Diego de Acebo (also known as ''Diaz de Osma'', ''Alphonsus Didacus'', ''Didacus Acebes'') was

bishop of Osma The Roman Catholic Diocese of Osma-Soria ( la, Oxomen(sis)–Sorian(a)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Spain. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan ...

(Castile, Spain) from 1201 to 1207.

Life

Diego de Acebo was prior of the cathedral chapter of the ''Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción'' in

El Burgo de Osma Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma is the third-largest municipality in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of about 5,250. It is made up of two parts: *the smaller Ciudad de Osma (c ...

, where

Dominic of Osma Saint Dominic, ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scienti ...

became a canon. De Acebo was named

Bishop of Osma The Roman Catholic Diocese of Osma-Soria ( la, Oxomen(sis)–Sorian(a)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Spain. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan ...

in 1201. As bishop, he reformed the canonry according to the

Rule of St. Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed ...

. Accompanied by the future

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scienti ...

, Diego travelled ''ad Marchias Daciae'' (to

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

) in 1203 or 1204 to secure a bride for crown prince Ferdinand, son of

Alfonso VIII of Castile Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army a ...

. They made a second journey in 1204 or 1205 intending to bring the girl back with them, but found that she had meanwhile died. They returned by way of Rome, where Diego unsuccessfully petitioned

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 ...

to be entrusted with a mission to the northern pagans. Instead, continuing their journey via Cîteaux, Diego and Dominic began the work of conversion of the

Cathars Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. F ...

. In 1206 Bishop de Acebo became the unofficial leader of a papal mission to Languedoc, in southern France. Diego was instrumental in the foundation of Prouille and took part in the early Cathar-Catholic debates at Verfeil, and

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

, In 1207 he participated in a religious conference with Durand of Huesca and other Waldenses at

Pamiers Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although it ...

which resulted in Durand and his group returning to the Catholic Church.Little, Lester K., ''Religious Poverty and the Profit Economy in Medieval Europe'', Cornell University Press, 1983, p.127
Soon afterwards Acebo was ordered by the Pope to return to his diocese, where he died on 30 December 1207.

Notes

Bibliography

* M.-H. Vicaire, "Une ambassade dans les Marches" in Pierre Mandonnet, ''Saint Dominique: l'idée, l'homme et l'oeuvre'' (Paris: Desclée De Brouwer, 1938) vol. 1 pp. 89–98. 1207 deaths Bishops of Osma Catharism 13th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Castile Year of birth unknown {{theologian-stub