Ancient Diocese of Västerås

The former Catholic Diocese of Västerås was located in Sweden. It existed from the eleventh to the sixteenth century.

History

The diocese included the lands of Västmanland and Stora, Kopparberg (Dalecarlia, Dalarne), and the district of Fellingsbro in the land of Orebro. The see was founded at Munktorp, then removed about 1100 (not 1050) to Västerås by the English Cluniac missionary David, Abbot of Munktorp (David of Sweden), Bishop of Västerås, and one of the patron saints of Västerås Cathedral.

Before 1118 the Diocese of Sigtuna was divided into the Diocese of Uppsala and that of Västerås, and Henry, Bishop of Sigtuna (1134), was transferred to Västerås. Heathenism was not extinct by 1182. Charles (1257-1277) was a great benefactor, and Israel Erlandsson, O.S.B. (1260-1332; bishop, 1309-1332), mined copper in Dalecarlia and wrote "De Vita et Miraculis S. Erici" (Ser. rev. Svec., II, I, 272-276).

Otto (1501-1522) completed the cathedral. Peter Sunnanvader (1522-1523), formerly chancellor to Sten Sture, was executed for alleged treason in 1527. The last Catholic bishop, Petrus Magni (1524-1534), was consecrated on 1 May, 1524, at Rome. In 1527 a Diet was held at Västerås which Protestantized the Swedish Church and separated it from Rome. Petrus Magni consecrated various bishops in 1528 and 1531 under protest. Though subjected latterly to humiliating tutelage by Gustavus Vasa, he retained the see until his death. The Dalecarlians rose repeatedly in defence of their religion, but were overcome by the cunning and violence of Gustavus I.

The cathedral of Västerås and the parish church of Mora were the only important churches in the diocese. At Westeraas there were a Franciscan convent (founded 1234) and a Hospital of the Holy Spirit (founded 1345). Munktorp Abbey was extinct before 1318. The Cistercian Abbey of Husby (Gudsberga, Mons Domini) in Dalecarlia, founded in 1477, and colonized from Aalvastra in 1486, lasted until 1544. I

References

*Historiskt-geographiskt och statistiskt Lexikon ofver Sverige, VII (Stockholm, 1866), 316-18;
*FANT, Scriptores rerum Svecicarum (Stockholm, 1818- 1876);
*LILJERGREN, Diplomatarium Svecanum, I-III and Indices I-II by KARLESON (Stockholm, 1829);
*SILFVERSTOPLE, Svenskt Diplomatarium, 1401-1420 (Stockholm, 1875);
*KRONINGSSVARD AND LIDEN, Diplomatarium Dalekarlicum (Stockholm, 1842);
*Konung Gustaf den Forstes Registratur. ed. GRANLUND IV (Stockholm, 1868);
*Breviarium Arosiense (Basle, 1853);
*"Acta Sanctorum", IV (Paris, 1868);
*JORGENSEN, Den nordiske Kirkes Grundloeggelse, II (Copenhagen, 1878), 856-857, suppl. 96, 97;
*RENTERDAHL, Swenska kyrkaus historia (Lund, 1838);
*Israel Erlandsson (Lund, 1850);
*MARTIN, Gustave Vasa et la Reforme en Suede; SOHLBERG, Domkyrkan i Westeraas (Westeraas, 1834);
*HALL, Bidrag till; Kannedomen om Cistercienserorden i Sverige (Gefle, 1899).