Archbishopric of Utrecht

Infobox Former Country
native_name = "Bisdom Utrecht" (nl)
"Fürstbistum Utrecht" (de)
"Principauté d'Utrecht" (fr)
conventional_long_name = Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht
common_name = Utrecht|
continent = Europe
region = Low Countries
country = Netherlands
era = Middle Ages
status = Vassal
empire = Holy Roman Empire
government_type = Theocracy|
year_start = 1024
year_end = 1528|
event_pre = Bishopric established
date_pre = 695
event_start = Created Princes of the
Holy Roman Empire
date_start =
1024
event_end = Territories sold to
Emperor Charles V
date_end =
1528
event_post = Union of Utrecht
date_post = 1579|
p1 =
flag_p1 =
image_p1 =
s1 = Seventeen Provinces
flag_s1 = Flag - Low Countries - XVth Century.svg|



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image_map_caption = Bishopric of Utrecht|
capital = Utrecht
common_languages = Dutch, Low Saxon|
footnotes = The Archbishopric of Utrecht is the Archbishopric based in the Dutch city of Utrecht. It was a Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire from 1024 until the reformation in the Netherlands ended the official Catholic church hierarchy in 1580. The archbishopric was reinstated in 1853.

History

Foundation

The Diocese of Utrecht was established in 695 when Saint Willibrord was consecrated bishop of the Frisians at Rome by Pope Sergius I, and with the consent of the Frankish ruler, Pippin of Herstal, settled at the market-town of Utrecht. After Willibrord's death the diocese suffered greatly from the incursions of the Frisians, and later on of the Normans.

Prince-Bishopric

Better times appeared during the reign of the Saxon emperors, who frequently summoned the Bishops of Utrecht to attend the imperial councils and diets. In 1024 the bishops were made Princes of the Holy Roman Empire and the new Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht was formed. The secular territory over which it ruled was known as Sticht Utrecht or Het Sticht (a sticht was any piece of land governed by a bishop or abbot). This territory was divided into the Nedersticht (roughly corresponding to the present day Dutch province of Utrecht and Oversticht (encompassing the present-day provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, and Overijssel).

In 1122, with the Concordat of Worms, the Emperor's right of investiture was annulled, and the cathedral chapter received the right to the election of the bishop. It was, however, soon obligated to share this right with the four other collegiate chapters in the city: St. Salvator, St. John's, St. Peter's and St. Mary's. The Counts of Holland and Geldern, between whose territories the lands of the Bishops of Utrecht lay, also sought to acquire influence over the filling of the episcopal see. This often led to disputes and consequently the Holy See frequently interfered in the election. After the middle of the 14th century the popes repeatedly appointed the bishop directly without regard to the five chapters.

In 1527, the Bishop sold his territories to Emperor Charles V and the principality became part of the Habsburg dominions; the chapters voluntarily transferred their right of electing the bishop to Charles, a measure to which Pope Clement VII gave his consent.

Under the Habsburgs

In 1559, Utrecht was raised to the rank of an archdiocese and metropolitan see with six suffragan dioceses, but this new state of affairs did not last long. When the northern provinces of the Netherlands revolted, the archdiocese fell, with the overthrow of the Spanish power. According to the terms of the Union of Utrecht, the rights and privileges of the Roman Catholic religion were safeguarded, however a few years later, on June 14, 1580, the public practice of Catholicism was forbidden by the magistrates of Utrecht. On August 25, 1580, Archbishop Schenk died, and two successors appointed by Spain did not receive canonical confirmation, neither could they enter their diocese.

The See remained vacant until 1602, when the place of Archbishop was taken by the apostolic vicars of the Dutch Mission (Hollandse Zending), who, however, were not allowed in the country by the Estates-General and had to administer their charge from abroad. These vicars were consecrated as titular archbishops in order not to offend the Dutch Government. They would assume the real title of Archbishop of Utrecht when circumstances permitted.

During the last period of the apostolic vicariate, Jansenism and Gallicanism spread among the clergy and vicar Petrus Codde was suspended by the Pope, who accused him of being a Jansenist. He continued as Archbishop, remaining out of communion with the Papacy. After his death the majority of the diocesan clergy continued to claim the right to elect the bishops for themselves.

Having obtained the permission of the Dutch government, in 1723 the chapter elected a new archbishop, who was not confirmed in post, and excommunicated by Pope Benedict XIII. This was the beginning of what would become the Old Catholic Church. All the Old Catholic Archbishops from 1723 until 1858 informed the Popes of their elections. The pope however appointed Roman Apostolic Vicars to the Netherlands (to Utrecht) until 1853, when Catholic diocesan hierarchy was re-established throughout the northern Netherlands. In 1853, the Holy See was allowed to re-established its hierarchy in the Netherlands. At present, the Archbishop who heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht has frequently been promoted to cardinal. He is the Primate of the Netherlands and the Metropolitan of a province with six suffragans throughout the Netherlands.

Bishops until Reformation

*Willibrord (Clemens) (695–739)
*Wera (739?–752/3)
*Eoban (753–754)
*Gregory of Utrecht (754–775)
*Alberic of Utrecht (775–784)
*Theodardus (784–790)
*Hamacarus (790–806)
*Ricfried (806–ca. 820)
*Frederik I (ca. 820–829)
*Alberik II (835/7–845)
*Eginhard (ca. 845)
*Liudger (ca. 848–854)
*Hunger (854–866)
*Adalbold I (866–899)
*Radboud (899/900–917)
*Balderik (917/8–975/6)
*Folcmar (Poppo) (976–990)
*Boudewijn I (991–995)
*Ansfried (995–1010)
*Adalbold II (1010–1026)
*Bernold (1026/7–1054)
*William I (1054–1076)
*Conrad (1076–1099)
*Burchard (1100–1112)
*Godebold (1114–1127)
*Andreas van Cuijk (1127/8–1139)
*Hartbert (1139–1150)
*Herman van Hoorn (1151–1156)
*Godfried van Rhenen (1156–1178)
*Boudewijn II van Holland (1178–1196)
*Arnold I van Isenburg (1196–1197)
*Dirk I van Holland (1197)
*Dirk II van Are (van Ahr) (1197/8–1212)
*Otto I van Gelre (1212–1215)
*Otto II van Lippe (1216–1227)
*Wilbrand van Oldenburg (1227–1233)
*Otto III van Holland (1233–1249)
*Gozewijn van Amstel (van Randerath) (1249–1250)
*Hendrik I van Vianden (1250/2–1267)
*Jan I van Nassau (1267–1290)
*Jan II van Sierck (1290–1296)
*Willem II Berthout (1296–1301)
*Guy van Avennes (1301–1317)
*Frederik II van Sierck (1317–1322)
*Jacob van Oudshoorn (1322)
*Jan III van Diest (1322–1340)
*Jan IV van Arkel (1342–1364)
*Jan V van Virneburg (1364–1371)
*Arnold II van Hoorn (1371–1379)
*Floris van Wevelinkhoven (1379–1393)
*Frederik III van Blankenheim (1393–1423)
*Rudolf van Diepholt (1423–1455)
*Zweder van Culemborg (1425–1433)
*Walraven van Meurs (1434–1448)
*Gijsbrecht van Brederode (1455–1456)
*David van Bourgondië (1456–1496)
*Frederik IV van Baden (1496–1517)
*Philip of Burgundy (1517–1524)
*Hendrik II of Bavaria (1524–1529)
*Willem III van Enckenvoirt (1529–1534)
*Georg van Egmond (1534–1559)

Archbishops

*Frederik V Schenck van Toutenburg (1559–1580)
*Herman van Rennenberg (1580–1592)
*Jan van Bruhesen (1592–1600)

Apostolic Vicars of the Dutch Mission

Archbishops "in partibus" and Apostolic Vicars, in Utrecht

*Sasbout Vosmeer (1602–1614)
*Philippus Rovenius (1620–1651)
*Jacobus de la Torre (1651–1661)
*Johannes van Neercassel (1661–1686)
*Petrus Codde (1688–1704)
*Gerhard Potcamp (1705)
*Adam Daemen (1707–1717)
*Johannes van Bijlevelt (1717–1727)

Pro-Apostolic Vicars

in Brussels:
*Joseph Spinelli (1727–1731)
*Vincentius Montalto (1731–1732)
*Silvester Valenti Gonzaga (1732–1736)
*Franciscus Goddard (1736–1737)
*Lucas Melchior Tempi (1737–1743)
*Petrus Paulus Testa (1744)
*Ignatius Crivelli (1744–1755)
*Carolus Molinari (1755–1763)
*Batholomeus Soffredini (1763)
*Thomas Maria Ghilini (1763–1775)
*Joannes Antonius Maggiora (1775–1776)
*Ignatius Busca (1776–1785)
*Michael Causati (1785–1786)
*Antonius Felix Zondadari (1786–1792)

in Münster and Amsterdam:
*Caesar di Brancadoro (1792–1794)
*Ludovicus Ciamberlani (1794–1828)

in The Hague:
*Franciscus Cappacini (1829–1831)
*Antonius Antonucci (1831–1841)
*Innocentius Ferrieri (1841–1847)
*Johannes Zwijsen (1847–1848)
*Carolus Belgrado (1848–1853)

Old-Catholic archbishops who notified their election to the Pope

*Cornelius van Steenoven (1724–1725)
*Cornelius Johannes Barchman Wuytiers (1725–1733)
*Theodorus van der Croon (1734–1739)
*Petrus Johannes Meindaerts (1739–1767)
*Walter van Nieuwenhuisen (1768–1797)
*Johannes Jacobus van Rhijn (1797–1808)
*Willibrord van Os (1814–1825)
*Johannes van Santen (1825–1858)
*Henricus Loos (1858–1873)

"For more information on the Old-Catholic hierarchy, see main article."

Roman Catholic archbishops

*Johannes Zwijsen (1853–1868)
*Andreas Ignatius Schaepman (1868–1882)
*Petrus Matthias Snickers (1883–1895)
*Henricus van de Wetering (1895–1929)
*Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen (1930–1936)
*Johannes de Jong (1936–1955)
*Bernardus Johannes Alfrink (1955–1975)
*Johannes Gerardus Maria Willebrands (1975–1983)
*Adrianus Johannes Simonis (1983–2007)
*Willem Jacobus Eijk (since 2007)

References

* [http://www.kdc.kun.nl/geschiedenis/vicarissen.html Apostolisch vicarissen van de Hollandse Zending] nl icon