Richer of Liege

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Coat of arms of Richer von Lüttich on the Saint Servatius Church in Liège

Richer (also Richar , Richard , lat. Richarius ) († July 23, 945 ) was Bishop of Liège from 921 to 945 . During his episcopate he emerged as a promoter of monastic reforms.

Life

Richer came from the Matfriede family . The father was Adalhard II , Count of Metz and lay abbot of Echternach . His brothers were Gerhard and Matfried I , counts in Metzgau . Richer was also related to Stephan von Tongern , who was Bishop of Liège from 903 to 920.

He became Abbot of Prüm in 899 , where Abbot Regino had to make room for him for unknown reasons.

The successor to Bishop Stephen in Liège was disputed. At that time, Lorraine was part of western France . The West Franconian King Charles the Simple supported Richer as his successor, after he had initially hesitated and initially preferred the cleric or monk Hilduin . Hilduin was assisted by Duke Giselbert of Lorraine . The East Franconian King Heinrich I was also on Hilduin's side. Hilduin was consecrated by the Archbishop of Cologne, Hermann I. But Richer turned to Emperor Berengar I so that he should stand up for him with Pope John X. The Pope invited the two clergymen competing for the office to Rome. Hilduin was excommunicated, while Richer was recognized as a bishop by the Pope and consecrated on November 4, 921.

After Lorraine came to the East Franconian Empire in 925, there must have been a rapprochement between King Heinrich and Bishop Richer. In 930 Bishop Richer was present at Heinrich's court in Aachen . He was in Ingelheim in 941 in the vicinity of his successor Otto I and campaigned for the diocese of Cambrai . At the court conference in Duisburg in 945, Richer and Archbishop Ruotbert of Trier were accused of infidelity, but were able to justify themselves.

In his diocese, Richer was one of the supporters of the renewal of the monastery system based on the Gorz reform . In particular, like King Otto I, he supported the reform of Stablo and Malmedy . In 938, Richer contributed significantly to the fact that the monk Odilo , who came from Gorze, became abbot in Stablo and Malmedy. Richer also promoted the reform of the St. Hubert monastery in the Ardennes. On the other hand, he forced the episcopal monastery of Lobbes to pay high taxes. He had the church of St. Peter in Liège rebuilt and made it a collegiate monastery. In 933 he had Arches Castle destroyed. After his death he was buried in St. Peter in Liège.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kaisertum Berengar - RI I, 3.2 n. D1366 (Regest RI-online)
  2. ↑ John X. - RI II, 5 n.61 (Regest RI-online)
  3. ^ Otto I. - RI II, 1 n.123a (RI-online)
predecessor Office successor
Hilduin Bishop of Liège
921–945 		Hugo I.
personal data
SURNAME Richer of Liege
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Richar; Richard; Richarius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Liege
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century
DATE OF DEATH July 23, 945