Saint Benno
Saint Benno (born c. 1010 AD in Hildesheim, Saxony, Germany; died June 16, 1106 AD in Meissen, Saxony, Germany) was Bishop of Meissen from 1066 to 1106, a major figure in the complex politics of the Investiture Controversy, and the patron saint of Munich and of Bavaria. He was canonized on May 31, 1523 by Pope Adrian VI—one of the last canonizations before the Protestant Reformation made it a matter of controversy (Martin Luther famously wrote a polemic against the canonization). His feast day is June 16.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Benno
| Saint Benno | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 16 |
| Profession | Bishop; ecclesiastical statesman |
| Rel. Affiliation | Diocese of Meissen |
| Patronage | Munich; Bavaria; fishermen; weavers; Meissen |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments and crozier; fish (patron of fishermen); keys (reference to the Elbe River, which he is said to have locked with a key before being imprisoned) |
| Birthplace | Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany |
| Death Place | Meissen, Saxony, Germany |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Frauenkirche (Cathedral), Munich, Bavaria, Germany (where his relics rest, translated 1576) |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial |
| Historic Class | June 16 |
Biography
Early life and episcopal appointment
Benno was born around 1010 in the Hildesheim region of Saxony. He received his education at the Cathedral School of Hildesheim, one of the leading centers of learning in the Ottonian empire, under Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (himself later canonized). He became a canon and later a cathedral schoolmaster before being appointed Bishop of Meissen in 1066 by King Henry IV.
The Investiture Controversy
Benno's episcopate fell squarely in the heart of the Investiture Controversy—the great conflict between the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor over the right to appoint (invest) bishops and abbots. His position shifted as the political situation changed. He initially supported Henry IV but later aligned himself with the reforming party and the pope. Henry IV deposed and imprisoned him for a time; he was later restored. The tradition that he threw the keys to Meissen Cathedral into the Elbe River before being exiled—so that Henry could not claim possession—became one of the most popular legends of his cult.
Death and canonization
Benno died on June 16, 1106, having governed the Diocese of Meissen through decades of turbulence. He was buried in Meissen Cathedral, where his relics became the focus of a local cult.
His canonization in 1523 by Pope Adrian VI was controversial precisely because of its timing: Martin Luther, who was from Saxony and felt a particular regional stake in the matter, published a sharp polemic against it titled Against the New Idol and Old Devil Being Set Up at Meissen (1524). Luther objected both to the cult of saints in general and to Benno's involvement in the Investiture Controversy specifically.
In 1576, Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria obtained Benno's relics from Meissen (by then in Protestant territory) and had them translated to Munich, where they remain in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche). Munich's veneration of Benno became a mark of Catholic identity in the confessional age.
Significant events
- Born c. 1010 in Hildesheim, Saxony; educated at the Cathedral School of Hildesheim.
- Appointed Bishop of Meissen by Henry IV in 1066.
- Imprisoned by Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy; later restored to his see.
- Tradition: threw the keys of Meissen Cathedral into the Elbe before going into exile.
- Died June 16, 1106 in Meissen; buried in the cathedral.
- Canonized May 31, 1523 by Pope Adrian VI.
- Relics translated to Munich in 1576 by Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany
Death location: Meissen, Saxony, Germany
Notable location: His episcopal cathedral; his tomb; center of his veneration (Meissen Cathedral, Meissen, Saxony, Germany)
Notable location: City of which he is patron saint; his relics translated to Munich in 1576 (Munich, Bavaria, Germany)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Frauenkirche (Cathedral Church of Our Lady), Munich, Bavaria, Germany — holds his relics translated in 1576; the principal shrine of his cult.
- Meissen Cathedral, Meissen, Saxony, Germany — original place of burial and cult.
Canonization
Saint Benno was canonized on May 31, 1523 by Pope Adrian VI in Rome.
Feast day
June 16
Veneration
Saint Benno is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on June 16. He is the patron saint of Munich and of the state of Bavaria. His cult is particularly strong in Bavaria, where the Frauenkirche in Munich serves as the principal center of his veneration.
Prayers
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