Adalbert of Prague

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This article is about Saint Adalbert of Prague. For the name, see Adalbert.
Saint

Adalbert of Prague
Bishop and Martyr
Bornc. 956
Libice nad Cidlinou, Duchy of Bohemia
(now the Czech Republic)
Died23 April 997(997-04-23) (aged 40–41)
Święty Gaj or Primorsk, Prussia
(now Poland or Russia)
Venerated inCatholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized999[1], Rome by Pope Sylvester II
Major shrineGniezno, Prague
Feast23 April
Attributesspears [2]
PatronagePoland, Czech Republic, Archdiocese of Esztergom, Archdiocese of Prague (primary), students of Polish literature

Adalbert of Prague (

Baltic Prussians to Christianity. He is said to be the composer of the oldest Czech hymn Hospodine, pomiluj ny and Bogurodzica, the oldest known Polish hymn, but his authorship of them has not been confirmed.[4]

Adalbert was later declared the

Archdiocese of Esztergom in Hungary.[5]

Life

Early years

Born as

Soběslav, Spytimír, Dobroslav, Pořej, and Čáslav.[10] Cosmas also refers to Radim (later Gaudentius) as a brother;[11] who is believed to have been a half-brother by his father's liaison with another woman. After he survived a grave illness in childhood, his parents decided to dedicate him to the service of God. Adalbert was well educated, having studied for approximately ten years (970-80) in Magdeburg under Adalbert of Magdeburg.[12] The young Vojtěch took his tutor's name "Adalbert" at his Confirmation
.

Episcopacy

Monument to Adalbert and his brother Gaudentius, Libice nad Cidlinou, Czech Republic
Adalbert on a seal of the chapter of Gniezno Cathedral (Gnesen)

In 981

Bishop of Prague.[13] Amiable and somewhat worldly, he was not expected to trouble the secular powers by making excessive claims for the Church.[14]
Although Adalbert was from a wealthy family, he avoided comfort and luxury, and was noted for his charity and austerity. After six years of preaching and prayer, he had made little headway in evangelizing the Bohemians, who maintained deeply embedded pagan beliefs.

Adalbert opposed the participation of Christians in the

monastery in Břevnov
(then situated westward from Prague, now part of the city), the second oldest monastery on Czech territory.

In 995, the

Boleslaus II the Pious. During the struggle four or five of Adalbert's brothers were killed. The Zlič Principality became part of the Přemyslids' estate. Adalbert unsuccessfully attempted to protect a noblewoman caught in adultery. She had fled to a convent, where she was killed. In upholding the right of sanctuary, Bishop Adalbert responded by excommunicating the murderers. Butler suggests that the incident was orchestrated by enemies of his family.[14]

After this, Adalbert could not safely stay in Bohemia and escaped from Prague. Strachkvas was eventually appointed to be his successor. However, Strachkvas suddenly died during the liturgy at which he was to accede to his episcopal office in Prague. The cause of his death is still ambiguous. The Pope directed Adalbert to resume his see, but believing that he would not be allowed back, Adalbert requested a brief as an itinerant missionary.[13]

Adalbert then traveled to

then-Duke Boleslaus I and installed as Bishop of Gniezno
.

Mission and martyrdom in Prussia

Boleslaus I
The execution of Saint Adalbert by the pagan Prussians, Gniezno Doors

Adalbert again relinquished his diocese, namely that of Gniezno, and set out as a missionary to preach to the inhabitants near

soldiers with Adalbert on his mission to the Prussians. The Bishop and his companions, entered Prussian territory and traveled along the coast of the Baltic Sea to Gdańsk. At the borders of the Polish realm, at the mouth of the Vistula River, his half-brother Radim (Gaudentius), Benedict-Bogusza (who was probably a Pole), and at least one interpreter, ventured out into Prussia alone, as Bolesław had only sent his soldiers to escort them to the border.[16]

Adalbert achieved some success upon his arrival,[17] however his arrival mostly caused strain upon the local Prussian populations.[16] Partially this was because of the imperious manner with which he preached,[17] but potentially because he preached utilizing a book.[16] The Prussians had an oral society where communication was face to face. To the locals Adalbert reading from a book may have come off as a manifestation of an evil action. He was forced to leave this first village after being struck in the back of the head by an oar by a local chieftain, causing the pages of his book to scatter upon the ground. He and his companions then fled across a river.[16]

In the next place that Adalbert tried to preach, his message was met with the locals banging their sticks upon the ground, calling for the death of Adalbert and his companions. Retreating once again Adalbert and his companions went to a market place of

Boleslaus I of Poland.[17]

Veneration and relics

Silver coffin of Adalbert, Cathedral in Gniezno
Canonical cross of Saint Adalbert by Giennadij Jerszow. Collegiate Capitol in Gdańsk. Silver-Gold 2011
Statue of Saint Adalbert in Prague

A few years after his martyrdom, Adalbert was

Notger von Lüttich, although it was previously assumed that the Roman monk John Canaparius wrote the first Vita in 999. Another famous biographer of Adalbert was Bruno of Querfurt
who wrote a hagiography of him in 1001–4.

Notably, the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia initially refused to ransom Adalbert's body from the Prussians who murdered him, and therefore it was purchased by Poles. This fact may be explained by Adalbert's belonging to the Slavniks family which was rival to the Přemyslids. Thus Adalbert's bones were preserved in

Boleslaus I of Poland
in increasing Polish political and diplomatic power in Europe.

According to Bohemian accounts, in 1039 the Bohemian Duke

Prague Cathedral[18] and Royal Cathedral of Gniezno
, each of which claims to possess his relics, but which of these bones are his authentic relics is unknown. For example, pursuant to both claims two skulls are attributed to Adalbert. The one in Gniezno was stolen in 1923.

The massive bronze doors of Gniezno Cathedral, dating from around 1175, are decorated with eighteen reliefs of scenes from Adalbert's life. They are the only Romanesque ecclesiastical doors in Europe depicting a cycle illustrating the life of a saint, and therefore are a precious relic documenting Adalbert's martyrdom. We can read that door literally and theologically.

The one thousandth anniversary of Adalbert's martyrdom was on 23 April 1997. It was commemorated in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, and other nations. Representatives of

Eastern Orthodox, and Evangelical churches traveled on a pilgrimage to Adalbert's tomb located in Gniezno. Pope John Paul II
visited the cathedral and celebrated a liturgy there in which heads of seven European nations and approximately one million faithful participated.

A ten-meter cross was erected near the village of Beregovoe (formerly Tenkitten), Kaliningrad Oblast, where Adalbert is thought to have been martyred by the Prussians.

Feast day

He is also commemorated on 23 April by

Evangelical Church in Germany[30] and Eastern Orthodox Church.[31]

In popular culture and society

The Dagmar and Václav Havel

VIZE 97
Foundation Prize, given annually to a distinguished thinker "whose work exceeds the traditional framework of scientific knowledge, contributes to the understanding of science as an integral part of general culture and is concerned with unconventional ways of asking fundamental questions about cognition, being and human existence" includes a massive replica of Adalbert's crozier by Czech artist Jiří Plieštík.

St. Vojtech Fellowship was established in 1870 by Slovak Catholic priest Andrej Radlinský. It had facilitated

Episcopal Conference of Slovakia
.

Churches and parishes named for Adalbert

Main article: St. Adalbert's Church

See also

References

  1. ^ ""Saint Adalbert Bishop of Prague", Encyclopædia Britannica". Archived from the original on 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  2. ^ Stracke, Richard (2015-10-20). "Hungarian Saints: Adalbert, Martin, Stanislas, Emeric and Stephen". Christian Iconography. Archived from the original on 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  3. ISBN 978-0-86012-253-1
    .
  4. ^ Vlasto 1970, p. 123.
  5. ^ "Szent Adalbert". Katolikus.hu. Catholic Church in Hungary. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. ^ a b Molnar 1978, p. 12.
  7. ^ Vlasto 1970, p. 97.
  8. ^ a b Cosmas of Prague 2009, pp. 77–78.
  9. ^ Kalhous 2015, p. 10.
  10. ^ Cosmas of Prague 2009, p. 81.
  11. ^ Cosmas of Prague 2009, pp. 87, 156.
  12. ^ a b "St. Adalbert of Prague | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org". 2016-03-04. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  13. ^ a b ""St. Adalbert of Prague", Franciscan Media". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  14. ^ a b Butler 2003, p. 181.
  15. ^ "Monks of Ramsgate. "Adalbert", Book of Saints (1921)". May 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
  16. ^
    ISBN 978-609-425-152-8
    .
  17. ^ a b c d e ""St. Adalbert of Prague", Catholic News Agency". Archived from the original on 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  18. ^ "of Behemia's patron saint Adalbert find new resting place".
  19. ^ "Adalbert von Prag - Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon". www.heiligenlexikon.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  20. ^ Direktorium 2022 (ab Advent 2021) für die Diözesen Innsbruck und Feldkirch.
  21. ^ "OFFICE FOR LITURGY". OFFICE FOR LITURGY. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  22. ^ "Local calendar information". universalis.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  23. ^ Catholic Church (2004). Martyrologium Romanum (2004).
  24. ^ "23 kwietnia: św. Wojciecha, biskupa i męczennika, głównego patrona Polski". ordo.pallotyni.pl. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  25. ^ a b "Adalbert von Prag - Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon". www.heiligenlexikon.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  26. ^ "sv. Radim". catholica.cz. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  27. ^ "Translacja - święto patronalne św. Wojciecha". niedziela.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  28. ^ KAI, Katolicka Agencja Informacyjna (30 November 2001). "Gniezno: uroczystość Przeniesienia Relikwii św. Wojciecha | eKAI". eKAI | Portal Katolickiej Agencji Informacyjnej. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  29. ^ Veszprémy, László. "Szent Adalbert és Magyarország. Historiográfiai áttekintés. Ars Hungarica 26. (1998) 321-338". Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2022-08-19. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ^ "Das Kirchenjahr Evangelischer Sonn- und Feiertagskalender 2016/2017" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
  31. ^ "Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome". www.orthodoxengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
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