Fulbert of Chartres | |
|---|---|
_Cath%25C3%25A9drale_Notre-Dame_-_Tour_du_ch%25C5%2593ur_-_%25C3%2589v%25C3%25AAque_de_Chartres_07.jpg) Statue of Fulbert in Chartres Cathedral[1] | |
| Bishop of Chartres | |
| Born | 952–970 |
| Died | 10 April 1028 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church[citation needed] |
| Feast | 10 April |
| Controversy | Fulbert was never canonized, but permission was granted byRome to celebrate his day inChartres andPoitiers |
Fulbert of Chartres (French:Fulbert de Chartres; 952–970–10 April 1028) was theBishop of Chartres from 1006 to 1028 and a teacher at theCathedral school there. Fulbert may have been a pupil ofGerbert of Aurillac, who would later become Pope Sylvester II. He was responsible for the advancement of theNativity of the Virgin'sfeast day on September 8 and for one of the many reconstructions of theChartres Cathedral. Most of the information available about him comes from letters he wrote to secular and religious figures between 1004 and 1028.
There is no conclusive evidence as to the exact date or location of Fulbert's birth; sources vary in listing dates from 952 to 970.[2] As to his place of birth, most sources suggest northernFrance, possiblyPicardy,[2] although some say northernItaly.[3] Sources do agree, however, that he was of humble birth.[4] Information from several sources places him at thecathedral school inRheims in the 980s,[5] where one of his fellow students was the future KingRobert II (the Pious) ofFrance.[6] In the early to mid-990s, Fulbert arrived at the cathedral school there. His position is variously described as schoolmaster or assistant.[7] He also assumed some minor ecclesiastical roles in the cathedral but was not amonk.[7] In 1004, he became a deacon, and in 1006 was appointed Bishop of Chartres,[8] a position he maintained until his death on 10 April 1028 or 1029. Again, sources vary, but the majority seem to settle on 1028.[9] There is some dispute over Fulbert'ssainthood, which arises from his contemporaries describing him as having a "saintly nature", a description which continued to be used by others after his death. Fulbert was never officiallycanonized by the Church, but permission was given byRome for thedioceses ofChartres andPoitiers to celebrate his life on 10 April.[10]
His feast is included inMartyrologium Romanum (2004) on 10 April.[11]
It has been asserted that he was a disciple ofGerbert of Aurillac, but the matter has raised controversy.[12]
Letters constitute the bulk of writings that can be verifiably attributed to Fulbert. His most famous letter was to DukeWilliam V of Aquitaine on the duties offeudal lord andvassal. He also wrote to fellow churchmen on a variety ofliturgical issues including the appointment of bishops,excommunication, and obedience. His letters also include correspondence about mundane issues of everyday life such as thanking people for medicine and setting up meetings. These letters provide insight into a variety of issues in the late tenth and early eleventh centuryFrance.[13]
Fulbert wrote approximately twenty-four poems which have sometimes been described as humorous, such as his poem about themonk in the desert,[14] or lovely, as when describing his “Ode to the Nightingale”.[15]
Most of Fulbert'shymns were written to glorify theVirgin.[16] He also wrote “Chorus Novae Jerusalem” (Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem), to be sung atEaster services.[17]
Fulbert's most famoussermon is “ Approbate Consuetudinis”, in which he provides information regarding the importance of the celebration of the “Feast of Mary’s Nativity”.[18]
Like the recentmillennium change, the one during Fulbert's lifetime also created a fear of the end of the world.[citation needed] The veneration of theVirgin Mary was already established in the Church, and Fulbert used this to teach her importance. The results were twofold, it helped to ease people's fears and greatly expanded the Marian Cult and Chartres's position in it.Chartres was already involved due to its being the holder of asacred relic of Mary's, the “Sancta Camisia”, (Holy Tunic), which has been variously described as being worn by Mary during theAnnunciation[3] or during thebirth of Christ.[19] This tunic was already the subject of amiracle because of its use by an earlier bishop of Chartres,Gauscelinus, in 911 to ward off the invadingNormans.[20] Fulbert expanded on the theme of miracles involving Mary, especially those cases where she had interceded between sinners and God. In this way people could pray for Mary'sintercession with God on their behalf in the perceived coming apocalypse.[21] Fulbert himself was involved in one of these miracles; when he was gravely ill Mary had healed him with a drop of milk because of his devotion to her. This also served to give Mary the image of not only themother of Christ, but for all who believed in her, their mother too.[22] All of this led to Fulbert's ultimate goal of promoting a special feast day to celebrate Mary's Nativity.[23]
To gain popular support for this feast, Fulbert wrote his famoussermon “Approbate Consuetudinis” in which he relates Mary's miracles. He also brings in the evidence of Mary's family lineage, which the Bible traces back toKing David.[18] In his sermon Fulbert used the symbolism of the “Stirps Jesse” (Tree of Jesse) to help explain Mary's familial relationship to the great men of the past and how it was determined, as described inScripture, that she would be the one to whom Christ would be born.[24] This again served to enhance her importance to the world and convince people of the need to celebrate her birth. This sermon led to a number ofliturgical changes throughout the next few centuries inEurope. The sermon itself, or variations of it, and thechants associated with it, became part of the service for the feast day of Mary's Nativity on Sept. 8.[25] By promoting the Feast day of Mary's Nativity, Fulbert was able to advance the importance of Mary and therefore the cult of her veneration grew. This in turn enhanced the importance of theCathedral of Chartres as a centre for Marian devotion, and also gave people a spiritual symbol to turn to in times of need at the turn of themillennium.[26]
During his time inChartres Fulbert played an important role in the development and spread of the ideas that led to theGregorian church reforms of the eleventh century underPope Gregory VII.[27] These reforms concerned the division between the powers of church and state, especially in the appointment of newabbots andbishops. In the eleventh century the secular rulers had a habit of appointing whomever they wanted to fill vacant church positions. Fulbert and some of his students, such as AbbotAlbert of Marmoutier, routinely wrote that it was up to the clergy and the citizens of the diocese involved to elect a replacement,[28] the authority being found in the rulings of theFirst Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council ofAntioch (264-272).[29] These reforms also stated that the Church, not the state, was responsible for disciplining the clergy. The issues ofsimony (the buying of church offices) and immoral clerics were also addressed by Fulbert.[30] Although the reforms were issued by Gregory VII, some of its ideas came from Fulbert, whose writings were disseminated through his students.[27]
AfterChartres Cathedral burned in 1020, Fulbert devoted his energies to raising funds for its rebuilding, which was completed in 1037, nine years after his death.[31] In 1194 the cathedral was again almost completely destroyed by fire; only thecrypt, some of the westfacade and two towers remained.[32] The crypt has been incorporated into all subsequent reconstructions.[33] The construction of theGothic-style cathedral that stands to-day began afterward. It is in this cathedral that we see Fulbert's influences that resulted from his promotion of the Feast day of Mary's Nativity and the cult of the Virgin Mary. The sculptures around the threeportals depict the life of Mary, who is the central figure in the Royal Portal.[34] One of the cathedral'sstained glass windows depicts theTree of Jesse, which tracesMary's family and theHoly Family, again a reference to Fulbert's teachings in regards to the Feast of Mary's Nativity.
Web images
His works
