Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 12:35:40 +0000
Priority: normal
Subject: Re: Bishops, titular
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Besides various Levantine bishops, such as that of Bethlehem, roaming
around medieval Europe - and who were very probably
titular, as Tom Izbicki suggested - it strikes me that some time ago
I ran across an inordinate number of references to Welsh and Irish
bishops roaming around England, heavily engaged in consecrating new
churches and altars. Presumably, they weren't titular, but I've
always wondered what they were doing wandering around like that. Any
suggestions?
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
(This is a follow-up to Colman's answer on the Irish bishops). Welsh
bishops could spend quite a lot of their time in England - for a
variety of reasons
(a) they could live in monastic houses, either in return for being
acting heads of religious houses (cf. the career of Bishop Peter de
Leia of St Davids, as described by Gerald of Wales), or (this
probably on a short-term basis) if they issued an indulgence for the
monastic house. I'm speculating here, but in proportion to the
surviving acta the number of indulgences surviving issued by Welsh
bishops 12th-13th cs is higher per bishop than the number issued by
English bishops, and the English bishops are apparently fussier, at
least in the 12th c., about which churches they issued indulgences
to.
(b) living in a monastic house meant they didn't have to run a
household at the same time - perhaps they could make do with a
servant or two plus a chaplain, if that. No hospitality, no
relatives, no upkeep of buildings. Then, when they'd reduced their
debts a bit, they could go home if they wanted.
(c) Church councils for the Canterbury province (which they were
expected to attend) were always in England, and they would need to
turn up looking respectable (consecrating a few altars may have
helped with the travelling expenses and the laundry).
(d) Some bishops of Welsh sees, like Peter de Leia, were English and
didn't like Wales. The Welsh bishops of Welsh sees (usually
Anglo-Norman-Welsh) were happier about spending time in Wales.
For examples of all these sorts of behaviour, see my (hooray, now I
can do a plug for it) edition of charters issued by bishops of St
Davids: St Davids Episcopal Acta 1085-1280, South Wales Record
Society, vol. 13 (Cardiff, 1980), a snip at just under £20.
Best wishes
Julia Barrow
PS: I'm sure Peter de Leia's behaviour was uncanonical, before anyone
writes in to say so, but then so were many other medieval dealings.
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