Subj : August 8th - St. Altman
To   : All
From : rich
Date : Tue Aug 07 2018 10:11:32

From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

August 8th - St. Altman, Bishop of Passau

St. Altman was born at Paderborn during the first quarter of the 11th
century, and studied at Paris. After being ordained he was appointed
Canon and master of the Cathedral-school at Paderborn, then provost of
the chapter of Aachen and chaplain to the Emperor Henry III, and
confessor and counsellor of the Dowager Empress Agnes.  In 1064 he
took part in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which numbered 7000
persons (according to a monk who was there) and was led by several
archbishops and bishops, and the adventure was a most unhappy one.
Having safely traversed Europe and Asia Minor with no more than the
misfortunes inevitable to so long a journey on horseback, they were
attacked by Saracens in Palestine and sustained a siege in an
abandoned village; lack of food forced them to surrender, and they
might all have been massacred but for the intervention of a friendly
emir. Though they eventually reached Jerusalem they were not able to
visit many of the other holy places because of the enmity of the
Saracens, and by the time the pilgrimage reached home again it had
lost nearly half of its members, dead from hardship, sickness and
murder. It was happenings of this sort which contributed, 30 years
later, to the institution of the crusades.

Immediately on his return Altman was nominated to the see of Passau,
and he set himself energetically to govern a large and deteriorated
diocese. For the increase of learning, the care of the poor, and
proper carrying out of divine worship he looked particularly to
regular clergy; at G=C3=B6ttweig he founded an abbey of Augustinian canons,
put the same at Sankt P=C3=B6lten in the place of secular canons, and
introduced the Cluniac reform at Kremsmunster. In these works he had
the help of the Empresses Agnes and Bertha, and the Emperor Henry IV
was a benefactor of the see; but St. Altman soon found himself in
conflict with that monarch.  When in 1074 Pope St. Gregory VII renewed
the pontifical decrees against simony and married clergy, Altman read
out the letter in his cathedral. It was very ill received, he had to
escape from the ensuing uproar, and found himself opposed in the
matter of celibacy by a strong party led by his own provost. The
bishop's chief supporters were the Augustinian canons, but the rebels
invoked the help of the emperor; Altman did his best to enforce the
decree, excommunicated the provost, and, when in the following year
the pope forbade lay investiture, definitely ranged himself against
Henry. He was driven from his see, and went to Rome. He had some
scruples as to whether he held his own see simoniacally, as he had
received it by favour of the Empress Agnes; but St. Gregory VII
confirmed him in it and appointed him delegate apostolic for Germany.

St. Altman returned to his see in 1081, but was turned out again
almost at once. He spent the remaining years of his life in exile but
maintained a footing in the eastern part of his diocese, from whence
he exercised a great influence.  He had lost all his revenues and was
in great poverty, but for all that his charity to the poor did not
abate, and in a time of famine he sold his furniture to relieve the
suffering.  Nor did the disturbance of his rule and his long
banishment entirely spoil his work; a Canon of G=C3=B6ttweig who wrote an
account of him not long after his death says that when he was
appointed bishop many of his churches were of wood, and so were his
priests; he had stone churches built and, though it was more difficult
to reform the clergy than their buildings, he had inspired many
priests with an enthusiasm for Celibacy and a contempt for riches. St.
Altman was an important figure in the early history of canons regular
in addition to the foundations mentioned above he instituted them at
Sankt Florian, at St. Nicholas's in his cathedral city, and other
places. He died in 1091, and his cultus was approved by Pope Leo XIII.

There are two lives printed in the Acta Sanctorum. The older of these
was written some fifty years after Altman's death by a canon of
Gottweig....


Saint Quote:
"From contemplation of the Passion the soul will receive a new
compassion, a new love, new consolations, and consequently, as it
were, a new state of soul, which seems to be a presage and share of
eternal glory."
--Saint Bonaventure.

Bible Quotes:
"I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one
sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not
penance"  (Luke 15:7)

<><><><>
Prayer of St Dominic

May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send His healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us and
give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
and hands that Your work might be done.
May we walk and preach
the word of God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us
and lead us at last, by God's grace,
to the Kingdom. Amen
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)

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