Heribert of Cologne, St.

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HERIBERT OF COLOGNE, ST.

Archbishop of Cologne; b. c. 970; d. March 16, 1021. Heribert, son of Count Hugo of Worms, was educated at the cathedral school of Worms and the monastic school of gorze; he was later a canon at Worms and became archbishop of Cologne in 999. Heribert was friend, adviser, and companion of otto iii, under whom he was made chancellor of Italian affairs in 994, and of German affairs in 998. He was present at Otto's death in Paterno, Italy, on Jan. 23, 1002. While bringing the emperor's body and the imperial insignia to aachen, he incurred the enmity of Duke Henry of Bavaria (later Emperor henry ii), who wished to secure the insignia for himself. They were reconciled shortly before Heribert's death. Though the bull of his canonization by Pope gregory vii is almost certainly a forgery, Heribert seems to have led an exemplary life of piety and devotion to the poor. He is buried in the monastery at Deutz, which he founded with the help of Otto III.

Feast: March 16.

Bibliography: Sources. lambert of deutz, Vita and Miracula, Monumenta Germaniae Scriptores (Berlin 1825) 4:740753; 15.2:124560. Acta Sanctorum (Paris 1863) March 2:459485. rupert of deutz, Vita Heriberti,, critical ed. with commentary by p. dinter (Bonn 1976). Literature. j. kleinermanns, Die Heiligen auf dem bischöflichen Stuhle von Köln, 2 v. (Cologne 189698) v.2. a. hauck, Kirchengeschichte Deutschlands, 5 v. (9th ed. Berlin-Leipzig 1958) 3:397398. w. neuss, ed., Geschichte des Erzbistums Köln, v.1 (Cologne 1965) 174180. h. mÜller, Heribert, Kanzler Ottos III. und Erzbischof von Köln (Cologne 1977).

[m. f. mccarthy]

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