ALDEBERT AND CLEMENT

Pseudosaints; fl. first half of the 8th century, in Neustria. Aldebert (or Adalbert) had himself and his Irish disciple Clement ordained by ignorant Gallic bishops in defiance of regular canonical forms. He claimed to have visions, to have special knowledge of the angels, to be able to read consciences, and to perform miracles. As proof he exhibited a letter from Christ, which he said had fallen from heaven at Jerusalem. Ignorant country people, especially women, proclaimed his virtues those of a saint and a prophet. At the urging of boniface he was condemned (March 744) at the Synod of Soissons. The condemnation was repeated at general Frankish councils in 745 and 747 and at a Roman council in October of 745. After 747 Aldebert and Clement disappeared from history.

Bibliography: Die Briefe des heiligen Bonifatius und Lullus, ed. m. tangl, Monumenta Germaniae Historica Epistolae selactae, 1:109–118, 160. Monumenta Germaniae Historica Concilia, 2.1:33–50. c. j. von hefele, Histoire des conciles d'après les documents originaux, tr. and continued by h. leclercq, 3:846, 874. c. de clercq, La Législation religieuse franque …, 2 v. (Paris Antwerp 1936–58) 1:123–124. t. schieffer, Winfrid-Bonifatius und die christliche Grundlegung Europas (Freiburg 1954). a. m. landraf, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 1: 298.

[c. p. loughran]