Ansbert (died c. 695), sometimes called Ansbert of Chaussy, was a
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
monk, abbot and
bishop of Rouen
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Ar ...
, today regarded as a saint in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
Early life
Ansbert was born at
Chaussy-sur-Epte, a village in the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
historical area known as the
Vexin
Vexin () is an historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank (north) of the Seine running roughly east to west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle (about 20 km from Rouen), and north to south ...
.
He was born to a noble family, and was highly educated.
He had a significant professional career, and is said to have served as a senior member of the court of the
Merovingian
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
king,
Clotaire III
Chlothar III (or ''Chlotar'', ''Clothar'', ''Clotaire'', ''Chlotochar'', or ''Hlothar'', giving rise to the name Lothair; 652–673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. When Clovis died in 657, ...
.
As such, he was both
chancellor and
referendary Referendary is the English form of a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organizations in Europe.
Pre-modern history
The office of ' (plural: ', from the Latin ', "I inform") existed at the Byzan ...
.
Ansbert was engaged to be
married
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
to another future saint,
Angadrisma.
Her father, said to have been another of Clotaire's chancellors,
arranged
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...
for her to wed his colleague, but Angadrisma – later a
patroness
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
s – prayed for release from this obligation. Tradition states that dispensation was given to her after she was "struck down with
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
",
a disfiguring malady which only disappeared when she joined a
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
.
Some sources state that Ansbert later took a different bride.
Religious vocation
In 673, the same year Clotaire died, Ansbert renounced his secular pursuits and became a monk of the
Benedictine order. Six years later, he was elevated to abbot of his
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
, the illustrious
Fontenelle Abbey. He followed two other saints in that office:
Wandrille
Saint Wandregisel (french: Wandrille) (c. 605–668 AD) was a Frankish courtier, monk, and abbot.
Life
The son of Walchisus, a kinsman of Pepin of Landen, he was born around 605, near Verdun in the region then known as Austrasia. He was educate ...
, the abbey's founder and first abbot, and
Lambert, the second abbot, who vacated the office when he was named bishop of
Lyons.
Under his leadership, Fontenelle prospered. His enterprises included a great expansion and refinement of the abbey's library,
and the establishment of local hospitals for the poor.
During his time as abbot, Ansbert served as the
confessor
Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways.
Confessor of the Faith
Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.[Theodoric III
Theuderic III (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; french: Thierry) (c. 651–691) was the king of Neustria (including Burgundy) on two occasions (673 and 675–691) and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of ...]
.
After several years, Ansbert was appointed
archbishop of
Rouen following the death of the previous officeholder, Saint
Ouen
Audoin (AD 609 – on 24 August 684; also spelled ''Audoen'', ''Ouen'', ''Owen''; la, Audoenus; known as Dado to contemporaries) was a Frankish bishop, courtier, hagiographer and saint.
Life
Audoin came from a wealthy aristocratic Frankish fam ...
, in 683 or 684.
His former mentor Saint Lambert performed his consecration,
and Ansbert was succeeded as abbot at Fontenelle by
Hildebert
Hildebert (c. 105518 December 1133) was a French ecclesiastic, hagiographer and theologian. From 1096–97 he was bishop of Le Mans, then from 1125 until his death archbishop of Tours. Sometimes called Hildebert of Lavardin, his name may also be s ...
(d. 701), who is also venerated as a saint.
Despite his high office and eminent reputation, Ansbert was removed from the bishopric around the year 690.
By "a false accusation",
the powerful ''
majordomo'' of the
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
court,
Pepin of Heristal, arranged his dismissal, either because of some kind of political opposition
or because Ansbert's "zeal was not well-received" and "his austere life caused offence".
He was sent into exile at the monastery of
Hautmont
Hautmont () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is southwest of the centre of Maubeuge, and has 14,500 residents.
On August 3, 2008, a narrow but strong F4 tornado swept through the town, as well as Maubeuge, Neuf-Mesni ...
where he stayed until his death, sometime between 692 and 695.
At some time Pepin apparently reconsidered his actions and agreed to allow Ansbert to return, but either he changed his mind again
or Ansbert died before making the trip.
Legacy
The 12th-century chronicler
Ordericus Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis ( la, Ordericus Vitalis; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. Modern historia ...
relays a tale in which it was said that Ansbert's remains were desecrated and dispersed by soldiers of
Hugh the Great
Hugh the Great (16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris.
Biography
Hugh was the son of King Robert I of France and Béatrice of Vermandois.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der E ...
. He asserts that the bones in question belonged to a different Ansbert, and that those of the saint were, at the time of his writing, still preserved safely at Fontenelle Abbey.
The 18th-century author
Alban Butler
Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer.
Biography
Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. His father died when ...
, however, states that the remains were at some point transferred to
St. Peter's Abbey in
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
, where they were destroyed by
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
s in 1578.
A collective day of remembrance for all the many saints associated with Fontenelle Abbey is celebrated on 1 March.
Saint Ansbert's own annual
feast day is 9 February.
References
External links
''Ansbert's Life'' translated
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansbert Of Rouen
695 deaths
7th-century Frankish bishops
Bishops of Rouen
Frankish Benedictines
French abbots
Abbey of Saint Wandrille
Year of birth unknown
7th-century Frankish saints
Colombanian saints