Albert of Jerusalem (''Albertus Hierosolymitanus; Albertus Vercelensis,'' also ''Saint Albert'', ''Albert of Vercelli'' or ''Alberto Avogadro''; died 14 September 1214) was a
canon lawyer
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is t ...
and
saint. He was
Bishop of Bobbio and
Bishop of Vercelli, and served as mediator and diplomat under
Pope Clement III
Pope Clement III ( la, Clemens III; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by all ...
. Innocent III appointed him
Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1204 or 1205. In Jerusalem, he contributed the
Carmelite Rule of St. Albert to the newly-founded
Carmelite Order. He is honoured as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and commemorated by the Carmelites on 17 September.
Life
Born at Castel
Gualtieri,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, he was educated in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and law. He entered the
Canons Regular of the Holy Cross at Mortara and was elected prior in 1180.
"St. Albert of Jerusalem", The British Province of Carmelites
/ref>
He became Bishop of Bobbio in 1184, and a year later was appointed Bishop of Vercelli.[Campbell, Thomas. "Blessed Albert." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 28 January 2019 He served the Papacy
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
as a mediator and diplomat between Pope Clement III
Pope Clement III ( la, Clemens III; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by all ...
and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. He served as papal legate in 1199 and helped end the war between Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
and Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
.
In 1205 he was made Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 ...
, whom he also served as papal legate in the Holy Land. As patriarch he helped found the Carmelite Order around 1209, in particular by his composition of what came to be called the Carmelite Rule of St. Albert.[ This order was based on Mount Carmel, across the Bay of Haifa from Acre where he resided as patriarch.
Additionally he mediated in disputes between the ]Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establish ...
and the Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus (french: Royaume de Chypre, la, Regnum Cypri) was a state that existed between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan. It comprised not only the island of Cyprus, but it also had a foothold on the Ana ...
and between the Knights Templar and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
In 1214 he had been invited to the Fourth Lateran Council
The Fourth Council of the Lateran or Lateran IV was convoked by Pope Innocent III in April 1213 and opened at the Lateran Palace in Rome on 11 November 1215. Due to the great length of time between the Council's convocation and meeting, many bi ...
, but the Master of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, whom he had rebuked and deposed for immorality, stabbed him to death on 14 September while taking part in a procession on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.[
He was succeeded by Raoul of Merencourt.
]
See also
* Book of the First Monks
The ''Book of the First Monks'' ( la, Decem Libri – Liber de Institutione Primorum Monacharum) is a medieval Catholic book in the contemplative and eremitic tradition of the Carmelite Order, thought to reflect the spirituality of the Prophet Eli ...
* Constitutions of the Carmelite Order The Constitutions of the Carmelite Order stand as an expression of the ideals and spirit of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Foundational sources for the Constitutions include the desert hermit vocation as exemplified in the life of the Proph ...
References
External links
Carmelite Calendar
, at Sr. Helena of Mary, O.Carm, "St. Albert of Jerusalem, Law-Giver of Carmel"
* ttps://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1211 Catholic Online, "St. Albert of Jerusalem"br>"Colonnade Statue in St Peter's Square"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avogadro, Albert
1214 deaths
Bishops of Bobbio
Bishops of Vercelli
Christians of the Crusades
Latin Patriarchs of Jerusalem
Diplomats of the Holy See
Italian beatified people
Canon law jurists
Carmelite spirituality
Venerated Carmelites
13th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
13th-century venerated Christians
12th-century Italian jurists
13th-century Italian jurists