Jarler

Jarler (Latin Jarlerius) was Archbishop of Sweden from 1236 to 1255.

Jarler was one of the two earliest known Swedish students at the University of Paris.

During his time as archbishop, the Dominican and Franciscan monks settled in Sweden. These orders benefited the Christian awareness among the common populations through their preaching. (The previously only order in Sweden, the Cistercians, did not preach.)

In Sweden, the political climate was shaky. In 1247, the house of Folkung, revolted against the king, Eric XI of Sweden, resulting in the battle at Sparrsätra.

Also in 1247, a vigorous delegate from the Pope, Vilhelm of Sabina, was sent to Sweden to investigate the recurring accusations of marriage among priests, and other alleged problems (clerical celibacy was a long-standing doctrine). At a church meeting in Skänninge 1248, where Jarler participated, it was decided to consecrate the rule of celibacy, and of the Church's independancy of the King, and finally that the archbishop should be elected through a cathedral chapter and not as previously by the King personally. As these rules show, the Swedish Church was still in a rather unstable state. The rules established an important foundation, even though they were not always followed.

In 1254 Jarler sent a letter to the Pope, requesting permission to resign his post. He was one of the few Swedish archbishops to have made this request. The reasons he gave were that he was old and crippled. The Pope granted his resignation, but before the message had arrived in 1255, Jarler had already died.

External links and references

* [http://runeberg.org/nfcl/0266.html Nordisk familjebok, article "Vilhelm av Sabina"] In Swedish
* [http://runeberg.org/nfag/0544.html Nordisk familjebok, article "Jarler"] In Swedish
* "Svea Rikes Ärkebiskopar", 1935, Uppsala