Sir Hans Olufsson (''c.'' 1495–1500 – 18 September 1570, in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

) was a Norwegian high-ranking

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

during the 16th century. He was a member of the royal clergy, the clergy in the personal service of the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty king ...

and the effective state administration in the Middle Ages, and was one of the six canons at St Mary's Church, the royal chapel in

and the seat of government of Norway. Together with the other canons and the provost, he was a member of the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

of St Mary's Church. The provost ''ex officio'' also held the office of Chancellor of Norway, with one of the canons serving as Vice-Chancellor; it is unknown if Hans Olufsson served as Vice-Chancellor. As decreed by Haakon V of Norway in a 1300 royal proclamation, the canons of St Mary's Church held the rank and privileges of a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

, the highest rank of nobility in Norway since 1308 and typically reserved for noblemen with a significant national political role.Gave- og stadfestingsbrev fra kong Håkon Magnusson til Mariakirken i Oslo
/ref> Hans Olufsson is first mentioned in 1542 as a canon at St Mary's Church, and undoubtedly was a priest both before and after the Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein. As indicated by his patronymic, Hans Olufsson's father was named Oluf. Due to his career as a member of the royal clergy, he almost certainly had a privileged family background. Most canons in Norway at the time were recruited from the lower nobility, and normally studied at universities abroad, which was normally only possible with an affluent background. Hans Olufsson held a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

(estate held for his lifetime), the prebend of Saint Mary's

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

''sub lectorio'', also known as the prebend of Dillevik, Anton Christian Bang, ''Oslo domkapitels altre og præbender efter reformationen'', Jacob Dybwad, 1893 that included the income of 43 church properties (36 ''huder'', hides) in

Eastern Norway Eastern Norway (, ) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Oslo, Akershus, Vestfold, Østfold, Buskerud, Telemark, and Innlandet. Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region of Norw ...

. After 1545, when the cathedral chapter of St Mary's Church was dissolved, Hans Olufsson served as a priest at

Oslo Cathedral Oslo Cathedral () — formerly Our Savior's Church () — is the main church for the Church of Norway Diocese of Oslo, as well as the parish church for downtown Oslo. The present building dates from 1694 to 1697. The Norwegian royal family and th ...

, but retained his prebend affiliated with the estate of St Mary's Church. He died on the night between 17 and 18 September 1570 and was buried in Oslo Cathedral on 19 September. Following his death, his prebend passed to Jens Nilssøn, the noted Oslo humanist and later Bishop of Oslo. S. H. Finne-Grønn (1943). ''Slekten Paus : dens oprindelse og 4 første generasjoner''. Oslo: Cammermeyer. Hans Olufsson's son, as documented by court proceedings from 1602, was Povel Hansson (born ca. 1545–50), who was a merchant in Oslo. According to genealogist S.H. Finne-Grønn, Povel Hansson was almost certainly the father of the priests Hans Povelsson Paus (1587–1648) and Peder Povelsson Paus (1590–1653), two brothers from Oslo who were the progenitors of the Paus family.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hans Olufsson Norwegian Roman Catholic priests 16th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy Clergy from Oslo Paus family 1570 deaths Year of birth uncertain