Blessed Carlus Magnus
Blessed Carlus Magnus (also known as Blessed Charlemagne; born April 2, 747 or 748 AD; died January 28, 814 AD in Aachen, Frankish Empire (now Germany)) was the King of the Franks (768–814), King of the Lombards (774–814), and the first Holy Roman Emperor (800–814) — the most powerful ruler of the Western world since the fall of the Roman Empire, who united most of Christian Europe under one crown, promoted Christian education, reformed the Church, protected the papacy, and was venerated as a saint in the local tradition of Aachen. He was beatified by the Antipope Paschal III in 1165 at the request of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa — a beatification of disputed canonical validity that has never been universally confirmed by the Holy See but is tolerated as a local cult. His feast day is January 28.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Carlus Magnus
| Blessed Carlus Magnus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 28 |
| Profession | King of the Franks (768–814); King of the Lombards (774–814); Holy Roman Emperor (800–814); patron of education; defender of the papacy; unifier of Western Christendom; Carolingian ruler |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church (local cult in Aachen); Holy Roman Empire Catholic tradition; Carolingian dynasty; medieval Western Christendom; patron of European civilization |
| Patronage | Aachen; Germany; France; Europe; the Holy Roman Empire; kings and emperors; educators; the unity of Christendom; the Carolingian dynasty |
| Attributes | Imperial crown and scepter; sword; a church (Aachen Cathedral, which he built); a book (his promotion of learning); Frankish military dress; the globe of empire; golden reliquary (at Aachen) |
| Birthplace | Kingdom of the Franks (precise birthplace disputed: possibly Liège or Prüm) |
| Death Place | Aachen, Frankish Empire (now Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death (pleuritis, inflammation of the lungs); died January 28, 814, in Aachen; he was approximately 65-66 years old; he had been the dominant ruler of Western Christendom for over 40 years; he received the Last Rites and died peacefully; he was buried at Aachen Cathedral; his "beatification" by Antipope Paschal III in 1165 has never been officially confirmed by the Holy See but is tolerated as a local cult in Aachen; the canonicity of his beatification is disputed |
| Primary Shrine | Cathedral of Aachen (Aachen Cathedral / Aachener Dom), Aachen, Germany — contains his golden reliquary (1215) and his throne (used for coronations 936–1531); January 28 feast; UNESCO World Heritage Site 1978 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; January 28 feast in the Diocese of Aachen (local cult, of disputed canonical validity); not in the general Roman calendar |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus, "Charles the Great") was born April 2, 747 or 748. He became King of the Franks in 768 and spent his reign unifying most of Christian Western Europe under Frankish rule — defeating the Lombards (774), the Saxons (772–804), the Avars (791–796), and the Moors of northern Spain.
On December 25, 800, Pope Leo III crowned him Holy Roman Emperor in Rome — the first Western Emperor since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476.
He promoted the Carolingian Renaissance — the revival of learning and Christian education throughout his empire — establishing cathedral and monastic schools and reforming the Frankish Church.
He died January 28, 814, in Aachen, and was buried at Aachen Cathedral. He was "beatified" by Antipope Paschal III on December 29, 1165, at the request of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa — a beatification never formally confirmed by the Holy See but tolerated as a local cult in Aachen. His feast day is January 28.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Kingdom of the Franks (precise birthplace disputed: possibly Liège or Prüm)
Death location: Aachen, Frankish Empire (now Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Carlus Magnus have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Cathedral of Aachen (Aachener Dom), Aachen, Germany — contains the golden reliquary of Charlemagne (1215) and his imperial throne; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Feast day
January 28
Veneration
Blessed Carlus Magnus (Charlemagne, 747/748–814) was the first Holy Roman Emperor and the unifier of Western Christendom who promoted Christian education and defended the papacy — "beatified" by Antipope Paschal III in 1165 at Aachen (a beatification of disputed canonical validity, tolerated as a local cult). Feast January 28.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.