Poppo of Stavelot

Saint Poppo of Stavelot
Abbot of Stavelot-Malmedy
Born 977
Deinze, now in Belgium
Died 25 January 1048
Marchiennes, now in France
Venerated in Eastern Orthodox Church
Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine Stavelot
Feast 25 January

Saint Poppo (Deinze, 977 – Marchiennes, 25 January 1048), of noble descent, was a typical noble knight before experiencing a spiritual conversion and, turning to monastic life he became one of the best known abbots of Stavelot. He is the first recorded Flemish pilgrims to the Holy Land. Liturgically he is commemorated the 25 January.

Biography

The Vita Popponis, the biography of Poppo, was written shortly after his death by the monk Onulf and the abbot Everhelm of the abbey of Hautmont. According this source Poppo belonged to a noble family of Flanders; his parents being Tizekinus and Adalwif. About the year 1000 he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with two compagnons. Soon after this he also went to Rome. He was about to marry a lady of noble family, when a miraculous experience made him to end his military career. Late at night, a flame burst came out of the sky and kept his lance radiating. He believed this to be an illumination of the Holy Spirit, and soon after, he decided to enter the monastery of Saint Thierry at Rheims (1005).

Around 1008 Abbot Richard of Saint Vannes at Verdun, who was a zealous reformer of monasteries, took Poppo to his monastery. Richard made Poppo prior of St. Vaast in Arras, in the Diocese of Cambrai, about 1013. Here Poppo proved to be the right man for the position, reclaimed the lands of the monastery from rapacious vassals and secured the possession of the monastery by deeds. Before 1016 he was appointed to the same position at Vasloges (Beloacum, Beaulieu) in the Diocese of Verdun.

In 1020, the German emperor Henry II, who became acquainted with Poppo in 1016, made him abbot of the abbeys of Stavelot and Malmedy (in Lower Lorraine, now Belgium). Poppo also received in 1023 the Abbey of St. Maximin at Trier.[1]

He became even more important during the reign of Conrad II. From St. Maximin, the Cluniac reform now found its way into the German monasteries. The emperor placed several imperial monasteries under Poppo's control or supervision, as Limburg an der Hardt, Echternach, St. Gislen, Weissenburg, St. Gall, Hersfeld, Waulsort, Hautmont and Hastières.[2] Soon after Poppo transferred these positions to his pupils and family members. The bishops and laymen who had founded monasteries placed a series of other monasteries under his care, like St. Laurence at Liège, St. Vincent at Metz, St. Eucharius at Trier, Hohorst, Brauweiler, St. Vaast, Marchiennes etc. However, the reform of Richard of Saint-Vanne had no permanent success in the German Empire.

Personally Poppo practiced the most severe asceticism. He had no interest in literary affairs and also lacked management capacities and was neither particularly prominent in politics. During the reign of Henry III he lost influence. Death overtook him while he was staying at the abbey of Marchiennes. Poppo was later buried in the abbey of Stavelot.

Notes

  1. ↑ Uta-Renate Blumenthal (1991), The Investiture Controversy, ISBN 978-0-8122-1386-7, pages 42–3
  2. ↑ Timothy Reuter et al (2000), The New Cambridge Medieval History, ISBN 978-0-521-36447-8, page 182
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