.jpg)
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Archduke
Albert with His Patron Saint, Albert of Louvain, circa 1630, drawing, Pen
and brown ink with brown wash over black chalk on laid paper, on French mount, 20.5
x 9.7. Philadelphia Museum of Art. The
Charles M. Lea Collection, 1928 - http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/42008.html?mulR=3072%7C26
Saint Albert de Louvain
Évêque de Liège et
Martyr (+ 1192)
Il naquit à Louvain en Belgique et son frère était duc de Lorraine. Quand il fut nommé évêque de Liège, il rencontre l'opposition du comte du Hainaut qui avait un autre candidat soutenu aussi par l'empereur d'Allemagne Henri IV. Saint Albert en appelle à Rome où il est reçu par le Pape qui confirme son élection et le nomme cardinal. Par amour de la paix, saint Albert se fait consacrer à Reims où il réside en attendant des jours meilleurs. C'est là qu'il est assassiné par des mercenaires payés par l'empereur, martyrisé pour avoir défendu la liberté de l’Église.
Fête locale pour les diocèses de Liège, Namur et Malines-Bruxelles.
(au 27 novembre au Propre
du diocèse de Reims - fêtes célébrées en certains lieux du diocèse)
Voir aussi "St.
Albert de Louvain: évêque de Liége et martyr (1192)"
À Reims, en 1192, la passion de saint Albert de Louvain, évêque de Liège et
martyr. Envoyé en exil pour sa défense des libertés de l’Église, il fut, la
même année, ordonné évêque et tué à Reims.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/9199/Saint-Albert-de-Louvain.html
.jpg)
Neogotische
wandschildering van heiligen afkomstig uit het bisdom Luik door Adolphe Tassin
(1852-1923), tussen 1899 en 1902 aangebracht in het noordertransept van de
Sint-Pauluskathedraal in Luik, België. Hier de heilige Domitianus van Hoei,
vroegmiddeleeuws bisschop van Maastricht, en de Albertus van Leuven, bisschop
van Luik.
Also
known as
Albert of Brabant
Albert of Leuven
Albert of Liege
Alberto di Lovanio
Albrecht of….
Profile
Son of Duke Godfrey
III of Brabant.
Made a canon of Liege, Belgium at
age 12, a political appointment for guaranteed income rather than a religious vocation.
He gave up the position at age 21 to become a knight under Count Baldwin
V of Hainault,
a bitter enemy of his native Brabant.
He talked of going on Crusade,
but never did, and eventually realized that religious
life was calling him. He became a canon of Liege again,
this time as a true vocation.
Archdeacon and
provost of Brabant. Bishop of Liege in 1191.
Albert of Rethel, cousin of Count Baldwin
and uncle of the Empress Constance,
wife of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, had sought the episcopacy.
He appealed to the emperor for help; Henry removed Albert from the position and
made a third candidate, Lothaire, who was the provost of Bonn, Germany,
the new bishop of Liege.
Albert then appealed to the Vatican, both for himself and to help clearly
establish the Pope‘s
supremacy in the matter. Celestine
III declared Albert’s election valid, and returned him to Liege.
Lothair refused to surrender the see;
Henry backed him, and forced the priests in
the diocese to
submit to Lothair.
Bruno, archbishop of Cologne, Germany was
supposed to ordain Albert, but refused, fearing the emperor. William, archbishop of Rheims, France,
ordained Albert as priest,
and then as bishop.
In an attempt to end the matter in the emperor’s favour, a group of
Henry’s knights ambushed
and murdered Albert
on the road outside Rheims.
The plan backfired, however, as Lothair was excommunicated and exiled,
and Henry was forced to submit to Rome and do penance; lay investiture (civil
control over ordinations) took another serious blow.
Born
c.1166 in Brabant (in
modern Belgium)
stabbed on 21
November 1192 on
the road outside Rheims, France
relics transferred
to a Carmelite convent in Brussels, Belgium in 1612
some relics re-located
to the cathedral in Liege, Belgium in 1822
in Belgium
bishop with
a knife or sword in his hand
bishop stabbed
with a sword or
knife
bishop with
the coat of arms of Brabant
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Dictionary of Saints, by John Delaney
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
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and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
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sites in english
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sitios
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Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
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in italiano
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MLA
Citation
“Saint Albert of
Louvain“. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 May 2024. Web. 5 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-albert-of-louvain/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-albert-of-louvain/
Book of Saints
– Albert – 21 November
Article
ALBERT (Saint) Bishop
Martyr (November 21) (12th century) The son of Godfrey III and brother of
Henry, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant. Choosing the clerical profession, he was
appointed to the Cathedral Chapter of Li6ge, of which Diocese he became
Archdeacon. His virtues were such as to recommend him as the successor of his
Bishop, Radulphus, though his promotion was opposed both by Baldwin, Count of
Hainault, and by Henry VI, Emperor of Germany. Saint Albert appealed to Rome,
whither he travelled in disguise Pope Celestine not only declared his election
to the See of Liege perfectly legitimate, but further raised him to the dignity
of Cardinal. Consecrated at Rheims by the Archbishop and awaiting there an
opportunity of returning to his Bishopric, he was lured outside the city walls
by some creatures of the Emperor, who pretended to be, like himself, victims of
persecution, and murdered by them (A.D. 1192). Of his relics part are at Liege
and part at Louvain.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Albert”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
26 November 2016. Web. 5 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-albert-21-november/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-albert-21-november/
Detail
of a stained glass window in the Brussels' cathedral. Made by Jan de Labarre
and Theodoor van Thulden in 1663. Depicted from left to right: Archduke Albert,
his patron saint Albert of Louvain, his wife Isabella, and her patron saint
Elisabeth of Hungary.
St. Albert of Louvain
Feastday: November 21
Birth: 1166
Death: 1192
Cardinal and knight, the
son of Duke Godfrey III of Brabant and brother of Henry I, duke of Lorraine and
Brabant. At the age of twelve he was made a canon of
Liege, France, but resigned from that priestly honor at the age of twenty-one
to become a knight of Count Baldwin V,
an enemy of Brabant. Albert proposed going on a crusade but did not do so,
instead resuming his clerical life. He became a canon again
and then was named the bishop of
Liege. His appointment did not please Count Baldwin, who had one of his own
relatives in mind. He appealed to Emperor Henry VI, who deposed Albert and
appointed Lothair to the see. In turn, Albert appealed to Rome, and Pope Celestine III declared
his appointment valid. While in Rome, Albert was recommended to Reims, where he
was ordained and made a cardinal by archbishop William
of Reims. The baffle for political control of Liege continued, and in time took
a deadly toll. On November 21 or 24, a group of knights from Emperor Henry's
court approached Albert, who greeted them with his customary gentleness. As he
turned to ask them their purpose, he was stabbed to death. Lothair was
excommunicated and exiled for his role in the denial of Albert as the
true bishop of
Liege. Emperor Henry VI was
forced to make public penance for
the actions of his knights. Albert's body was taken to the cathedral of
Reims, where it reposed until 1612. Then Archduke Albert of Austria had the
remains transferred to the chapel of
the new Carmelite convent he
had founded in Brussels. In 1822, part of Albert's remains were given to
the cathedral of
Liege.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1212
St. Albert
Cardinal, Bishop of Liège, d. 1192 or 1193.
He was a son of Godfrey III, Count of Louvain, and brother of
Henry I, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant, and was chosen Bishop of Liège in 1191 by
the suffrages of both people and chapter. The Emperor Henry VI violently intruded
his own venal choice into the see, and Albert journeyed
to Rome to
appeal to Celestine
III, who ordained him deacon, created
him cardinal,
and sent him away with gifts of great value and a letter of recommendation to
the Archbishop of Rheims, where he
was ordained priest and consecrated bishop. Outside that
city, soon after, he was set upon by eight German knights of the
Emperor's following, who took advantage of the confiding kindness of the
saintly bishop,
and stabbed him to death. The date of his martyrdom is given
variously as 24 November, 1193 (Moroni), 23 November, 1192 (Hoefer), while
the Bollandists,
placing it in the latter year, give 21 November as its precise date, this being
also the day on which the saint's feast is
kept. His body reposed at Rheims until 1612,
when it was transferred by the Archduke Albert of Austria to the
church of the Carmelite convent, which he had
just founded at Brussels.
The relics of
this strenuous defender of ecclesiastical liberty
were, by permission of the Holy See, shared with
the cathedral of Liège, in 1822.
Sources
GILES OF LIEGE, Gesta
Episcoporum Leodiensium (Liège, 1613), 134-186; BARONIUS, Annales (Bar-le-duc,
1869), XIX, 640; ROHRBACHER, Histoire de l'Église catholique (Paris, 1872),
VIII, 671-673.
Shahan,
Thomas. "St. Albert." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01261b.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Laura Ouellette.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01261b.htm
Albert of Louvain BM (RM)
(also known as Albert of
Brabant)
Born at Mont César,
Louvain, in 1166; died November 24, 1192; cultus confirmed 1613. Albert, son of
Duke Godfrey III of Brabant and his wife Margaret of Limburg, was raised for a
life in the Church in a castle on what is now called Mont-César. At age 12 he
was made a canon of Liège, but renounced his benefice when he came of age.
At age 21, Albert
attached himself as a knight to the entourage of his enemy Count Baldwin V of
Brabant. When the papal legate preached the crusade in Liège a few months
later, Albert took up the cross, and at the same time took up his canonry
again. He never participated in the crusade, instead the subdeacon was quickly
promoted to archdeacon, then provost.
In 1191 (age 25), Albert
was overwhelmingly chosen bishop of Liège by the chapter over another
archdeacon, Albert of Rethel, who was cousin to Baldwin and the uncle of
Empress Constance. His election was opposed by Emperor Henry VI who favored his
wife's uncle. When the cause was heard at Worms, the emperor gave the see to Lothaire,
provost of Bonn, whom he had just made imperial chancellor in return for 3,000
marks.
In order to appeal to
Rome, Saint Albert had to travel circuitously and covertly under the guise of a
servant so as to avoid interception by the emperor's men. Following Pope
Celestine III's confirmation of the election, Albert returned to Liège, but
found Lothaire already intruded in the see and that Archbishop Bruno of Cologne
was unwilling to incur the wrath of the emperor by consecrating Albert.
Meanwhile the pope had made arrangements for Archbishop William of Rheims to
ordain and consecrate Albert. This was accomplished at Rheims on September 29,
1192.
When war appeared
immanent between the emperor and Albert's uncle over his consecration, the
saint opted to remain in exile rather than precipitate a war. Still the emperor
was not satisfied. He forced the submission of Albert's clerical supporters
before leaving Liège for Maestricht to hatch another plot against the lawful
bishop. Just 10 weeks after his consecration, Saint Albert was murdered by
three German knights as he was making a visit to the abbey of Saint-Remi
outside the walls of Rheims. He was buried with honor in the cathedral
(Benedictines, Walsh).
In art Saint Albert is
depicted as a bishop with a knife in his head or with three swords on the
ground before him. (He is easily confused with Thomas a Becket (of Canterbury),
whose martyrdom was similar.) Sometimes he is shown as an enthroned cardinal
holding a palm, three swords before him, or as a cardinal protecting the
Archduke Albert (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1121.shtml
St. Albert of Louvain
Feastday: November
21
Birth: 1166
Death: 1192
Cardinal and knight, the
son of Duke Godfrey III of Brabant and brother of Henry I, duke of Lorraine and
Brabant. At the age of twelve he was made a canon of
Liege, France, but resigned from that priestly honor at the age of twenty-one
to become a knight of Count Baldwin V,
an enemy of Brabant. Albert proposed going on a crusade but did not do so,
instead resuming his clerical life. He became a canon again
and then was named the bishop of
Liege. His appointment did not please Count Baldwin, who had one of his own
relatives in mind. He appealed to Emperor Henry VI, who deposed Albert and
appointed Lothair to the see. In turn, Albert appealed to Rome, and Pope Celestine
III declared his appointment valid. While in Rome, Albert was
recommended to Reims, where he was ordained and made a cardinal by archbishop William
of Reims. The baffle for political control of Liege continued, and in time took
a deadly toll. On November 21 or 24, a group of knights from Emperor Henry's
court approached Albert, who greeted them with his customary gentleness. As he
turned to ask them their purpose, he was stabbed to death. Lothair was
excommunicated and exiled for his role in the denial of Albert as the
true bishop of
Liege. Emperor Henry
VI was forced to make public penance for
the actions of his knights. Albert's body was taken to the cathedral of
Reims, where it reposed until 1612. Then Archduke Albert of Austria had the
remains transferred to the chapel of
the new Carmelite convent he
had founded in Brussels. In 1822, part of Albert's remains were given to
the cathedral of
Liege.
SOURCE : http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1212
The Cardinals of the Holy
Roman Church
Biographical Dictionary
Pope Celestine III (1191-1198)
Consistory of May 1192 (II)
(5) 1. ALBERT
DE LOUVAIN (ca. 1166-1192)
Birth. Ca. 1166,
Louvain (now Belgium). Second of the two sons of Duke Godefroy III of Basse-Lorraine
and his first wife, Margareta van Limburg; brother of Henri I, duke of Brabant;
nephew of Duke Henri III de Limbourg and Count Albert III von Dagsberg. Cousin
of Cardinal Simon
de Limbourg (1195). He is also listed as Albert de Brabant, Albert of
Lowen, Adalbero of Louvaine, Albert de Liège and Albert von Lüttich.
Education. As a child, he
was dedicated to the church and studied in the school of the cathedral of
Saint-Lambert, Liège.
Early life. Canon
prebendary of the cathedral chapter of Saint-Lambert of Liège ca. 1178. In
1187, when the news of the fall of Jerusalem reached Liège, he resigned his
offices, took the cross and was knighted at Valenciennes. In 1188, he was
restored to the ecclesiastical state by Cardinal Henri de Marsiac, O.Cist.,
papal preacher of the crusade; and became archdeacon of Liège in that same year;
and later, provost of the collegiate churches of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Jean in
Liège. Received the subdiaconate in 1191.
Episcopate. Elected
bishop of Liège by the overwhelming majority of its cathedral chapter,
September 8, 1191 although he had not reached the canonical age of thirty; all
the other archdeacons, clergy, people of the city and princes of the land,
consented to his election; Count Badouin de Hainaut, enemy of Duke Henri of
Bavant, opposed the election of Albert de Louvain and, with a handful of
canons, elected Albert de Rethel, provost of Liège. The dispute was brought up
before Emperor Heinrich VI; at the Diet of Worms, on January 13, 1192, the
emperor referred the matter to a committee of ten bishops and three abbots; the
committee decided that since the see was clearly in dispute, it fell to the
emperor to appoint a bishop; the emperor appointed Lothaire von Hochstaden,
provost of Bonn; Albert of Louvain strongly protested and indicated that he
would appeal to Rome; Albert de Rethel indignantly refused a financial
settlement offered by the emperor; he went to Rome; the majority of the
electors of Liège accepted the imperial decision because of the emperor's
threat; Albert de Louvain arrived in Rome on April 5, 1192 and presented the matter
to Pope Celestine III; the pope welcomed him, heard his case and presented it
to the Roman Curia; some of the cardinals recommended caution but the majority
supported Albert's claim; the pope accepted the decision and, in the Lateran
palace, confirmed Albert's election after Pentecost 1192.
Cardinalate. Created
cardinal deacon in a consistory in May 1192; no information has been found
concerning his deaconry.
Sacred orders. Ordained
deacon by Pope Celestine III in Rome on May 30, 1192; the pope wrote to
Archbishop Bruno of Cologne (metropolitan of the bishop of Liège), asking him
to consecrate Albert as bishop of Liège, and authorized the archbishop to
delegate the consecration to the archbishop of Reims, if he feared to perform
the ceremony himself; another letter went to the archbishop of Reims explaining
the situation and authorizing him to consecrate a bishop from outside his
jurisdiction; the pope also wrote to the chapter of Liège indicating his
decision, asking them to support Albert and absolving them from the oaths to
Lothair. Albert departed from Rome and by July 31, he was in the abbey of
Lobbes in Brabant; from there he went to the monastery of Nivelles and then
traveled to one of the fortresses of his uncle the duke of Limberg; in August or
early September, the duke accompanied his nephew to Reims. Albert was ordained
priest on Saturday September 19, 1192, in Reims, by Cardinal Guillaume aux
Blanches Mains, archbishop of Reims. He received the episcopal consecration the
following day from the same archbishop; he celebrated his first mas on
September 21 in the cathedral of Reims. The new bishop remained in Reims the
next two months; in October, three German knights arrived in Reims and became
acquaintances of the bishop of Liège and won his trust on November 24, the
knights persuaded Albert to take a horse ride with them outside the city walls;
the three knights attacked the bishop with their swords, struck him on the head
crashing his skull and making him fall to the ground, where they again attacked
him to make sure that they had killed him and then escaped.
Death. November 24, 1192,
assassinated by three German knights near Reims, in the route to
Nogent-l'Ablesse. Buried in the metropolitan cathedral of Reims. The question
of who was ultimately responsible for of the bishop's death remains unanswered.
His biography, Vita Alberti episcopi Leodiensis, was written, in 1194 or
1195, by a contemporary, who was a monk and secretary of the abbot of Lobbes
(1).
Beatification. In 1612,
at the request of Archduke Albert of Brabant, who wanted to have his body in
Brussels, the king of France and the archbishop of Reims allowed the
translation of the relics of Albert to Brussels; they were exhumed on October
20 and transferred to that city (by error, it was the remains of Archbishop
Odalric of Reims that were taken to Brussels; the error of the canons of the
cathedral chapter of Reims may be explained by the several modifications that
had taken place in the cathedral building) on November 22; they were solemnly
received on December 11 and deposited in the church of the Carmelites. On
August 9, 1613, Pope Paul V authorized his veneration in Reims and Brussels and
inscribed him in the Roman Martyrology on November 21, which is believed was
the anniversary of his death; he is listed as a martyr who died for the defense
of the Church. On September 26, 1919, in the excavations of the cathedral of
Reims, which had been devastated during the First World War, Architect Henri
Deneux found the real tomb of St. Albert of Liège; the relics were recognized
by a commission named by Cardinal Louis-Henri Luçon, archbishop of Reims; the
commission met on December 10, 1920 and August 18, 1921; the body was exhumed
and, after the remains of Archbishop Odalric were transferred from Belgium on
November 17, 1921, the relics of St. Albert were taken to Brussels the
following November 19; they were accompanied by Jan van Cauwenbergh, titular
bishop of Sinao, auxiliary and vicar general of Malines, and by Sébastien
Braun, Benedictine of Maredsous, and given directly to Cardinal Desiré Mercier,
archbishop of Malines; the cardinal donated a relic (an arm) of the saint to
King Albert I of Belgium; and another relic to Reims, to Cardinal Luçon, on
November 9, 1925.
Bibliography. Cardella,
Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome :
Stamperia Pagliarini, 1792, I, pt. 2, 187-189; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et
res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis
Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 2 volumes. Romae : Typis
Vaticanis, 1677, I, col. 1163-1164; Del Marmol, B. St Albert de Louvain,
evêque de Liège et martyr (1192). Paris : Lecoffre, 1922. (Les saints); Du
Chesne, François. Histoire de tous les cardinaux françois : de naissance,
ou qui ont esté promeus au cardinalat par l'expresse recommandation de nos
roys, pour les grands services qu'ils ont rendus a leur estat, et a leur
couronne. Comprenant commairement leurs legations, ambassades & voyages par
eux faits en divers pays & royaumes, vers les papes, empereurs, roys,
potentats, republiques, communautex & universitez, pour affaires
importantes à l'église universelle, & à l'auguste majesté de nos
souuerains. Enrichie de leurs armes et de leurs portraits. Divisée en deux
tomes, et justifiée par tiltres et chartres du thresor de sa majesté, arrests
des parlemens de France, registres des Chambres des comptes; donations,
fondations, epitaphes, testamens, manuscripts, ancients monumens, chroniques
& chartulaires d'abbayes, & autres histoires publiques &
particlieres. 2 vols. A Paris : Aux despens de l'autheur, & se vendent chez
luy ..., 1660, I, 189-191; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les
cardinaux du XIIè siècle". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1928. Paris
: Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1928, p. 158; Moreau, Edouard. Albert de
Louvain, prince-évêque de Liège. Bruxelles : Éditions universitaires, 1946;
Schmandt, Raymond H."The election and assassination of Albert of Louvain,
Bishop of Liege, 1191-92." Speculum, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Oct., 1967), pp.
639-660; Segal A.."Paléopathologie autour des reliques de Saint-Albert de
Louvain = Paleopathology around St Albert of Lowen's Relics." Histoire
des sciences médicales, Vol. 32, No. 2 (1988), pp. 115-122.
Webgraphy. Biography,
in English; biography,
in French; his
arms and biography, in French, p. 189-191; biographical
entry, in French; biography,
in German; biographical
entry, in German; portrait
and biography, in Norwegian; photograph
of his craneum and his biography, in Flemish, p. 35-30; his
genealogy, A1 B2 C1 D1 E2; Schisme
de l'Église Liégeoise, in French.
(1) Vita Alberti
episcopi Leodiensis, edited by I. Heller, Monumenta Germaniæ Historica,
Scriptores (Berlin, 1880), XXV, 139-168.
©1998-2015 Salvador
Miranda.
SOURCE : http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas//bios1192.htm
Sant' Alberto di Lovanio Vescovo
e martire
Martirologio Romano: A
Reims in Francia, passione di sant’Alberto di Louvain, vescovo di Liegi e
martire, che fu costretto all’esilio per aver difeso la libertà della Chiesa e
fu ucciso nello stesso anno in cui era stato ordinato.
Molte fonti, di tendenze
opposte, ma che manifestano un accordo rimarchevole sugli avvenimenti
principali, ci ragguagliano su sant'Alberto. La principale, la Vita Alberti,
conservata solamente nel ms. 723-727 della Biblioteca reale del Belgio a
Bruxelles, fu composta da un anonimo che venne abbondantemente documentato
dall'abate di Lobbes, Wéres (m.1209), amico molto intimo di Alberto di Lovanio
(l'opinione di G. Kurth, che attribuisce la Vita Alberti all'arcidiacono
Hervard di Liegi, non ha incontrato punto credito). Scritta durante il 1194 o
all'inizio del 1195, la Vita contiene qualche raro errore - a dire il vero
delle inezie (ai capi 3 e 5) - e qualche omissione che sembra dovuta a una
certa parzialità: poiché, nonostante le sue grandi qualità, la Vita Alberti è
un panegirico. Una seconda fonte è il Chronicon Hannoniense di Gisleberto di
Mons terminato nel 1196; una terza - alcune righe - è la cronaca analitica di
Lamberto il Piccolo (m.1194), monaco di S. Giacomo di Liegi; una quarta, la
continuazione di Anchin della Cronaca di Sigeberto di Gembloux (sul valore di
questa documentazione vedere lo studio acuto di È. de Moreau).
Fratello minore di Enrico
I, duca di Brabante, Alberto fu destinato da suo padre, Gedefredo III, allo
stato ecclesiastico. Essendo morto nella terza Crociata Raoul (Rodolfo) di
Zabringen, vescovo di Liegi, i canonici, sotto il patronato del duca, elessero
Alberto per sostituire il vescovo deceduto; era l'8 settembre 1191 e Alberto
aveva ca. venticinque anni. Il conte di Hainaut e di Fiandra aveva appoggiato
la candidatura di Alberto di Rethel. Così si trovarono in conflitto i due
principali sovrani dei Paesi Bassi. L'imperatore Enrico VI, che doveva
confermare l'elezione e conferire l'investitura al novello vescovo, diede,
contro ogni diritto, il vescovato a un terzo candidato, Lotario di Hochstade.
Malgrado tutto, Alberto si fece consacrare a Reims, ma fu costretto a restare
in questa città, non permettendo l'imperatore di stabilirsi nel principato di
Liegi. Poco dopo il suo arrivo a Reims, alcuni malfattori alemanni lo
raggiunsero, ne guadagnarono la fiducia e lo assassinarono il 24 novembre 1192.
Una parte della responsabilità di questo crimine pesa sull'imperatore.
Fu necessario attendere
il principio del sec. XVII per ottenere il riconoscimento del culto di
sant'Alberto: alla domanda dell'arciduca Alberto, Paolo V il 9 agosto 1613
permise di celebrare la sua festa, a Bruxelles e a Reims, il 21 novembre (per
errore essendo stato iscritto il santo a questa data nel Martirologio piuttosto
che al 24 dello stesso mese); l'arciduca Alberto ottenne pure di far trasferire
a Bruxelles quelle che si credeva fossero le sue ossa e le fece deporre presso
i Carmelitani. Da questo prezioso deposito furono separate alcune reliquie, nel
1892, in favore delle chiese di Lovanio, Malines e Liegi e, nel 1905, in favore
dell'abbazia di Mont-Césa a Lovanio. Nel 1919, in seguito ai restauri della
cattedrale di Reims sinistrata, si apprese che nel sec. XVII ci si era
ingannati: le ossa di sant'Alberto giacevano sempre a Reims e i particolari
della Vita Alberti lo provavano pienamente. Si procedette a uno scambio,
cosicché attualmente il corpo di sant'Alberto riposa nel Belgio, dove,
soprattutto dal 1914, è venerato come patrono.
Autore: Albert
d'Haenens
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/78940
Sant’Alberto
di Liegi o da Lovanio
Arcivescovo di Liegi (Liegi
1166 circa – Reims 1192). Fratello minore di Enrico I°, duca di Brabante, fu
destinato sin dall'infanzia alla carriera ecclesiastica. Nel medioevo infatti,
poiché i figli cadetti non potevano ereditare il titolo, veniva loro imposto di
ritirarsi a vita religiosa.
Comunque Alberto aveva
veramente la vocazione. Quando il Vescovo di Liegi, Rodolfo di Zabringen, morì
partecipando alla terza Crociata, fu eletto al suo posto, nonostante avesse
solo venticinque anni (anche perchè i canonici di Liegi erano sotto il
patronato del duca suo fratello)
Ma il conte di Hainaut e
di Fiandra sosteneva la candidatura di Alberto di Rethet, e così i due
principali signori dei Paesi Bassi si trovarono in conflitto, che fu risolto
dall'Imperatore Enrico VI° investendo un terzo candidato, Lotario di Hochstade.
Ricorse a Roma presso il
papa Celestino III, che lo confermò e lo fece cardinale diacono. Nel suo
viaggio di ritorno si fermò a Reims, dove fu consacrato vescovo il 20 settembre
1192, ma il 24 novembre fu assassinato dagli emissari dell'imperatore nei dintorni
di Reims. Patrono dei panettieri, è festeggiato il 21 novembre.
SOURCE : https://ora-et-labora.net/albertosantiebeati.htm#_Toc105147459
Albertus (ook Albrecht) van
Leuven (ook van Brabant of van Luik),België, bisschop
& martelaar; †
1192.
Feest 21 &
† 24 & 25 & 27 (België) november.
Albert werd rond 1166
geboren als zoon van hertog Godfried III van Lotharingen Margaretha van
Limburg. Zijn ouders hadden hem voorbestemd voor een geestelijke carrière en zo
werd hij op amper 12-jarige leeftijd in 1178 als kanunnik verbonden
aan de St-Lambertuskerk te Luik. Maar Albertus was een eigenzinnig kereltje.
Hij werd liever ridder. In 1187 ontving hij te Valenciennes de ridderslag van
graaf Boudewijn V van Henegouwen. Maar toen een jaar later zijn bisschop
besloot op kruistocht te gaan naar het Heilige Land, verzaakte hij aan zijn
ridderplicht en weigerde mee te gaan. Hij keerde terug naar zijn baan van kanunnik en werd
bovendien aartsdiaken van Brabant. Nog altijd even onbesuisd en eigenwijs koos
hij in een conflict tussen Arnold van Diest en de abdij van Tomgeren de zijde
van Arnold. Maar de kerkelijke rechtbank van Keulen stelde hem in het ongelijk.
Op 5 augustus 1191 stierf
de prins-bisschop van Luik, Radolf van Zeringen. Dit bisdom werd al sinds
geruime tijd betwist door Brabant en Henegouwen. Er waren dan ook twee
kandidaten voor de opvolging: aartsdiaken Albert van Leuven, die door Barbant
naar voren werd geschoven, en Albert van Rethel, aartsdiaken van Henegouwen:
hij werd gesteund door Boudewijn V. De Brabantse Albert werd met bijna algemene
stemmen gekozen: 8 september 1191. Dat was tegen de zin van keizer Hendrik VI
(† 1197); deze was beducht voor de invloed van Brabant. Hij zag liever iemand
op die zetel die onder zijn invloed stond; op de Rijksdag van Worms benoemde
hij dan ook zonder pardon zijn eigen kandidaat Lotharius van Hofstade,
eveneens kanunnik aan
de St-Lambertus en proost van
Bonn.
Dat nam de pas gekozen
Albertus niet. Hij toog naar Rome om bij de paus Coelestinus III († 1198) zijn
gelijk te halen. Omdat hij een aanslag vreesde, vermomde hij zich als
stalknecht en wapendrager. De paus bevestigde de geldigheid van zijn keuze en
maakte hem bij die gelegenheid meteen tot kardinaal. Maar bij zijn terugkeer
weigerde de keizer alle medewerking, zodat Albert voor zijn bisschopswijding
moest uitwijken naar Reims. Op 19 en 20 september 1192 werd hij daar door
aartsbisschop Guillaume de Champagne achtereenvolgens tot priester en bisschop
gewijd. Toch kon hij niet terug naar zijn bisschopsstad. Vanuit Reims bestuurde
hij zo goed mogelijk zijn bisdom, terwijl intussen op last van keizer Hendrik
de huizen van Albertus’ aanhangers systematisch werden verwoest. Van zijn broer
ontving hij geen enkele steun.
Door dit alles werd hij
een eenzaam man, die een teruggetrokken leven leidde. Mensen die in zijn
omgeving kwaad spraken van de zetbaas Lotharius op zijn zetel te Luik, legde
hij het zwijgen op. Men zegt zelfs dat hij mild, beminnelijk en wijs was
geworden. Zo is het mogelijk dat hij ondanks waarschuwingen uit zijn omgeving
zo'n twee maanden later in Reims drie Duitse ridders ontving die vertelden dat
zij verbannen waren. Hij nam ze bij zich op. Zij maakten van een wandeling
gebruik om Albert de schedel in te slaan en gruwelijk te verminken: 24
september 1192. Later bleek dat keizer Hendrik VI de moordenaars met grote
hartelijkheid op zijn paleis ontving en ruimschoots beloonde.
Verering & Cultuur
Onmiddellijk na zijn dood werd Albert beschouwd als martelaar van de
vrijheid van de kerk tegenover de staat. Tot 1612 rustte zijn stoffelijk
overschot in Reims. Toen werd het overgebracht naar de karmelieten te Brussel.
Vandaar gingen er relieken naar kerken in Leuven, Mechelen en Luik.
Een jaar later gaf paus Paulus V († 1621) zijn goedkeuring aan Alberts verering.
Bij
opgravingswerkzaamheden onder de kathedraal van Reims dacht men op 26 september
1919 het graf van aartsbisschop Odalrik, bijgenaamd 'de Eerbiedwaardige', te
hebben aangetroffen, maar bij onderzoek bleek het de resten te bevatten van
Albertus van Leuven! Daaruit trok men de conclusie dat de relieken van 1612 aan
Odalrik hadden toebehoord.
Albertus wordt afgebeeld
als bisschop (tabberd, mijter, staf); met drie zwaarden, zijn moordwapens; met
mes, degen of zwaard in de hand of in zijn lichaam gestoken; met het wapen van
Brabant.
[000»boek:Moreau-Edouard; Bau.1925; Bei.1983; BjL.1986p:38; Bri.1953»01.24;
Bvl.1985p:10-11; Lin.1999; Rge.1989; Rgf.1991; Sck.z.j.:23; Vce.1990; Dries van
den Akker s.j./2005.12.19]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://www.heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/11/24/11-24-1192-albertus.php
Dom Boniface dei Marmol,
0. S. Β. Saint Albert de Louvain [compte rendu] De Moreau E. Revue
belge de philologie et d'histoire Année 1923 Volume 2 Numéro
1 pp. 123-129 : http://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_1923_num_2_1_6218_t1_0123_0000_2
"Schmandt, Raymond H. "The Election and Assassination of Albert of Louvain, Bishop of Liège, 1191-92." Speculum 42.4 (1967): 639-60". Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150618041234/http://scholarship.sju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2143&context=hist_fac
