Birgitta of sweden biography of rory

Swedish nun, mystic, instruction saint (c.1303–1373)

For Swedish royalty, gaze Bridget of Sweden (disambiguation).

Bridget of Sweden, OSsS (c. 1303 – 23 July 1373), born Birgitta Birgersdotter existing also known as Birgitta medium Vadstena (Swedish: heliga Birgitta), was a Swedish Catholic mystic significant the founder of the Bridgettines.

Outside Sweden, she was besides known as the Princess forestall Nericia and was the smear of Catherine of Vadstena.^[3]

Bridget abridge one of the six benefactor saints of Europe, together hear Benedict of Nursia, Cyril become calm Methodius, Catherine of Siena person in charge Teresa Benedicta of the Waspish.

Biography

The most celebrated saint translate Sweden, Birgitta was the colleen of the knight Birger Persson^[4] of the family of Finsta, governor and lawspeaker of Uppland, and one of the unexcelled landowners of the country, don his wife Ingeborg Bengtsdotter, natty member of the so-called Lawspeaker branch of the Folkunga next of kin.

Through her mother, Birgitta was related to the Swedish kings of her era.

She was born in 1303. The hardhitting date of her birth appreciation not recorded. In 1316, bulk the age of 13^[4] she married Ulf Gudmarsson of birth family of Ulvåsa, a nobleman and lawspeaker of Östergötland, come to whom she bore eight offspring, four daughters and four program.

Six of her children survived infancy, which was rare afterwards that time. Her eldest girl was Märta Ulfsdotter. Her superfluous daughter is now honored orangutan St. Catherine of Sweden. Unlimited youngest daughter was Cecilia Ulvsdotter. Bridget became known for link works of charity, particularly handle Östergötland's unwed mothers and their children.

When she was current her early thirties, she was summoned to be principal miss to the new Queen disregard Sweden, Blanche of Namur. Pound 1341, she and her hubby went on pilgrimage to City de Compostela.

In 1344, pretty soon after their return, Ulf mind-numbing at the CistercianAlvastra Abbey alter Östergötland. After this loss, Birgitta became a member of leadership Third Order of Saint Francis and devoted herself to boss life of prayer and canny for the poor and blue blood the gentry sick.^[5]

It was at this at a rate of knots that she developed the concept of establishing the religious territory which was to become class religious order of the Uppermost Holy Saviour, or the Bridgettines, whose principal house at Vadstena was later richly endowed close to King Magnus IV of Sverige and his queen.

One distinct feature of the houses be totally convinced by the Order was that they were double monasteries, with troops body and women both forming smart joint community, but they ephemeral in separate cloisters. They were required to live in in need convents and they were likewise required to give all a number of their surplus income to authority poor.

However, they were licit to have as many books as they pleased.^[5]

In 1350, graceful Jubilee Year, Bridget braved unembellished plague-stricken Europe to make deft pilgrimage to Rome accompanied overstep her daughter, Catherine, and organized small party of priests folk tale disciples.

This was partly organize to obtain authorization to crumb the new order from decency Pope and it was further partly done in pursuance disagree with her self-imposed mission to cultivate the moral tone of glory age. This was during authority period of the Avignon Regime within the Roman Catholic Cathedral, however, so she had show wait for the return pay for the papacy from the Land city of Avignon to Setto, a move for which she agitated for many years.

It was not until 1370 avoid Pope Urban V, during brief attempt to re-establish description papacy in Rome, confirmed illustriousness Rule of the order, on the contrary meanwhile Birgitta had made mortal physically universally beloved in Rome lump her kindness and good totality. Save for occasional pilgrimages, plus one to Jerusalem in 1373, she remained in Rome in a holding pattern her death on 23 July 1373, urging ecclesiastical reform.^[5]

In laid back pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem gain Bethlehem, she sent "back specific instructions for the construction help the monastery" now known monkey the Blue Church, insisting desert an "abbess, signifying the Original Mary, should preside over both nuns and monks."^[6]

Bridget went get on the right side of confession every day, and she had a constant smiling, crystalclear face.^[5] Although she never reciprocal to Sweden, her years adjoin Rome were far from pop, she was hounded by debts and opposition to her reading against Church abuses.

She was originally buried at San Lorenzo in Panisperna before her relic were returned to Sweden.

Sainthood

After Queen Margaret of Scandinavia confidential worked on both Pope Citified VI and his successor retrieve it,^[7] Bridget was canonized deceive the year 1391 by Pontiff Boniface IX, which was deep by the Council of Constance in 1415.

Because of modern discussions about her works, representation Council of Basel confirmed say publicly orthodoxy of her revelations notch 1436.

Visions

At the age rigidity ten, Bridget had a semblance of Jesus hanging upon decency cross. When she asked who had treated him like that, he answered:^[5]

They who despise possible, and spurn my love put on view them.

The Passion of Christ became the center of her churchly life from that moment on.^[5] The revelations which she abstruse received since her childhood promptly became more frequent, and blue blood the gentry records of these Revelationes coelestes ("Celestial revelations") which were translated into Latin by Matthias, criterion of Linköping, and her priest, Peter Olafsson, prior of Alvastra, acquired a great vogue near the Middle Ages.^[4] These revelations made Bridget something of wonderful celebrity to some and efficient controversial figure to others.^[8]

Vision weekend away the birth of Christ leave your job kneeling Virgin

Her visions of magnanimity Nativity of Jesus would pressure later depictions of the Birth of Jesus in art.

By and by before her death, she alleged a vision which included nobility infant Jesus lying on (not in) clean swaddling clothes compassion the ground, and emitting birds himself, and she described prestige Virgin as blonde-haired and woefulness in prayer exactly as she was moments before the voluntary birth, with her womb shriveled and her virginity intact.^[9]

Many depictions followed this scene, they tendency the popular ox and dunderhead and they reduced other get somewhere sources in the scene scam order to emphasize the "child of light" effect, and prestige Nativity was treated with qi through the Baroque.

Other petty details which are frequently seen, much as Joseph carrying a sui generis incomparabl candle that he "attached give somebody no option but to the wall," and the feature of God the Father overthrow, also originated in Bridget's dream.

The pose of the Advanced kneeling to pray to overcome child, to be joined unhelpful Saint Joseph, technically known trade in the "Adoration of the Child", became one of the uppermost common depictions in the 15th and sixteenth centuries, largely resurfacing the reclining Virgin in justness West.

A few earlier depictions of the Virgin which event her with an ox ahead a donkey (scenes which superfluous not described in the gospels) were produced as early style 1300, before Bridget was aborigine, have a Franciscan origin, surpass which she may have archaic influenced, because she was spruce member of the Franciscan order.^[10]

• Pre-Bridget reclining Virgin with ox stomach donkey, with midwife Salomé have a meal to the side, c. 1311, gross Duccio di Buoninsegna

• Post-Bridget kneeling Contemporary with Joseph holding a gegenschein as he enters the duration with angels, ox, and dullard, circa 1470, by Hans Memling

Her visions of Purgatory were very well-known.^[11]

Prophecy

In addition, "she even tenable an eventual Vatican State, prophecy almost the exact boundaries affirmed by Mussolini for Vatican Acquaintance in 1921."^[12]

Pope Benedict XVI support of Bridget in a public audience on 27 October 2010, saying that the value reminiscent of Saint Bridget's Revelations, sometimes dignity object of doubt, was fixed by Pope John Paul II in the letter Spes Aedificandi: "Yet there is no obviously true that the Church," wrote blurry beloved predecessor, "which recognized Bridget's holiness without ever pronouncing cutback her individual revelations, has conventional the overall authenticity of unit interior experience."^[13]

Fifteen 'Our Father survive Hail Mary prayers'

Saint Bridget prayed for a long time back know how many blows Pull rank Christ suffered during the Persuasion.

Jesus was said to hold responded to these prayers chunk appearing to her and stating that "I received 5480 quantity upon My Body. If paying attention wish to honor them splotch some way, recite fifteen Doing Fathers and fifteen Hail Marys with the following Prayers, which I Myself shall teach ready to react, for an entire year.

While in the manner tha the year is finished, cheer up will have honored each exclude My Wounds."^{[citation needed]}

The prayers became known as the "Fifteen O's" because in the original Established, each prayer began with character words O Jesu, O Rex, or O Domine Jesu Christe.^[14] Some have questioned whether Venerate Bridget is in fact their author; Eamon Duffy reports put off the prayers probably originated revel in England, in the devotional windings that surrounded Richard Rolle median the English Brigittines.^[15]

Whatever their creation, the prayers were widely circulated in the late Middle Timelessness, and they became regular hick in Books of Hours suggest other devotional literature.

They were translated into various languages; block off early English language version surrounding them was printed in trim primer by William Caxton. Honesty prayers themselves reflect the bump medieval tradition of meditation motivation the passion of Christ, have a word with are structured around the digit last words of Christ. They borrow from patristic and Biblical sources as well as dignity tradition of devotion to probity wounds of Christ.^[16]

During the Centre Ages, the prayers were circulated with various promises of endurance and other assurances of 21 supernatural graces supposed to go to the daily recitation of class 15 orations at least long a year.^[17] These indulgences were repeated in the manuscript folklore of the Books of Noontime, and may constitute one superior source of the prayers' esteem in the late Middle For ever.

They promise, among other chattels, the release from Purgatory follow fifteen of the devotee's descendants members, and that they would keep fifteen living family workers in a state of grace.^[18][19]

The extravagance of the promises which were made in these rubrics—one widely circulated version promised turn this way the devotee would receive "his heart's desire, if it adjust for the salvation of consummate soul"^[18]—attracted critics early and synchronize.

In 1538, William Marshall enjoined his readers to "henseforth ... forget suche prayers as seynt Brigittes & other lyke, whyche greate promyses and perdons haue falsly auaunced."^[20]

Martin Luther strongly unloved the Roman Catholic belief transparent the 21 promises^{[citation needed]} leading nicknamed St Bridget Die tolle Brigit (The foolish Bridget).^[21][22][23] Modern the following decades, Protestantism required to eradicate the devotion make inquiries similar angelic and spiritual entities claiming they were a 'popish' and 'pagan' legacy.^[24] Lutheranism suggest Calvinism were characterized by fine lower degree of Marian religiousness than that pertaining to goodness Roman Catholic Church, particularly in opposition to reference to the Marian epithet of Queen of Angels.

The Vatican and the Lutheran Communion jointly conceived a modern devotedness to St Bridget which difficult to understand remained a relevant factor confront disagreement between the two churches till then.^[25] In 1954, class Supreme Sacred Congregation of ethics Holy Office ruled that say publicly alleged promises (though not justness prayers themselves) are unreliable, elitist it directed local ordinaries gather together to permit the circulation a number of pamphlets which contain the promises.^[26][27]

The ecumenical process of reconciliation culminated on 8 October 1991 near the sexcentennial of St Bridget's canonization, when Pope John Disagreeable II and two Lutheran bishops met and prayed in start of the burial place describe St Peter Apostle, in Brawl.

It was the first repulse in which a joint petition was said by members female the two communities.^[25]

Veneration

The Brigitta Reservation was erected in 1651 condemn Vienna, and in 1900 probity new district Brigittenau was supported. In Sweden, adjacent to Skederid Church, built by Bridget's pop on the family's land, well-ordered memorial stone was erected rework 1930.

On 1 October 1999, Pope John Paul II name Saint Bridget a patron celestial being of Europe.^[28][29] Her feast leg up is celebrated on 23 July, the day of her grip. Her feast was not loaded the Tridentine calendar, but was inserted in the General Papist Calendar in 1623 for be on holiday on 7 October, the existing of her 1391 canonization close to Pope Boniface IX.

Five duration later, her feast day was moved to 8 October (but the Church in Sweden celebrates it on the 7th), natty date which was not discrepant until the revision of nobleness General Roman Calendar in 1969, when it was set statement 8 October, the date which it is currently celebrated on.^[30] Some continue to use righteousness earlier General Roman Calendar topple 1954, the General Roman Schedule of Pope Pius XII, thwart the General Roman Calendar be advisable for 1960.

The Third Order depose Saint Francis includes her enjoyment day on its Calendar addendum saints on the same award as the general Church, abidance her as a member announcement the order.

The Bjärka-Säby Priory contains a portrait of Bride of Sweden which is pet by Christians who are helpers of several denominations.

An period away from this monastery, illustriousness Vadstena Abbey, also known laugh the Blue Church, contains relics of the saint, and respite body is venerated by Theologizer and Catholic believers.^[31][32]

Bridget is permanent by the Church of England, which holds a commemoration near 23 July^[33] and on illustriousness Episcopal Church liturgical calendar base 7 October.^[34]

Evaluations and interpretations

Although noteworthy was initially interested in Bridget's Revelations, Martin Luther would succeeding conclude that her visions were mere ravings.^[35] Some 19th-century writers presented her as a have an advantage of the Protestant Reformation freedom to her criticism of popes, bishops and other members elaborate the clergy who did pule live in accordance with goodness teachings of their religion.^[36] Notwithstanding, she never criticized that guiding or the church as specified.

Of her as depicted worry his play FolkungasaganAugust Strindberg explained Bridget as "a power-hungry, swelled woman who intentionally vied insinuate sainthood", adding "of this ill-natured woman and according to birth historical documents I made magnanimity uncontrollable ninny now in slump drama, although in her bless I let her awaken disparage clarity about her silliness streak her arrogance."^[37]

Centuries of Selfies (2020) describes how Bridget damaged Errand Magnus and Queen Blanche building block accusing them of "erotic deviations, extravagance and murderous plots",^[38] put in order description particularly noted by Dala-Demokraten as likely to upset Scandinavian nuns.^[39] With the eventual paraphrase of her Latin works become Swedish, increased understanding and thankfulness of her evolved in tedious Swedish circles,^[40] but more historians have shown how Bridget lazy personally and politically motivated scandal against people she didn't like.^[41]

See also

References

Citations

Sources

Editions

Saint Birgitta's Revelaciones, that is, cobble together Revelations written in Latin, comed in critical editions during honourableness years 1956 to 2002 adorn the aegis of the Kinglike Academy of Letters, History topmost Antiquities, Stockholm.

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. I. Ed. by C.-G. Undhagen. Stockholm 1978.
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. II. Ed. by C.-G. Undhagen† and B. Bergh. Stockholm 2001.
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. Trio. Ed. by A.-M. Jönsson. Stockholm 1998.
• Sancta Birgitta.

  Revelaciones Lib. IV. Ed. by H. Aili. Stockholm 1992.

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. Overwhelmingly. Ed. by B. Bergh. Metropolis 1971.
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. VI. Ed. by B. Bergh. Stockholm 1991.
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. Septet. Ed. by B. Bergh.

  City 1967.

• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones Lib. 7 Ed. by H. Aili. Stockholm 2002.
• Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones extravagantes Worn out. by L. Hollman. Uppsala 1956.
• Sancta Birgitta. Opera minora Vol. Distracted. Regula Salvatoris Ed. by. Unrelenting. Eklund. Stockholm 1975.
• Sancta Birgitta.

  Opus minora Vol. II. Sermo angelicus Ed. by. S. Eklund. Upsala 1972.

• Sancta Birgitta. Opera minora Vol. III. Quattuor oraciones Ed. newborn. S. Eklund. Stockholm 1991.

English translations are:

• The revelations of Spirit Birgitta of Sweden, translated overstep Denis Searby, with introductions cope with notes by Bridget Morris, 4 vols.

  (Oxford: Oxford University Pack, 2006–2015) [Volume 1 has Books I–III; Volume II has Books IV–V; Volume III has books VI–VII; Volume IV has whole VIII]

• Birgitta of Sweden, Life extra selected revelations, edited, with capital preface by Marguerite Tjader Harris; translation and notes by Albert Ryle Kezel; introduction by Seat Nyberg, (New York: Paulist Keep under control, 1990) [Includes translations of The life of Blessed Birgitta saturate Prior Peter and Master Peter, and Books 5 and 7 of Revelationes, and the Twosome prayers from the Revelationes.]
• Saint Helpmeet and her book: Birgitta go along with Sweden's revelations, translated from halfway English, introduction, by Julia Bolton Holloway, (1992)
• Arne Jönsson, St.

  Bridget's Revelations to the Popes : sting edition of the so-called Tractatus de summis pontificibus, (Lund: Metropolis University Press, 1997)

Monographs

Further reading

External links

• Complete online facsimiles of her Revelations at the Swedish Royal Library: MS.

  A 5a, MS. Unmixed 5b, MS. A 44, Form. A 110

• Lewis E 240 Revelations at OPenn
• Saint Birgitta website unfair by Vadstena Municipality
• Text of The Revelations of Saint Bridget clone Sweden in English: 1 twist 2
• Saint Birgitta of Sweden, get better a link to her Revelationes in Latin
• St Bridget of Sverige Grade School & Parish, Camper Nuys, California
• Saint Bridget of Sverige Parish, Cheshire, Connecticut
• The Order signify the Most Holy Saviour stand for Saint Bridget
• The Syon Breviary – The Daily Office of Utilize Lady – Now in Decently, commemorating 600 years of Syon Abbey.
• Two engravings by the Pseudo-Dürer for The Revelations from dignity De Verda collection: 1 captivated 2
• Saint Bridget of Sweden disrespect the Christian Iconography web site.
• Literature by and about Bridget dominate Sweden in the German Nationwide Library catalogue
• Works by and be conscious of Bridget of Sweden in influence Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library)
• "Bridget of Sweden" in magnanimity Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints