Saint Corbinian ( la, Corbinianus; french: Corbinien; german: Korbinian; 670 – 8 September c. 730 AD) 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 ...
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. After living as a hermit near
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
for fourteen years, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. Pope Gregory II sent him to Bavaria. His opposition to the marriage of Duke Grimoald to his brother's widow, Biltrudis, caused Corbinian to go into exile for a time. His
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is 8 September. The commemoration of the translation of his relics is 20 November.
Life
Corbinian was born and baptized as Waldegiso at
Châtres, near
Melun
Melun () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, north-central France. It is located on the southeastern outskirts of Paris, about from the kilome ...
, in Frankish territory. He was named after his father, who may have died when Corbinian was an infant. Soon after his father's death, his mother Corbiniana renamed Waldegiso to "Corbinian", after herself.
Nothing else is known of his childhood. The early source for Corbinian's life is the ''Vita Corbiniani'' of
Bishop Arbeo of Freising.
He lived in Châtres on the road to
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...]
for fourteen years, near a church dedicated to
Saint Germain. His reputation attracted students to him, which distracted him from his hermitage. His devotion to
Saint Peter the Apostle
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupati ...
prompted a decision to make a journey to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, accompanied by some of the disciples. While in Rome,
Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II ( la, Gregorius II; 669 – 11 February 731) was the bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death. admonished him to use his talents to
evangelize
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
. Corbinian, who may already have been a bishop or who was so consecrated by Gregory, was sent to minister to
Grimoald, the Frankish
Duke of Bavaria
The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and Monarch, kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasties. Since 1949, Bavaria has been a democratic States of Germany, state in th ...
.
Corbinian probably arrived in Bavaria in 724.
On a mountain near
Freising
Freising () is a university town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the Freising ''Landkreis'' (district), with a population of about 50,000.
Location
Freising is the oldest town between Regensburg and Bolzano, and is located on the Is ...
, where there was already a sanctuary, the saint erected a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
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 which ...
and a school, which came to be governed by his brother Erembert, after his death. In 738, when
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant ...
regulated the
ecclesial structure in the Duchy of Bavaria by creating four
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
s to be governed by the
archbishop of Mainz
The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...
, Erembert was chosen first
Bishop of Freising
The following people were bishops, prince-bishops or archbishops of Freising or Munich and Freising in Bavaria:
Bishops of Freising
* St. Corbinian (724–730); founded the Benedictine abbey in Freising, although the diocese was not organ ...
.
![Saint Corbinian of Freising and the Bear by Cosmas Damian Asam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Saint_Corbinian_of_Freising_and_the_Bear_by_Cosmas_Damian_Asam.jpg)
Soon after settling, Corbinian denounced Grimoald's marriage to his brother's widow, Biltrudis, though Grimoald had already repented of his
incest
Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adoption ...
. This incited his anger and the chagrin of his wife, who
excoriated Corbinian, labeling him a foreign interloper. Finally, she arranged to have him murdered. Corbinian fled Freising until Grimoald was killed and Biltrudis carried off by invaders in 725.
Corbinian returned on the invitation of Grimoald's successor, Huebert,
and continued his apostolic labors at Freising until his own death in 730.
Corbinian's body, buried at Merano, was translated to Freising in 769 by the aforementioned Bishop Arbeo, author of Corbinian's ''
vita
Vita or VITA (plural vitae) is Latin for "life", and may refer to:
* ''Vita'', the usual start to the title of a biography in Latin, by which (in a known context) the work is often referred to; frequently of a saint, then called hagiography
* Vit ...
'', and is now entombed in
Freising Cathedral
Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known fo ...
.
Corbinian's bear
Corbinian's symbol is the saddled
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
. According to his
hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
, a bear killed Corbinian's pack horse on the way to Rome and so the saint commanded it to carry his load. Once he arrived in Rome, however, he let the bear go, and it lumbered back to its native forest.
Both the heraldic element and the legend itself carry significant
symbol
A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...
ism. One interpretation is that the bear tamed by
God's grace
Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptat ...
is the
Bishop of Freising
The following people were bishops, prince-bishops or archbishops of Freising or Munich and Freising in Bavaria:
Bishops of Freising
* St. Corbinian (724–730); founded the Benedictine abbey in Freising, although the diocese was not organ ...
himself and the pack saddle is the burden of his
episcopate
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
.
The bear's submission and retreat can also be interpreted as Christianity's "taming" and "domestication" of the ferocity of
paganism
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions ot ...
and, consequentially, the laying of a "
oundationfor a great civilization in the Duchy of Bavaria."
In Catholic iconography
![Coat of Arms of Benedictus XVI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Coat_of_Arms_of_Benedictus_XVI.svg)
Corbinian's Bear is used as the symbol of Freising in both civic and ecclesiastical
heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
. It appeared on the
arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
of
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
, who first adopted the symbol when, still known as Joseph Ratzinger, he was appointed
Archbishop of Freising-Munich in March 1977.
He retained the bear in his revised coat of arms when he was elevated to
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in June of the same year, and again on his papal coat of arms when he was elected in 2005.
The scallop shell is a traditional reference to pilgrimage. For Pope Benedict XVI, it also reminded him of the legend according to which one day St. Augustine, pondering the mystery of the Trinity, saw a child at the seashore playing with a shell, trying to put the water of the ocean into a little hole. Then he heard the words: This hole can no more contain the waters of the ocean than your intellect can comprehend the mystery of God. The crowned Moor is a regional motif in heraldry often seen in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, Benedict's German homeland. Benedict has been quoted saying that, in addition to the obvious reference back to Saint Corbinian, the
founder of the diocese where Benedict would become bishop in 1977, the bear represents Benedict himself being "tamed by God" to bear the spiritual burdens of Benedict's own ministries first as bishop, then as cardinal, and now as pope.
[Ratzinger, Joseph. ''Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977''. ]Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, US. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press also produces ''Catholic World Report'', ' ...
(1998) Autobiography written during his pre-papal years. English translation (hardcover); 0898707021 (paperback).
Gallery
Scenes from the life of Saint Corbinian from a panel in the
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
of
Freising Cathedral
Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known fo ...
.
File:Corbinian-panel-young.jpg, ''S. Corbinianus adolescens - Castri vitam solitariam agit'' - Saint Corbinian as a young man decides upon a life of holy solitude
File:Corbinian-panel-rome.jpg, ''St. Corbinianus Romam venit et episcopus creatur'' - Saint Corbinian travels to Rome and is created a bishop
File:Corbinian-panel-prisioner.jpg, ''St. Corbinianus Adalbertum a supplicio liberat'' - Saint Corbinian frees Adalbert at his humble entreaty
File:Corbinian-panel-bear.jpg, ''Sanctus Corbinianus urso sarcinas imponit'' - Saint Corbinian commands the bear to carry his luggage
File:Corbinian-panel-grimoaldo.jpg, ''S. Corbinianus a Grimoaldo honorifice excipitur'' - Saint Corbinian respectfully received by Grimoald
File:Corbinian-panel-teaching.jpg, ''Sanctus Corbinian' Frisingae populum docet'' - Saint Corbinian teaches the people of Freising
File:Corbinian-panel-angel.jpg, ''Sanct' Corbinian' spiritum sanctissime reddit'' - Saint Corbinian solemnly gives up his spirit
File:Corbinian-panel-transfer.jpg, ''S. Corbiniani reliquiae Frisingam transferuntur'' - The relics of Saint Corbinian are transferred to Freising
Further reading
*
Notes
External links
Munich-Freisingat
Catholic Encyclopedia
The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...
Helmut Zenz: Heiliger Korbinian im Internetincludes a gallery of images, a timeline of Corbinian's life, and sources in many languages for further reading
Saint Corbinien - Evêque fondateur de l'église en Bavièreincludes hagiography for Corbinian and pictures of tapestries depicting the story of his life
{{Authority control
670 births
730 deaths
Medieval German saints
8th-century Christian saints
Burials in Bavaria
Baiuvarii
8th-century Frankish bishops