Diocese of Strängnäs
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Strängnäs is a part of the Church of Sweden
and has its seat in Strängnäs Cathedral
in Strängnäs
, south of Lake Mälaren. The diocese is made up of the two provinces Närke
and Södermanland
(except for eastern Södermanland, which belongs to Stockholm County
and the diocese of Stockholm).
The diocese was first a suffragan of the Diocese of Lund
, which in 1104 was elevated to an archdiocese and became the metropolitan of all of Scandinavia. From 1164 on Strängnäs was suffragan to the archbishop of Uppsala
. It was established during the 12th century by the English missionary
Saint Eskil
.
and his companion, Witmar, having reached Björkö
(Birka), an island in Lake Mälaren and a great centre of trade, were well received and made many converts. Returning to Germany in 831, Ansgar was made first Archbishop of Hamburg by Gregory IV and given a share in the superintendence of the Northern Mission hitherto exercised by Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims
. Ebbo's relative Gautbert (Simon) became archbishop of Sweden and built a church at Birka. This success incurred the enmity of the heathen Swedes, who drove him from the country in 837, and slew his relative Nithard. Ansgar sent Ardgeir to Sweden in 844, but he did not stay long. Ansgar revisited Björkö in 853, when a law tolerating Christianity was passed, and until 865 Rimbert
, Ansgar's biographer and successor, and other missionaries worked there. In 936 Hamburg-Bremen's archbishop Unni
visited Björkö and died there. In 1066 the city was utterly destroyed.
and was killed. Saint Botvid
, a native layman converted in England, continued the preaching of Christianity until his murder on 28 July 1120 by a Slavonic captive whom he had redeemed. About this time Ragnhild
, wife of King Inge II
, died and was buried at Södertälje
, of which town she became the patron saint
. In 1152 the limits of the diocese of Strängnäs were determined at an assembly at Linköping
. The first bishop was Gerder (1129–59), who founded a school at the Cluniac monastery of Strängnäs.
He was succeeded by Bishop William (1160–1208). In 1160 the Cistercian abbey of Juleta
was founded. In 1165 Närke
(Nerike) was added to the diocese. About this time the building of Strängnäs Cathedral
was begun. In 1176 or 1179 the new stone church at Botkyrka was consecrated by Bishop William and Stefan, Archbishop of Uppsala; the relics of Botvid were translated to it. A hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
was built over the grave of Saint Eskil, and was restored in 1255. Bishop Olaf or Ulf Bonde (1208–24), called Basatömer, a nephew of King Saint Eric, was transferred to Upsala.
The see lay vacant for nine years, but in 1233 Bishop Trogil was elected. About this time the Cistercian nunnery of Vårfruberga
on the island of Fogdö and in 1234 the Franciscan
priory at Nykoping were founded. About 1250 Frogil was succeeded by Kol, who resigned in 1257 and was succeeded by Bishop Finved (1257–75). About 1268 the Dominican priory at Strängnäs was founded. In 1291 Bishop Annund (1275–91) consecrated the cathedral, which was burnt down on the same day, and rebuilt by Isarus, the next bishop (1291–1303). In 1305 it was decided that the city of Stockholm
belonged to Uppsala, but Södermalm
belonged to Strängnäs.
The poet Thomas Simonsson
(1380–1443) was bishop 1429 – 1443. The most famous of the later bishops was Conrad Rogge (1479–1501), a doctor of Perugia
in northern Italy and a learned humanist. He built the present cathedral choir about 1481, and founded a charterhouse
at Svartsjo about 1493 and a hospital for aged and infirm priests at Strängnäs in 1496. In 1495 he had the Breviary
of Strengnäs printed at Stockholm in a revised edition.
His successor, Matthias Gregerson Lilje, was the protector of "the Swedish Luther", Olaus Petri Phase
(b. at Örebro, 1493), who, having studied as a disciple of Martin Luther
and Melancthon at Wittenberg
in Saxony (1516–18), returned to Strängnäs in 1519. The bishop made him chancellor of the diocese and master of the cathedral school
, and in 1520 he was ordained deacon
and became a canon
of Strengnäs. There he taught Lutheranism
, a form of belief with which Bishop Gregerson was entirely unacquainted. The bishop was beheaded on 8 November 1520 during the massacre at Stockholm.
, and numerous ancient village churches bear witness to the piety of the inhabitants in Catholic times.
Three provincial synods were held at Telge in the Diocese of Strängnäs in 1279, 1341 and 1380. The first two issued statutes on matters concerning the discipline of the clergy, while the synod of 1380 threatened with various penalties those who molested the tenants of church lands.
The "Sondermannalagen", a code of laws published early in the fourteenth century for the people of Sodermanland
, contains a number of ecclesiastical laws.
Among other institutions, there was in the diocese the chapter
of the cathedral, funded about 1288, which counted thirteen members at the end of the fifteenth century, besides which there were a least eighteen chaplains, who served the eighteen altars. The diocese contained in addition Mariefred Charterhouse
(1491–1526), and Orebro Priory, founded by the Carmelites in 1418.
who had become archdeacon
of Strängnäs in 1520. He greatly favoured Olaus Petri
, and as chancellor of king Gustavus Vasa
(1523) he promoted the interests of Protestantism. The last Catholic bishop of Strängnäs, if he can be called so, was Magnus Sommar (1528–36), dean of Strängnäs in 1518, nominated bishop by Gustavus Vasa in 1522, and consecrated without papal confirmation by Petrus Magni, bishop of Västerås, 6 January 1528. Messenius states that the bishops elect signed a document in which they promised to go to Rome to seek papal confirmation, and thus persuaded Petrus Magni to proceed to the consecration. Magnus Sommar was very submissive towards the king, but his concessions did not save him. He was deposed and imprisoned, and released in order that he might retire to the monastery of Krokek
.
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
and has its seat in Strängnäs Cathedral
Strängnäs Cathedral
Strängnäs Cathedral is a cathedral church in Strängnäs, Sweden, since the Protestant Reformation the seat of the Lutheran Diocese of Strängnäs.It is built mainly of bricks in the characteristic Scandinavian Brick Gothic style...
in Strängnäs
Strängnäs
Strängnäs is a locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 12,296 inhabitants in 2005. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, a former Roman Catholic and present Lutheran Diocese, with the Strängnäs Cathedral, built...
, south of Lake Mälaren. The diocese is made up of the two provinces Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
and Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
(except for eastern Södermanland, which belongs to Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
and the diocese of Stockholm).
The diocese was first a suffragan of the Diocese of Lund
Diocese of Lund
-External links:* from Nordisk Familjebok, in Swedish...
, which in 1104 was elevated to an archdiocese and became the metropolitan of all of Scandinavia. From 1164 on Strängnäs was suffragan to the archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
. It was established during the 12th century by the English missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Saint Eskil
Saint Eskil
Saint Eskil was an Anglo-Saxon monk particularly venerated during the end of the 11th century in the Province of Södermanland, Sweden. He was the founder of the first Diocese of the lands surrounding Lake Mälaren, today the Diocese of Strängnäs...
.
Missionary period
In 829 AnsgarAnsgar
Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. The see of Hamburg was designated a "Mission to bring Christianity to the North", and Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North".-Life:After his mother’s early death Ansgar was brought up in Corbie Abbey, and made rapid...
and his companion, Witmar, having reached Björkö
Björkö
Björkö can signify:# In Sweden:## Björkö, a Lake Mälaren island in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, the location for the excavation and World Heritage Site Birka....
(Birka), an island in Lake Mälaren and a great centre of trade, were well received and made many converts. Returning to Germany in 831, Ansgar was made first Archbishop of Hamburg by Gregory IV and given a share in the superintendence of the Northern Mission hitherto exercised by Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims
Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims
Ebbo was archbishop of Rheims from 816 until 835 and again from 840 to 841. He was born a German serf on the royal demesne of Charlemagne. He was educated at his court and became the librarian and councillor of Louis the Pious, king of Aquitaine, son of Charlemagne...
. Ebbo's relative Gautbert (Simon) became archbishop of Sweden and built a church at Birka. This success incurred the enmity of the heathen Swedes, who drove him from the country in 837, and slew his relative Nithard. Ansgar sent Ardgeir to Sweden in 844, but he did not stay long. Ansgar revisited Björkö in 853, when a law tolerating Christianity was passed, and until 865 Rimbert
Rimbert
Saint Rimbert was archbishop of Bremen-Hamburg from 865 until his death.A monk in Turholt , he shared a missionary trip to Scandinavia with his friend Ansgar, whom he later succeeded as archbishop in Hamburg-Bremen in 865...
, Ansgar's biographer and successor, and other missionaries worked there. In 936 Hamburg-Bremen's archbishop Unni
Unni (archbishop)
Saint Unni was an archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen . He died as a missionary in Birka in Sweden, where he tried to continue Ansgar's work....
visited Björkö and died there. In 1066 the city was utterly destroyed.
Pre-Reformation bishops
Late legend has it that Saint Eskil, an English bishop, disturbed a heathen sacrifice held at Strängnäs by king Blot-SweynBlot-Sweyn
Sweyn was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Sweyn in the regnal list of the Westrogothic law, which suggests that his rule did not reach...
and was killed. Saint Botvid
Saint Botvid
-Biography:Botvid, who was born in Södermanland, Sweden, went on a trade trip to England and where he came into contact with Christianity and was converted to the Christian faith. Botvid was sent back as a missionary to Sweden by Saint Sigfrid of Växjö along with Saint David and Saint Eskil. The...
, a native layman converted in England, continued the preaching of Christianity until his murder on 28 July 1120 by a Slavonic captive whom he had redeemed. About this time Ragnhild
Ragnhild
Ragnhild of Tälje is a local saint whose veneration is attested in late Medieval Sweden and whose name was particularly associated with the church in Södertälje in the province of Södermanland and the diocese of Strängnäs. According to tradition, she was also Queen, married to King Inge II of Sweden...
, wife of King Inge II
Inge II of Sweden
Inge the Younger was King of Sweden in 1110–1125 and the son of king Halsten and he was probably Halsten's youngest son. According to unreliable traditions Inge would have ruled together with his brother Philip Halstensson after the death of their uncle Inge the Elder:Hallstein's sons were Philip...
, died and was buried at Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
, of which town she became the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
. In 1152 the limits of the diocese of Strängnäs were determined at an assembly at Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
. The first bishop was Gerder (1129–59), who founded a school at the Cluniac monastery of Strängnäs.
He was succeeded by Bishop William (1160–1208). In 1160 the Cistercian abbey of Juleta
Julita Abbey
Julita Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in the parish of Julita in Oppunda Hundred, Södermanland, Sweden.The monastery was originally founded in 1160 at Viby, close to Sigtuna, but under the patronage of King Knut Eriksson, who donated land and a right to parts of the fishing at Älvkarleby, it was...
was founded. In 1165 Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
(Nerike) was added to the diocese. About this time the building of Strängnäs Cathedral
Strängnäs Cathedral
Strängnäs Cathedral is a cathedral church in Strängnäs, Sweden, since the Protestant Reformation the seat of the Lutheran Diocese of Strängnäs.It is built mainly of bricks in the characteristic Scandinavian Brick Gothic style...
was begun. In 1176 or 1179 the new stone church at Botkyrka was consecrated by Bishop William and Stefan, Archbishop of Uppsala; the relics of Botvid were translated to it. A hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
was built over the grave of Saint Eskil, and was restored in 1255. Bishop Olaf or Ulf Bonde (1208–24), called Basatömer, a nephew of King Saint Eric, was transferred to Upsala.
The see lay vacant for nine years, but in 1233 Bishop Trogil was elected. About this time the Cistercian nunnery of Vårfruberga
Vårfruberga Abbey
Vårfruberga Abbey , previously Fogdö Abbey was a Cistercian nunnery from the 12th century until 1527, situated 1 mile north-west of Strängnäs on the Fogdö peninsula in Lake Mälaren, formerly a parish, in Södermanland, Sweden....
on the island of Fogdö and in 1234 the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priory at Nykoping were founded. About 1250 Frogil was succeeded by Kol, who resigned in 1257 and was succeeded by Bishop Finved (1257–75). About 1268 the Dominican priory at Strängnäs was founded. In 1291 Bishop Annund (1275–91) consecrated the cathedral, which was burnt down on the same day, and rebuilt by Isarus, the next bishop (1291–1303). In 1305 it was decided that the city of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
belonged to Uppsala, but Södermalm
Södermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
belonged to Strängnäs.
The poet Thomas Simonsson
Thomas Simonsson
Thomas Simonsson was a Swedish theologian and poet and the Bishop of Diocese of Strängnäs 1429 – 1443, in the Church of Sweden. He is of unknown origin....
(1380–1443) was bishop 1429 – 1443. The most famous of the later bishops was Conrad Rogge (1479–1501), a doctor of Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
in northern Italy and a learned humanist. He built the present cathedral choir about 1481, and founded a charterhouse
Charterhouse
A Charterhouse is a Carthusian monastery. The word is derived from Chartreuse, the first monastery of the order having been established in a valley of the Chartreuse Mountains.It can refer to numerous monasteries:It can also refer to:...
at Svartsjo about 1493 and a hospital for aged and infirm priests at Strängnäs in 1496. In 1495 he had the Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
of Strengnäs printed at Stockholm in a revised edition.
His successor, Matthias Gregerson Lilje, was the protector of "the Swedish Luther", Olaus Petri Phase
Olaus Petri
Olof Persson , better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri , was a clergyman, writer, and a major contributor to the Protestant Reformation in Sweden...
(b. at Örebro, 1493), who, having studied as a disciple of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Melancthon at Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
in Saxony (1516–18), returned to Strängnäs in 1519. The bishop made him chancellor of the diocese and master of the cathedral school
Cathedral school
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools...
, and in 1520 he was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and became a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Strengnäs. There he taught Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, a form of belief with which Bishop Gregerson was entirely unacquainted. The bishop was beheaded on 8 November 1520 during the massacre at Stockholm.
Cathedral and institutions
The cathedral of Strängnäs with its numerous chapels, one of which now contains a fine museum of ecclesiastical art, the bishop's palace, built about 1490, now the cathedral school, the fine Church of St. Nicholas at the interesting old town of ÖrebroÖrebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, and numerous ancient village churches bear witness to the piety of the inhabitants in Catholic times.
Three provincial synods were held at Telge in the Diocese of Strängnäs in 1279, 1341 and 1380. The first two issued statutes on matters concerning the discipline of the clergy, while the synod of 1380 threatened with various penalties those who molested the tenants of church lands.
The "Sondermannalagen", a code of laws published early in the fourteenth century for the people of Sodermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, contains a number of ecclesiastical laws.
Among other institutions, there was in the diocese the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of the cathedral, funded about 1288, which counted thirteen members at the end of the fifteenth century, besides which there were a least eighteen chaplains, who served the eighteen altars. The diocese contained in addition Mariefred Charterhouse
Mariefred Charterhouse
Mariefred Charterhouse, sometimes referred to as Gripsholm Charterhouse , was a Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, in the present town of Mariefred in Södermanland, Sweden, to which it gave its name; before the building of the monastery the place was known as Gripsholm...
(1491–1526), and Orebro Priory, founded by the Carmelites in 1418.
The Reformation
King Christian II of Sweden gave the bishopric to Jens Andersen Beldenak, Bishop of Odense, who however returned to Denmark in April 1521. During the vacancy the diocese was governed by Laurentius AndreaeLaurentius Andreae
Laurentius Andreae was a Swedish clergyman and scholar who is acknowledged as one of his country's preeminent intellectual figures during the first half of the 16th century...
who had become archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Strängnäs in 1520. He greatly favoured Olaus Petri
Olaus Petri
Olof Persson , better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri , was a clergyman, writer, and a major contributor to the Protestant Reformation in Sweden...
, and as chancellor of king Gustavus Vasa
Gustavus Vasa
Gustavus Vasa may refer to:* King Gustav I of Sweden* The play Gustavus Vasa by Henry Brooke, first English play to be banned under the Licensing Act 1737* Alternate name of Olaudah Equiano, African ex-slave living in 18th century Britain...
(1523) he promoted the interests of Protestantism. The last Catholic bishop of Strängnäs, if he can be called so, was Magnus Sommar (1528–36), dean of Strängnäs in 1518, nominated bishop by Gustavus Vasa in 1522, and consecrated without papal confirmation by Petrus Magni, bishop of Västerås, 6 January 1528. Messenius states that the bishops elect signed a document in which they promised to go to Rome to seek papal confirmation, and thus persuaded Petrus Magni to proceed to the consecration. Magnus Sommar was very submissive towards the king, but his concessions did not save him. He was deposed and imprisoned, and released in order that he might retire to the monastery of Krokek
Krokek
Krokek is a locality situated in Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 4,154 inhabitants in 2005....
.