CONCERNING ST. LUDOLPH, MARTYR, BISHOP OF RATZEBURG IN GERMANY, OF THE PREMONSTRATENSIAN ORDER.
IN THE YEAR 1250.
CommentaryLudolph, Martyr, Bishop of Ratzeburg in Germany, of the Premonstratensian Order (Saint)
[1] Ratzeburg, an episcopal city of Transalbine Germany toward the Baltic Sea, between Luebeck and Lauenburg, is not so much situated beside a lake as enclosed by it. For several centuries, almost exclusively Canons of the Premonstratensian Order occupied this episcopal See, the Bishops of Ratzeburg from the Premonstratensian Order that is, from the year 1149, when Blessed Evermod, a disciple of St. Norbert, was assumed to that See, until the times of Johannes Parkentin, under whom around the beginning of the sixteenth century secular Canons were introduced with a change of habit. Albert, Abbot of Stade, created in the year 1232, indicates the times of the first Bishops down to Blessed Ludolph in his Chronicle, and we report them from him here. At the year 1178 he has this: "Evermod, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Isfrid, Provost of Jerichow, succeeded him." Evermod, Isfrid We illustrated the Acts of Blessed Evermod on the 17th of February; we shall treat of Blessed Isfrid on the 15th of June. Concerning whom Albert again at the year 1204: "Isfrid, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Philip succeeded him." And at the year 1225: "Philip, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Philip, Henry Henry, Provost of the same Church, succeeded him." Then at the year 1228: "Henry, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Lambert, Canon of Bremen and Hamburg, succeeded him. He celebrated one Mass on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary and dedicated one cemetery, and died in the same year; Godescalcus Godescalcus, Provost of the same Church, succeeded him." Then at the year 1235: "Godescalcus, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Peter Peter, Provost of the same Church, succeeded him." Finally at the following year 1236: "Peter, Bishop of Ratzeburg, dies; and Ludolph created in the year 1236 Ludolph, Camerarius of the same Church, succeeded him." So writes Albert, then in his fourth year as Abbot of Stade, who is silent about his death, the year of which we shall investigate below at the end.
[2] Albert Krantz, Canon of Hamburg, in book 8 of the Metropolis, chapter 8, writes the following about Blessed Ludolph: fighting for ecclesiastical liberty "The Church of Ratzeburg had in those times as its Bishop the distinguished man Ludolph, whose virtues are so outstanding that they cannot be contained in a brief page. Great and long-lasting was his struggle for the liberty of his Church; he stood like a wall which, although battered by engines and machines, nevertheless remained immovable." The words of the Annals should be cited for their reliability: "This Ludolph was a perfect man, adorned with all virtues, who for his Church achieved martyrdom in a long persecution under Albert, Duke of Saxony, he is crowned with martyrdom under Albert, Duke of Saxony because he was unwilling to give Naboth's vineyard -- that is, his Church -- to become a vegetable garden -- that is, to be transferred to profane uses -- and because he was unwilling for the house of God, namely his episcopal court at Richow, to become a den of thieves, as is more fully read in his Passion." Would that we had been able to obtain those Annals and the History of his passion or martyrdom! That Duke Albert was bound by Ludolph with the chain of excommunication is written by the heretic David Chytraeus in book 2 of Saxonia, page 64. That the episcopal court became at this time the residence of the Dukes of Lauenburg (who trace their lineage from the said Albert through his son John) is reported by Merian in his Topography of Lower Saxony, page 198.
[3] But let us return to the History of the Passion, from which Krantz proceeds to narrate: "Among other miracles that the Lord deigns to work through him after his death, [at Wismar, comforted by BB. Evermod and Isfrid, he performed the Ecclesiastical Office] this is recorded: After he had been received by a noble man, Lord John Magnus, in his new city of Wismar -- providing him rest and peace there which he did not have in the rest of his diocese from the face of his persecutor -- now utterly destitute of strength, after various kinds of torments awaiting his last day, on the night preceding the Lord's Supper, two of the Brothers came to him and gave him the cup of salvation. Strengthened by this and having recovered his strength, on the very day of the Lord's Supper he most devoutly performed his office. And as is piously believed, those two Brothers who offered the cup were his predecessor Bishops Evermod and Isfrid; for no one saw whence they came or whither they went. This good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep and deigned to die for his flock. In his times, such religious devotion, holiness, and severity of discipline were observed at Ratzeburg that this monastery was called by both clergy and people 'the prison of the Order.'" he founded a monastery at Rehna "This Bishop, by his industry, founded a monastery of his Order at Rehna, extending the worship of God, and endowed it from his episcopal table." So far concerning the life of Blessed Ludolph. The John mentioned above, Lord of Mecklenburg, is reported to have ruled from the year 1238 until the year 1260, in the town of Mecklenburg and from him are said to descend the present Dukes of Mecklenburg. Rehna is a town of this Duchy between Ratzeburg and Wismar, but nearer to the former city.
[4] Let us return to the History of the Passion, from which Krantz goes on to narrate: "Among other miracles that the Lord deigns to work through him after his death, the iron driven into his head this is recorded: There was a man of military birth, Hartwig of Ritzeroew, who for a long time carried the head of an arrow in his head, in which the shaft having been broken, the iron was enclosed, from which he was tormented by continual pains. He engaged a surgeon to extract the weapon. The surgeon, bidding him to hope well, promised to extract the iron from him. An agreement having been made about the price, he opened the place from which he would draw it out; and when he had afflicted the man with great torments, he secretly brought forward another piece of iron that he had brought in the form in which it would appear extracted, and displayed the handiwork as though drawn out. The man believed him and paid the price; for the continuing pain was believed to have been caused by the disturbance of the new wound. After the scar had formed, the pain was renewed and grew worse. Then he realized he had been deceived, and now destitute of human help and consolation, he took refuge in the patronage of the Saints, praying that since many wonderful things were reported to have been accomplished through the merits of the holy Bishop Ludolph, the Lord might deign to free him from pain and torment through the intercession of his Saint. upon invoking Ludolph, the protruding iron is extracted of its own accord Not long afterwards the iron of the wound came near the surface and so protruded that he drew it out himself with his own hand. The man, giving thanks and blessing God who had freed him from so great a danger and pain through his servant, brought a solemn offering to God and the Blessed Virgin and the holy man Ludolph: an ornament, a precious Missal, precious gifts are offered a chasuble and Dalmatic with fine silk of azure with all appurtenances -- with albs, stoles, maniples, and amice -- all of which were fittingly adorned with gold, silver, and precious pearls, to the praise and glory of God and his most holy Mother and the glorious man Ludolph, Martyr and Bishop, which the Church uses to this very day." So far that account; would that other miracles existed, or that this one already mentioned had been set forth with greater energy. Finally Krantz adds the following:
[5] quadrangular verses about him "There exist little verses, fashioned by an artistic hand in praise of this Bishop, which however you read them -- whether downward by the initial words of the verses or straight across -- they sound the same. You will find the same verses if you join together the first words of each line to make the first verse, then if you join together the second words of each line to make the second verse, and if the third, and so on to the end." So far Krantz. Similar verses, called quadrangular by others, exist about St. Vicelin, Bishop of Oldenburg, whose birthday falls on the 12th of December, in the church of the monastery of Bordesholm near Kiel, and were published by Johann Adolf Cyprian in the Annals of the Bishops of Schleswig, book 2, chapter 5. But the aforesaid verses about Blessed Ludolph, as worthy of note, were published by Antonius Demochares in the Tables of the Bishops of Ratzeburg, book 2, chapter 10; by Aubert Le Mire in the Premonstratensian Chronicle at the year 1243; by Jean le Paige in book 2 of the Premonstratensian Library, page 580; and by others. Finally, Krantz, about to treat of the successor of Blessed Ludolph, writes in chapter 18: "Frederick is placed over the Church of Ratzeburg after Ludolph, receiving the seat of his great predecessor, in which none but a great man needed to sit."
[6] Demochares, frequently cited by Baronius in the Roman Martyrology, in his Catalogue of the Bishops of Ratzeburg calls him "St. Ludolph the Martyr" Ludolph held as a Saint and Martyr and again "the blessed Ludolph the Martyr." Jean le Paige calls him "St. Ludolph, Bishop and Martyr of the Church of Ratzeburg," and has this about his death: "Illustrious for the examples of his life, the precepts of his teaching, and miracles, and full of merits, in the city of Wismar among the Obotrites he gloriously carried the palm of martyrdom to heaven on the 29th of March." venerated on the 29th of March On which day the following is read in Chrysostom van der Sterre in the Birthdays of the Saints of the Premonstratensian Order: "At Wismar among the Obotrites, St. Ludolph, the ninth Bishop of Ratzeburg and Martyr, of the Premonstratensian Order, who, fighting gloriously for the liberty of the Church entrusted to him under Albert, Duke of Saxony, through various kinds of torments, now utterly exhausted in strength, and having no rest from the face of his persecutor, in this city resigned his spirit to his Creator. As his life shone with illustrious examples of holiness, so his death, precious in the sight of the Lord, was ennobled with outstanding miracles." also with an Ecclesiastical Office That the same should also be celebrated by the Premonstratensians even in far-distant Spain with an Ecclesiastical Office under the double rite is prescribed in the Order for reciting the divine Office frequently printed and reprinted at Madrid.
[7] We have deferred until this point the inquiry into the year in which Blessed Ludolph obtained the crown of martyrdom, which we have not yet found among the ancient sources. There exist, published by the efforts of Erpold Lindenbrog in the year 1609, Writers of the Northern German Affairs, Frederick, his successor, died in the year 1257 among which are the Annals or Slavic Chronicle by an uncertain Author, brought down to the year 1265, in which about the successor these words are read at the year 1257: "Frederick, Bishop of Ratzeburg, died; Ulric succeeded him." From this it follows that he did not live until the year 1260 of that century, to which Miraeus assigned his death in the Premonstratensian Chronicle. Chytraeus and Merian, cited above, place his death at the year 1250, which they perhaps found in ancient Annals. In the said year the lunar cycle was 16, the solar 27, the Dominical letter B, when Easter fell on the 27th of March; Ludolph in the year 1250, on the Tuesday of Easter accordingly on the 24th of March, on the Lord's Supper, he most devoutly performed the Ecclesiastical Office, which was considered miraculous, and then on the Tuesday of Easter, the 29th of March, he died
from the torments previously inflicted upon him, and is therefore held as a Martyr. It seemed to us that the silence of Albert of Stade in his Chronicle, brought down to the year 1256, might be an obstacle; but since Albert had already entered the Order of Friars Minor in the year 1240, having left his Abbey, and in order not to harm this Order in the eyes of Albert, Duke of Saxony, he had to wrap this entire tragedy in silence, well aware that there would be many enough who would publicize it widely in their writings.
March III: 30 March
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