Sasbout Vosmeer
Encyclopedia
Sasbout Vosmeer was the first apostolic vicar to the Dutch Mission
.
families in Delft
. He studied in Leuven
and ordained priest in 1572 by archbishop of Utrecht Frederik V Schenck van Toutenburg
. He then continued his studies in Leuven and Cologne
, before in 1579 settling in Delft, where he intervened in mission work.
In 1582 Vosmeer was in Rome
and in 1583 he returned to Delft, where on 1 May he was made vicar general
to the Archdiocese of Utrecht
. In 1592 he delegated powers over all dioceses in the church-province of Utrecht to the nuncio in Cologne
and in 1601 he made Albertus Eggius vicar general of the diocese of Haarlem. When this became known to the States of Holland Vosmeer was searched out and Eggius imprisoned for some years. Then, at the start of the 17th century, Vosmeer was officially appointed to head the Catholic community in the Dutch Republic
as vicar apostolic by Pope Clement VIII
in Rome
on 22 September 1602, on which occasion he was also made titular archbishop of Philippi (since it was impossible to make him archbishop of Utrecht
). This was against the wishes of the archduke
s who, by the 1559 Concordat
, demanded the right to nominate the apostolic vicar.
When it became clear that his role was to reorganise the Dutch Catholic church he was banned from the Republic in 1603, continuing the Mission's work from Cologne. In 1613 he founded the Collegium Alticollense in Cologne to train priests for the diocese of Utrecht and another in Leuven to train priests for the diocese of Haarlem. Since there was a shortage of priests, no structure was set up for the Mission by Vosmeer. In 1606 Vosmeer was in Groenlo
during its siege
by Prince Maurice
.
Vosmeer tended towards inflexibility and instructed believers to refuse any decision of the States that could lead to an emergency, though this policy of his led to criticism from the Jesuits. He also gained the head of Balthasar Gérard
, murderer of William the Silent
, and kept it in Cologne, as well as taking it to Rome in a failed attempt to have Gérard canonised. Vosmeer was succeeded as vicar apostolic by Philippus Rovenius
.
Dutch Mission
The Dutch Mission was from 1592 until 1853 the name of the former Catholic Church province of Utrecht in the area of the current Netherlands....
.
Life
Vosmeer's father and mother were both from regentenRegenten
In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the regenten were the rulers of the Dutch Republic, the leaders of the Dutch cities or the heads of organisations . Though not formally a hereditary "class", they were de facto "patricians", comparable to that ancient Roman class...
families in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
. He studied in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
and ordained priest in 1572 by archbishop of Utrecht Frederik V Schenck van Toutenburg
Frederik V Schenck van Toutenburg
Frederik Schenck van Toutenburg was the first archbishop of Utrecht .-Biography:The son of Georg Schenck van Toutenburg, he graduated in law at the Reichskammergericht in Speyer...
. He then continued his studies in Leuven and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, before in 1579 settling in Delft, where he intervened in mission work.
In 1582 Vosmeer was in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and in 1583 he returned to Delft, where on 1 May he was made vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
to the Archdiocese of Utrecht
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht
The Archdiocese of Utrecht is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archdiocese is the metropolitan for 6 suffragans, the dioceses of Breda, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Roermond, Rotterdam, and 's-Hertogenbosch....
. In 1592 he delegated powers over all dioceses in the church-province of Utrecht to the nuncio in Cologne
Apostolic Nuncio to Cologne
The Apostolic Nunciature to Cologne was an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church established in 1584. The nuncios were accredited to the Achbishop-Electorates of Cologne, Mainz and Trier...
and in 1601 he made Albertus Eggius vicar general of the diocese of Haarlem. When this became known to the States of Holland Vosmeer was searched out and Eggius imprisoned for some years. Then, at the start of the 17th century, Vosmeer was officially appointed to head the Catholic community in the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
as vicar apostolic by Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 22 September 1602, on which occasion he was also made titular archbishop of Philippi (since it was impossible to make him archbishop of Utrecht
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht
The Archdiocese of Utrecht is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archdiocese is the metropolitan for 6 suffragans, the dioceses of Breda, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Roermond, Rotterdam, and 's-Hertogenbosch....
). This was against the wishes of the archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
s who, by the 1559 Concordat
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
, demanded the right to nominate the apostolic vicar.
When it became clear that his role was to reorganise the Dutch Catholic church he was banned from the Republic in 1603, continuing the Mission's work from Cologne. In 1613 he founded the Collegium Alticollense in Cologne to train priests for the diocese of Utrecht and another in Leuven to train priests for the diocese of Haarlem. Since there was a shortage of priests, no structure was set up for the Mission by Vosmeer. In 1606 Vosmeer was in Groenlo
Groenlo
Groenlo is a city in the municipality of Oost Gelre, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands on the German border, a region in the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek . Groenlo was a municipality until January 1, 2005, when it merged with Lichtenvoorde. Until May 19 2006 Groenlo...
during its siege
Siege of Groenlo (1606)
The Siege of Groenlo was a siege of Groenlo or Grol in 1606 during the Dutch Revolt. It lasted from 3 to 14 August 1606 and ended in the city being captured from the United Provinces by a Spanish Empire force under Ambrosio Spinola. A few months later Prince Maurice attempted to retake the city but...
by Prince Maurice
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange from 1618, on the death of his eldest half brother, Philip William, Prince of Orange,...
.
Vosmeer tended towards inflexibility and instructed believers to refuse any decision of the States that could lead to an emergency, though this policy of his led to criticism from the Jesuits. He also gained the head of Balthasar Gérard
Balthasar Gérard
Balthasar Gérard was the assassin of the Dutch independence leader, William I of Orange...
, murderer of William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
, and kept it in Cologne, as well as taking it to Rome in a failed attempt to have Gérard canonised. Vosmeer was succeeded as vicar apostolic by Philippus Rovenius
Philippus Rovenius
Philippus Rovenius, in Dutch Filips van Rouveen was apostolic vicar of the Dutch Mission from 1614 to 1651.-Life:...
.