by the responsibilities of this new appointment (311). Likewise, Butler quotes from one of the ''Vitae'' of the saint to similar effect: "It is easy to wear a mitre and carry a crozier," Adalbert was heard to say, "but it is a terrible thing to have to give account of a bishopric to the Judge of the Living and the Dead" (152).</ref> Taking up his newfound responsibilities, Adalbert made it a personal goal to rectify the Christianity of his home diocese&mdash;a task that was made considerably more challenging due to the prevalence of pre-Christian ("[[paganism|pagan]]") beliefs in the area. Though he developed a certain notoriety for his impassioned preaching and his devotion to the poor, his attempts to encourage ecclesiastical reform (such as priestly celibacy) earned him many enemies (including many members of the Bohemian nobility).<ref>T.J. Campbell. "Saint Adalbert" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia.'' (1910); Butler, 152.</ref> Growing deeply discouraged at the seeming failure of his efforts, the young bishop eventually resigned from his office and left Prague (989), traveling to Rome and taking up residence in the Benedictine monastery of St. Alexis.<ref>Baring-Gould, 312. While many accounts suggest that Adalbert left Bohemia of his own volition, Farmer opines that he was "exiled in 990 by nationalist opposition (3).</ref>
  
Four years later, in 993, [[Pope John XV]] sent him back to Bohemia. Adalbert became the Bishop again. That time he founded a [[Brevnov Monastery|monastery in Břevnov]], near Prague, the first one for men in the Czech lands. However, he continued to meet with the same kind of opposition to his ministry from the nobility that he had faced earlier. Also, according to Cosmas' chronicle, high clerical office was a burden to Adalbert, and in 994 he offered it to [[Strachkvas]] who was Přemyslid and Duke Boleslav's brother. Strachkvas, nevertheless, refused.
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Though the future saint would have been content to spend the remainder of his days in quiet study and contemplation, it was simply not to be. Four years later (993), [[Pope John XV]], who was dissatisfied with the condition of the Christian faith in the Slavic world, forcefully reminded Adalbert about his commitment to the people of Bohemia. In the face of such an order, Adalbert resumed his ecclesiastical duties. This time, he founded a [[Brevnov Monastery|monastery in Břevnov]], near Prague, the first such institution in Czech lands. However, his ministry continued to face the same kind of opposition that he had encountered earlier. For this reason, high clerical office was a burden to Adalbert, and in 994 he offered it to [[Strachkvas]] (who was both a Přemyslid and Duke Boleslav's brother). In spite of the power and prestige attached to the position, Strachkvas refused.<ref>[http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00000683/images/index.html?seite=2 Monumenta Germaniae Historica].</ref>
  
In 995 Slavniks' former rivalry with the [[Přemyslids]] resulted in the storming of Libice and a cruel murder of four (or five) of Adalbert's brothers. All this was done by the will of [[Boleslav II of Bohemia]], and the key executioners were his confederates from a powerful clan of [[Vršovci]]. Thus the Zličan princedom became part of the Přemyslids' estate.
+
During this period, the bishop also incited the ire of many locals by offering sanctuary to a noblewoman accused of adultery. When the unruly mob broke into his home, absconded with the woman and murdered her, Adalbert publicly excommunicated them&mdash;an act that redoubled the venom of many noble families.<ref>Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.</ref>
  
Adalbert damned the Vrśovci in church and predicted that they would be severely persecuted. After the tragedy he could not stay in Bohemia and escaped from Prague, despite the Pope's call for him to return to his episcopal see. Strachkvas was eventually appointed to be his successor. However, when he was going to assume the Bishop office in Prague, he suddenly died during the ceremony itself. Circumstances of his death are still unclear.
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In 995, Slavniks' former rivalry with the Přemyslids resulted in the storming of Libice and a cruel murder of four (or five) of Adalbert's brothers. All this was done by the will of [[Boleslav II of Bohemia]], and the key executioners were his confederates from a powerful clan of [[Vršovci]]. Thus the Zličan princedom became part of the Přemyslids' estate. The episode involving the adulterous woman is often thought to have been the "tipping point" that initiated this massacre.<ref>Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.</ref>
  
As for Adalbert, he went to [[Hungary]] and baptized [[Géza of Hungary]] and his son [[Stephen of Hungary|Stephen]] in the city of [[Esztergom]]. Then he went to Poland where he was cordially welcomed by Bolesław I the Brave. After the short visit Adalbert went to Prussia with a Christian mission.
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After the tragedy (and fearing for his own safety), Adalbert could no longer remain in Bohemia. So, he escaped from Prague and returned to the Roman monastery that had been his home six years previous. While there, he made to acquaintance of Emperor [[Otto III]], with whom he shared a grandiose vision of the unification of Europe under the banner of Christianity.<ref>Farmer, 4; Baring-Gould, 312.</ref> Emboldened by this council, Adalbert traveled to [[Hungary]], stopping to baptize Géza of Hungary and his son [[Stephen of Hungary|Stephen]] in the city of Esztergom. He then continued on to Poland, where he was cordially welcomed by Bolesław I the Brave.<ref>Butler, 153.</ref>
  
=== Mission and Martyrdom in Prussia ===
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=== Mission and martyrdom in Prussia ===
[[Image:Adalb.jpg|right|frame|Saint Adalbert being killed by [[Prussians]], part of [[Gniezno Doors]]]]
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[[Image:Adalb.jpg|right|frame|Saint Adalbert being killed by the Prussians].]]
  
Adalbert Vojtěch of Prague had already in 977 entertained the idea of becoming a [[missionary]] in [[Prussia (Baltic)|Prussia]]. After he had converted Hungary, he was sent by the Pope to convert the heathen [[Prussians]].  [[Boleslaus I of Poland|Boleslaus the Brave]], duke of Poland (later king), sent [[soldiers]] with Adalbert. The bishop and his followers - including his half-brother Radzim (Gaudentius) - entered Prussian territory near [[Gdańsk]] and went along the [[Baltic Sea]] coast.   
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Though Adalbert had originally been ordered to return to the decidedly unwelcoming city of Prague, Pope Gregory V took note of his missionary successes in Hungary and suggested that he next begin to proselytize the Prussians.<ref>Specifically, the pope explicitly rescinded his previous order with the realization that "to go amongst [the Bohemians] against their will was only to provoke further bloodshed" (Butler, 153).</ref> Fortunately, the itinerant bishop had the support of Boleslaus the Brave, duke of Poland, who sent his soldiers to alongside the missionary's party. Sallying forth, the group, which included the saint's half-brother Radzim (Gaudentius), entered Prussian territory near Gdańsk and ventured along the coast of the Baltic Sea.   
  
It was a standard procedure of Christian missionaries to try to chop down sacred oak trees (see [[Iconoclasm]]), which they had done in many other places, including [[Saxony]]. Because the trees were worshipped and the spirits who were believed to inhabit the trees were feared for their powers, this was done to demonstrate to the non-Christians that no supernatural powers protected the trees from the Christians.
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Though his mission was initially successful, earning convert in Danzig and elsewhere, the ill-fated Adalbert eventually came to rouse the suspicion of the locals, who accused him of being a Polish spy. When he continued to preach among their people, ignoring their threats, he and his companions were summarily executed on April 23, 997, somewhere in the vicinity of Koenigsberg.<ref>Farmer, 4; Butler, 153. Campbell (1910) offers a less politicized view of the saint's death: "Success attended his efforts at first, but his imperious manner in commanding them to abandon paganism irritated them, and at the instigation of one of the pagan priests he was killed."</ref>
 
 
When they did not heed warnings to stay away from the sacred oak groves, Adalbert was executed for sacrilege, which his co-religionists interpreted as [[martyr]]dom, in April 997 on the Baltic Sea coast east of Truso (currently [[Elbląg]]) near Tenkitten and Fischhausen (see external link map St. Albrecht) It is recorded that his body was bought back for its weight in [[gold]] by Boleslaus the Brave.
 
  
 
== Canonization and Legacy ==
 
== Canonization and Legacy ==
 
[[Image:Socha_Svateho_Vojtecha_a_Radima.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. Adalbert (Vojtech) and his brother Gaudentius (Radim) monument in Libice (Czech Republic)]]
 
[[Image:Socha_Svateho_Vojtecha_a_Radima.jpg|right|thumb|150px|St. Adalbert (Vojtech) and his brother Gaudentius (Radim) monument in Libice (Czech Republic)]]
  
A few years later Adalbert was [[canonization|canonized]] as '''Saint Adalbert of Prague.''' His life has been written about in ''Vita Sancti Adalberti'' by various writers, the earliest being traced to imperial [[Aachen]] and [[Liège (city)|Liège]], although it was assumed for many years that the [[Rome|Roman]] monk [[John Canaparius]] wrote the first ''Vita'' in 999. Another famous biographer of Adalbert was Saint [[Bruno of Querfurt]] who wrote his hagiography in 1001-1004.
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In 999, scarcely two years after his death, Adalbert was [[canonization|canonized]] as '''Saint Adalbert of Prague''' by Pope Sylvester II. His life was extensively documented in various versions of the ''Vita Sancti Adalberti,'' some of the earliest being written by [[Rome|Roman]] monk [[John Canaparius]] (ca. 1000) and Saint [[Bruno of Querfurt]] (ca. 1001-1004).<ref>Butler, 153.</ref>
 
 
Notably, Bohemian rulers (i.e., Přemyslids) initially refused to ransom Saint Adalbert's body from the Prussians who murdered him, so it was purchased by Poles. This fact may be explained by Saint Adalbert's belonging to the Slavniks family; it highlights the strength of the two clans' conflict.  Thus Saint Adalbert's bones were stored in Gniezno and helped Boleslaus the Brave to improve Poland's position in Europe.  
 
  
It is said that in 1039 the Bohemian duke [[Bretislav I]] retrieved the bones of Saint Adalbert from Gniezno and moved them to Prague. According to another version, he took only part of the bones, while the rest of Saint Adalbert's relics (including the skull) were hidden by the Poles (according to ''Roczniki Polskie'') and found in 1127. In 1928, one of the arms of Saint Adlbert, which Bolesław I had given to [[Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto III]] in the year 1000, was added to the bones preserved in Gniezno. Today Saint Adalbert has two graves, and which bones are authentic is still not clear. For example, the saint has two skulls - one in Prague, a second in Gniezno (stolen in 1923).
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The current ruling family of Bohemia, the Přemyslids, initially refused to pay the Prussians for the return of Saint Adalbert's body, which led it being ransomed by the Poles.<ref>As Campbell (1910) notes, "Boleslas I, Prince of Poland, is said to have ransomed his body for an equivalent weight of gold."</ref> Thus, Saint Adalbert's relics came to be stored in Gniezno, which helped Boleslaus the Brave to improve Poland's reputation as a devout Christian nation.<ref>The political context of the contest of the saint's relics is explored in Dvornik's essay: "When in the
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year 1000 the emperor arrived in Gnesen to do honor to the relics of his intimate friend, Saint Adalbert of Prague, who, in trying to convert the Prussians, had suffered a martyr's death at their hands, Otto III was welcomed by the Poles with a great demonstration. Gnesen was made a metropolis and a Polish hierarchy was established, independent of Madgeburg and of the German Church, while Boleslas the Great became ''Patricius'' of the Roman Empire and an ally of the emperor" (471).</ref> However, their final resting place was disturbed in 1039, when the Bohemian duke [[Bretislav I]] retrieved them by force and moved them to Prague.<ref>Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.</ref> According to another version, he took only some of the sainted bones, while the rest (including the skull) were hidden by the Poles and found in 1127.<ref>As per the ''Roczniki Polskie.''</ref>
  
June 1997 was the thousandth anniversary of Saint Adalbert's martyrdom. It was commemorated in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia and other countries. Representatives of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Evangelical churches pilgrimaged to Gniezno, to the saint's tomb. [[John Paul II]] visited Gniezno and held a ceremonial divine service in which heads of seven European states and about a million believers took part. In [[Kaliningrad Oblast]], near Beregovoe village (former Tenkitten), where Adalbert's death hypothetically took place, a ten-meter cross was established.
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June 1997 was the thousandth anniversary of Saint Adalbert's martyrdom. It was commemorated in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia and other countries. Representatives of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Evangelical churches embarked on pilgrimages to Gniezno, to the saint's tomb. [[John Paul II]] visited Gniezno and held a ceremonial divine service in which heads of seven European states and about a million believers took part.<ref>For the text of Pope [[John Paul II]]'s homily, see "Homily at Mass in honor of Saint Adalbert asking for prayers for the Church in Czechoslovakia," ''Osservatore Romano'' (English), 1038: 2(May 9 1988).</ref> In Kaliningrad Oblast, near Beregovoe village (former Tenkitten), where Adalbert's death hypothetically took place, a ten-meter cross was established. As Butler summarizes:
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:The importance of St. Adalbert in the history of central Europe has perhaps been insufficiently appreciated. He was intimate with the Emperor Otto III, and appears to have entered into that monarch's scheme for a ''renovatio imperii Romanorum'' and the christianization and unification of the remoter parts of Europe. Adalbert sent missionaries to the Magyars and visited them himself, and was the "remote" inspiration of King Saint Stephen. … His memory was influential in Poland, where the foundation of a monastery, either at Miedrzyrzecze in Poznania or at Trzmeszno, is attributed to him. There was some ''cultus'' of him even in Kiev. … [A]bove all he was a holy man and a martyr, who gave his life rather than cease to witness Christ; and the wide extent of his ''cultus'' is the measure of his appreciation.<ref>Butler, 153.</ref>
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 70: Line 69:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
*Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.
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* Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine). ''The Lives of the Saints''. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. Edinburgh: J. Grant, 1914.
+
*Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints,'' 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0140513124.
* Butler, Alban. ''Lives of the Saints''. Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater. Palm Publishers, 1956.
+
* Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine). ''The Lives of the Saints.'' With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. Edinburgh: J. Grant, 1914.
 +
* Butler, Alban. ''Lives of the Saints,'' Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater. Palm Publishers, 1956.
 
* Campbell, T. J. "Saint Adalbert" in [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01127c.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia]. 1909.
 
* Campbell, T. J. "Saint Adalbert" in [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01127c.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia]. 1909.
* Farmer, David Hugh. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Saints''. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0192800582.
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* ''Chronica Boëmorum,'' accessible online (in the original Latin) at [http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00000683/images/index.html?seite=2 Monumenta Germaniae Historica]. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
* Jaeger, C. Stephen. "The Courtier Bishop in Vitae from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century." ''Speculum'' Vol. 58, No. 2 (April 1983). 291-325.
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* Dvornik, F. "Western and Eastern Traditions of Central Europe." ''The Review of Politics''  9 (4)(October 1947): 463-481.
 
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* Farmer, David Hugh. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Saints.'' Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0192800582.
==External links==
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* Jaeger, C. Stephen. "The Courtier Bishop in Vitae from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century." ''Speculum'' 58 (2) (April 1983): 291-325.
*[http://wwwtest.library.ucla.edu/libraries/mgi/maps/blaeu/prvssia.jpg Map of Prussia from c 1660 with St. Albrecht] location between Tenkitten and Fischhausen, west of Königsberg.
 
 
 
[[Category:Czech saints]]
 
[[Category:Christian martyrs of the Medieval era]]
 
[[Category:Bohemian nobility]]
 
[[Category:Bishops of Prague]]
 
[[Category:Roman Catholic bishops]]
 
[[Category:10th century bishops]]
 
[[Category:Roman Catholic missionaries]]
 
[[Category:History of Hungary]]
 
[[Category:History of Prussia]]
 
  
[[Category:Philosophy and religion]]
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[[category:philosophy and religion]]
[[Category:Religion]]
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[[category:religious figures]]
[[Category:Biography]]
 
  
 
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Latest revision as of 20:20, 5 August 2015


Saint Adalbert of Prague
Adalbert of Prague.jpg

Apostle of Prussia
Born c. 956 in Libice nad Cidlinou, Bohemia
Died 997 in Truso (Elbląg) or Kaliningrad Oblast
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Canonized 999

by Pope Sylvester II

Major shrine Gniezno, Prague
Feast April 23
Patronage Bohemia; Poland; Prussia

Adalbert (born Vojtěch; c. 956–April 23, 997) was a high-born Czech who served his faith as a bishop of Prague and a Benedictine monk. In spite of his efforts, he was martyred during his mission to convert the Baltic Prussians—a mission that had been instigated by the king of Poland Bolesław I the Brave. For his service to the Catholic Church, he was was posthumously honored as the patron saint of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Prussia. His feast day is celebrated on April 23.

Biography

Early life

Vojtěch was born into the noble family of Prince Slavnik and his wife Střezislava in Libice nad Cidlinou, Bohemia.[1] As was common at the time, Radzim and Vojtěch, two of the prince's sons, were groomed for ecclesiastical careers.[2] Of the two, Vojtěch was an exceptionally well-educated man, having studied for about ten years (970-80) in Magdeburg under Saint Adalbert of Magdeburg, who so impressed his young pupil that he chose to take his mentor's name at his confirmation. Gifted and industrious, though lacking in an overarching goal or vision, Adalbert Vojtěch completed his studies and took up the carefree life of a man of arms (ca. 980).[3][4]

Religious career

Saint Adalbert.

Though Adalbert's future seemed both joyful and boundless, he was soon afflicted with a surfeit of personal tragedies. In 981, both the saint's father (Prince Slavnik) and his eponymous mentor died. Not long after, he was also witness to the agonizing demise of Bishop Thietmar of Prague, with whom he had developed a strong relationship. Despite his own feelings of unreadiness, he was named Thietmar's successor, a post that he accepted with utmost gravity.[5] Taking up his newfound responsibilities, Adalbert made it a personal goal to rectify the Christianity of his home diocese—a task that was made considerably more challenging due to the prevalence of pre-Christian ("pagan") beliefs in the area. Though he developed a certain notoriety for his impassioned preaching and his devotion to the poor, his attempts to encourage ecclesiastical reform (such as priestly celibacy) earned him many enemies (including many members of the Bohemian nobility).[6] Growing deeply discouraged at the seeming failure of his efforts, the young bishop eventually resigned from his office and left Prague (989), traveling to Rome and taking up residence in the Benedictine monastery of St. Alexis.[7]

Though the future saint would have been content to spend the remainder of his days in quiet study and contemplation, it was simply not to be. Four years later (993), Pope John XV, who was dissatisfied with the condition of the Christian faith in the Slavic world, forcefully reminded Adalbert about his commitment to the people of Bohemia. In the face of such an order, Adalbert resumed his ecclesiastical duties. This time, he founded a monastery in Břevnov, near Prague, the first such institution in Czech lands. However, his ministry continued to face the same kind of opposition that he had encountered earlier. For this reason, high clerical office was a burden to Adalbert, and in 994 he offered it to Strachkvas (who was both a Přemyslid and Duke Boleslav's brother). In spite of the power and prestige attached to the position, Strachkvas refused.[8]

During this period, the bishop also incited the ire of many locals by offering sanctuary to a noblewoman accused of adultery. When the unruly mob broke into his home, absconded with the woman and murdered her, Adalbert publicly excommunicated them—an act that redoubled the venom of many noble families.[9]

In 995, Slavniks' former rivalry with the Přemyslids resulted in the storming of Libice and a cruel murder of four (or five) of Adalbert's brothers. All this was done by the will of Boleslav II of Bohemia, and the key executioners were his confederates from a powerful clan of Vršovci. Thus the Zličan princedom became part of the Přemyslids' estate. The episode involving the adulterous woman is often thought to have been the "tipping point" that initiated this massacre.[10]

After the tragedy (and fearing for his own safety), Adalbert could no longer remain in Bohemia. So, he escaped from Prague and returned to the Roman monastery that had been his home six years previous. While there, he made to acquaintance of Emperor Otto III, with whom he shared a grandiose vision of the unification of Europe under the banner of Christianity.[11] Emboldened by this council, Adalbert traveled to Hungary, stopping to baptize Géza of Hungary and his son Stephen in the city of Esztergom. He then continued on to Poland, where he was cordially welcomed by Bolesław I the Brave.[12]

Mission and martyrdom in Prussia

Saint Adalbert being killed by the Prussians].

Though Adalbert had originally been ordered to return to the decidedly unwelcoming city of Prague, Pope Gregory V took note of his missionary successes in Hungary and suggested that he next begin to proselytize the Prussians.[13] Fortunately, the itinerant bishop had the support of Boleslaus the Brave, duke of Poland, who sent his soldiers to alongside the missionary's party. Sallying forth, the group, which included the saint's half-brother Radzim (Gaudentius), entered Prussian territory near Gdańsk and ventured along the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Though his mission was initially successful, earning convert in Danzig and elsewhere, the ill-fated Adalbert eventually came to rouse the suspicion of the locals, who accused him of being a Polish spy. When he continued to preach among their people, ignoring their threats, he and his companions were summarily executed on April 23, 997, somewhere in the vicinity of Koenigsberg.[14]

Canonization and Legacy

St. Adalbert (Vojtech) and his brother Gaudentius (Radim) monument in Libice (Czech Republic)

In 999, scarcely two years after his death, Adalbert was canonized as Saint Adalbert of Prague by Pope Sylvester II. His life was extensively documented in various versions of the Vita Sancti Adalberti, some of the earliest being written by Roman monk John Canaparius (ca. 1000) and Saint Bruno of Querfurt (ca. 1001-1004).[15]

The current ruling family of Bohemia, the Přemyslids, initially refused to pay the Prussians for the return of Saint Adalbert's body, which led it being ransomed by the Poles.[16] Thus, Saint Adalbert's relics came to be stored in Gniezno, which helped Boleslaus the Brave to improve Poland's reputation as a devout Christian nation.[17] However, their final resting place was disturbed in 1039, when the Bohemian duke Bretislav I retrieved them by force and moved them to Prague.[18] According to another version, he took only some of the sainted bones, while the rest (including the skull) were hidden by the Poles and found in 1127.[19]

June 1997 was the thousandth anniversary of Saint Adalbert's martyrdom. It was commemorated in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia and other countries. Representatives of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Evangelical churches embarked on pilgrimages to Gniezno, to the saint's tomb. John Paul II visited Gniezno and held a ceremonial divine service in which heads of seven European states and about a million believers took part.[20] In Kaliningrad Oblast, near Beregovoe village (former Tenkitten), where Adalbert's death hypothetically took place, a ten-meter cross was established. As Butler summarizes:

The importance of St. Adalbert in the history of central Europe has perhaps been insufficiently appreciated. He was intimate with the Emperor Otto III, and appears to have entered into that monarch's scheme for a renovatio imperii Romanorum and the christianization and unification of the remoter parts of Europe. Adalbert sent missionaries to the Magyars and visited them himself, and was the "remote" inspiration of King Saint Stephen. … His memory was influential in Poland, where the foundation of a monastery, either at Miedrzyrzecze in Poznania or at Trzmeszno, is attributed to him. There was some cultus of him even in Kiev. … [A]bove all he was a holy man and a martyr, who gave his life rather than cease to witness Christ; and the wide extent of his cultus is the measure of his appreciation.[21]

Notes

  1. The prince had no shortage of heirs, as Vojtěch had five full brothers: Soběbor (Slavnik's next-of-kin), Spytimir, Pobraslav, Porej, Caslav and a half-brother Radzim Gaudenty (from his father's liaison with another woman).
  2. The phenomenon of courtier-bishops is discussed at length in C. Stephen Jaeger's article, "The Courtier Bishop in Vitae from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century." Speculum 58 (2) (April 1983): with specific mention of Adalbert on page 300 (ff. 26).
  3. Sabine Baring-Gould. The Lives of the Saints. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. (Edinburgh, UK: J. Grant, 1914) , 311
  4. David Hugh Farmer. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 3. A more complete account of his illustrious family's history can be found in the Chronica Boëmorum, accessible online (in the original Latin) at Monumenta Germaniae Historica.Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  5. Baring-Gould notes that his youthful gaiety was abruptly silenced by the responsibilities of this new appointment (311). Likewise, Butler quotes from one of the Vitae of the saint to similar effect: "It is easy to wear a mitre and carry a crozier," Adalbert was heard to say, "but it is a terrible thing to have to give account of a bishopric to the Judge of the Living and the Dead" (152).
  6. T.J. Campbell. "Saint Adalbert" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. (1910); Butler, 152.
  7. Baring-Gould, 312. While many accounts suggest that Adalbert left Bohemia of his own volition, Farmer opines that he was "exiled in 990 by nationalist opposition (3).
  8. Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
  9. Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.
  10. Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.
  11. Farmer, 4; Baring-Gould, 312.
  12. Butler, 153.
  13. Specifically, the pope explicitly rescinded his previous order with the realization that "to go amongst [the Bohemians] against their will was only to provoke further bloodshed" (Butler, 153).
  14. Farmer, 4; Butler, 153. Campbell (1910) offers a less politicized view of the saint's death: "Success attended his efforts at first, but his imperious manner in commanding them to abandon paganism irritated them, and at the instigation of one of the pagan priests he was killed."
  15. Butler, 153.
  16. As Campbell (1910) notes, "Boleslas I, Prince of Poland, is said to have ransomed his body for an equivalent weight of gold."
  17. The political context of the contest of the saint's relics is explored in Dvornik's essay: "When in the year 1000 the emperor arrived in Gnesen to do honor to the relics of his intimate friend, Saint Adalbert of Prague, who, in trying to convert the Prussians, had suffered a martyr's death at their hands, Otto III was welcomed by the Poles with a great demonstration. Gnesen was made a metropolis and a Polish hierarchy was established, independent of Madgeburg and of the German Church, while Boleslas the Great became Patricius of the Roman Empire and an ally of the emperor" (471).
  18. Farmer, 4; Butler, 153.
  19. As per the Roczniki Polskie.
  20. For the text of Pope John Paul II's homily, see "Homily at Mass in honor of Saint Adalbert asking for prayers for the Church in Czechoslovakia," Osservatore Romano (English), 1038: 2(May 9 1988).
  21. Butler, 153.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0140513124.
  • Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine). The Lives of the Saints. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. Edinburgh: J. Grant, 1914.
  • Butler, Alban. Lives of the Saints, Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater. Palm Publishers, 1956.
  • Campbell, T. J. "Saint Adalbert" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1909.
  • Chronica Boëmorum, accessible online (in the original Latin) at Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  • Dvornik, F. "Western and Eastern Traditions of Central Europe." The Review of Politics 9 (4)(October 1947): 463-481.
  • Farmer, David Hugh. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0192800582.
  • Jaeger, C. Stephen. "The Courtier Bishop in Vitae from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century." Speculum 58 (2) (April 1983): 291-325.

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