[The Image of a Bishop in Romanesque Times (mid-11th – mid-13th Century)]

Abstract: In the 11th century, several reforms took place in the Catholic Church, which also concerned the ministry and position of bishops. Bishops formed only a small but influential part of the life of the Christian community. From the Romanesque period, the first detailed information about the life of bishops from non-hagiographic sources has been preserved. At the same time, requirements were defined as to the characteristics of an orthodox Catholic bishop. During this period, the office of archbishop was established. The bishop was elected by the chapter according to the usual rules. The importance of the cathedral and the episcopal liturgy increased. The bishops reserved some sacramental acts and decisions just for themselves. The four Lateran Councils paid wide attention to the bishops; the article lists all the relevant canons of these councils on bishops. In Romanesque times, the position of the bishop in the Catholic Church was highlighted and strengthened, and at the same time he gained an important place in secular society. The bishops were autonomous vis-à-vis the pope, so the individual dioceses differed from each other, but certain intellectual, cultural and spiritual influences had an impact on the universal Christian community. The bishops had an important say in the administration of the lands, they were advisers to the rulers, and only those who met certain qualities (which was new compared to the previous time) could be bishops, but on the other hand it was not possible to bypass the rulers with the appointment. This heritage was influential until the late middle ages.

Authors: Zubko, Peter

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2020.13.2.52-64

Publication order reference: prof. PhDr. ThDr. Peter Zubko, PhD.; University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Arts, Department of Slovak Language and Literature, Námestie J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Source: Konštatínove listy, 2020, vol.: 13, issue: 2, pages: 52-64 (PDF file)

Keywords: MIDDLE AGES (ROMANESQUE PERIOD), BISHOP, LATERAN COUNCILS, EPISCOPAL RESERVES, CATHEDRAL

Language: SLOVAK