Saint Bertulf of Bobbio
Saint Bertulf of Bobbio (died August 19, 640 AD at Bobbio, Liguria, Italy) was a Frankish monk who became the third abbot of the Abbey of Bobbio in Liguria—the great Irish missionary monastery founded by Saint Columbanus. He is known for successfully defending the abbey's privileges from episcopal interference before Pope Honorius I, establishing a precedent of direct papal exemption that protected Bobbio's independence. His feast day is August 19.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Bertulf Of Bobbio
| Saint Bertulf of Bobbio | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | August 19 |
| Profession | Benedictine/Columbanian monk; abbot |
| Rel. Affiliation | Abbey of Bobbio (Columbanian-Benedictine tradition) |
| Patronage | Bobbio; exemption of monasteries |
| Attributes | Abbot's crozier; papal document (allusion to the exemption he obtained) |
| Birthplace | Frankish territory (exact location unknown) |
| Death Place | Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Bobbio, Bobbio, Italy |
| Liturgical Class | Not included (universal calendar) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Bertulf was a Frankish monk who came to Bobbio and eventually became its third abbot, following Saint Columbanus (founder) and Attalus of Bobbio. The Abbey of Bobbio, founded in 614 AD, had been established by the Irish missionary Columbanus with the support of the Lombard king Agilulf and was a major center of learning and the Columbanian monastic tradition.
The most historically significant act of Bertulf's abbacy was his journey to Rome to obtain a privilege of exemption from Pope Honorius I (c. 628 AD). He sought and received a papal document declaring Bobbio directly subject to the Holy See rather than under the jurisdiction of any local bishop—one of the earliest such exemptions granted to a monastery. This precedent proved enormously important in the history of monasticism, as it established the principle of papal exemption that many later monasteries (notably Cluny, and ultimately the entire Benedictine Order in the Gregorian reform period) would invoke.
Bertulf governed Bobbio until his death on August 19, 640 AD, and is venerated as a saint by the abbey community and in the Bobbio region.
Significant events
- Became third abbot of the Abbey of Bobbio following Columbanus and Attalus.
- Traveled to Rome c. 628 AD; obtained papal exemption from Bishop Honorius I — one of the first such exemptions in monastic history.
- Died August 19, 640 AD at Bobbio.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Frankish territory (exact location unknown)
Death location: Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Notable location: The Abbey of Bobbio; founded by Saint Columbanus; Bertulf was its third abbot (Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Italy)
Notable location: Where he traveled to obtain papal exemption for Bobbio from Pope Honorius I (Rome, Italy)
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Feast day
August 19
Veneration
Saint Bertulf of Bobbio is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on August 19, particularly in Bobbio and the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio.
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