John of Wildeshausen
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John of Wildeshausen O.P. | |
---|---|
Diocese of Bosnia | |
Installed | 1233 |
Term ended | 1237 |
Other post(s) | Master General of the Dominican Order (1241-1252) |
Orders | |
Consecration | 1233 |
Personal details | |
Born | ca. 1180 |
Died | 4 November 1252 Strasbourg, France |
Buried | Priory Church of St. Bartholomew Strasbourg, France (destroyed 16th century) |
Nationality | German |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
John of Wildeshausen,
Biography
Early life
John, a nobleman, was born in his family's castle in Wildeshausen, Westphalia about 1180, where he received his early education. When he was of age, he went to Bologna to advance his studies. The records show that he showed himself to have an extremely agile mind and winning personality. This is shown in the fast friendship John forged with the teenaged Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II when they met during a stay Frederick made while returning home from a diplomatic mission, sometime about 1212. This was despite a significant disparity in age between them. John accompanied Frederick back to their homeland, where he joined the imperial court.
It would appear that court life did not agree with John, as he soon returned to Bologna, where he came to know the Dominican Order. Despite his age and standing (possibly already having received
Provincial and bishop
In 1224 he was called to Rome by
Upon his return to Rome, John was then assigned to join his friend and fellow Dominican, Paul of Hungary, to serve as Prior Provincial of the new
John was not to rest in his retirement, as he was almost immediately sent in 1237 as an envoy of
Master General
In 1240, the incumbent Master General of the Order, Raymond of Penyafort, resigned the office. Thus, when the next General Chapter met in Paris on 19 May 1241, choosing his successor was at the head of their agenda. John attended the Chapter in his capacity as Prior Provincial. To his surprise and dismay, they chose him.
Among his many achievements during his administration was the continued policy of fidelity to the Papacy without needless criticism of secular rulers. He oversaw the completion of liturgical texts proper to the Order. He traveled throughout Europe visiting the different monasteries of the Order, still traveling on foot, with just his staff for support. He preached in five languages, and had good relations with the
Under his lead, the General Chapters decided two important changes in the Constitutions: The General Chapters would no longer alternate only between Bologna and Paris, but, by agreement, they were to be held: 1245 in Cologne, 1247 in Montpellier, 1249 in Trier and 1250 in London. The university monopoly of Paris was broken and from 1248 new general houses of study were established in Montpellier, Bologna, Cologne and Oxford.
John provided for the standardization of the Dominican liturgy; and gave the Order a firmer structure. He particularly promoted the missions and study.
Death
In obedience to a command of
He was initially buried in the church of the first monastery of the friars by Strasbourg, which was outside the walls of the city. By 1260, a new priory had been built within the city proper, one dedicated to St. Bartholomew. The General Chapter was held there that year, in the course of which John's remains were transported to the new church and re-interred there.
John was considered a saint during his life, and after death was venerated as saint, both within the Order and without. Documents were drawn up by his successor,
See also
Notes
- ^ John of Wildeshausen Bishop And Master General Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- BBK page (in German)