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Theodulfus, Anglicised as Theodulph or Theodulfe, was Bishop of Orléans, a writer skilled in poetic forms and a learned theologian.
He was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, where his feast day is May 1.
Biography
He was born in Spain about 760, by descent a Visigoth, either from a still-Christian portion of Spain (which had been conquered by Muslims after 710) or from the south of France (which was a former possession of the Visigoths).
He became before 794 a member of the court of Charlemagne, where he was, next to Alcuin, the most distinguished and learned person.
Charlemagne granted him (about 798) the bishopric of Orléans and several abbeys, notably of Fleury (Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire); he served as abbot and bishop of Orléans from about 798 until 818. He laboured successfully in his diocese as a reformer both of the clergy and people, as is shown by his two Capitularies, one of which has forty-six chapters; he also encouraged school.
In 798 he was sent, with bishop Leidrad of Lyons, as a missus dominicus (plenipotentiary royal overseer of justice) to the southern part of France. He was still in favour at the beginning of the reign of Louis the Pious, but later, being accused of sharing in the conspiracy of King Bernard of Italy against Louis, was consequently deposed from his bishopric in 818 and imprisoned for some time, then exiled to the fortress at Angers, France, where he died on 18 December, 821.
Works
In his long poem, "Versus contra judices", addressed to judges, apparently an account of his experiences as missus dominicus, he complains of the severity of Frankish law and addresses earnest warnings to the judges, listing -possibly satirically- the kinds of valuable objects with which judges could be bribed. In this poem he demonstrates to the reader his appreciation for objects from Roman antiquity, though the objects he describes may have been imaginary.
During Charlemagne's reign, the Byzantine controversy over iconoclasm came to an end. Theodulf wrote the Libri Carolini (Charlemagne's Books, called so because the text was written in the name of Charlemagne), the official response of the Frankish empire to the Byzantine document produced at the Second Council of Nicaea. In that text Theodulf attacks the practice of paying religious honor to images as idolatry. This idea did not preclude Theodulf from using images in his own buildings - his private chapel at Germigny-des-Prés, France, survives with (restored) mosaic decoration of the Ark of the Covenant and angels.
As a writer on theology he took part in the dispute over the term Filioque (the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son as well as from the Father) and defended this doctrine at the request of Charlemagne in the treatise De spiritu sancto. He also wrote at the wish of the emperor, De ordine baptismi, a description of the ceremonies at baptism.
He is further, apparently, the author of an exposition of the Holy Mass and of the Creed.
As regards language and metre he occupies the first place among the poets of the Carlovingian era and distinguished himself by spirit and skill; particularly interesting are the letters which he wrote in the form of poems giving an animated picture of the life at court.
Theodulf wrote a hymn still used in the Roman Catholic Church for Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, Gloria, laus, et honor, "Glory, praise, and honor" (Analecta hymnica, L, 160 sq.), which came into liturgical use.
He is also known as a patron and lover of art.
Sources
(incomplete)
8th century births | 821 deaths | Saints | Goths | Roman Catholic bishops | Medieval literature
"Theodulphus"