Martin-Hubert Rutten (1841–1927), was a

bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

Life

Rutten was born in

Geistingen Geistingen is a historic village that is now a deelgemeente, submunicipality of Kinrooi, in the Limburg (Belgium), Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. History In the 1st and 2nd century, a Roman camp was located in Geistingen, an ...

, in the Belgian province of Limburg, on 18 December 1841, and was educated at the minor seminary in

Sint-Truiden Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...

and the

Diocesan Seminary of Liège The Diocesan Seminary of Liège (in French: ''Séminaire épiscopal'' or ''Grand Séminaire de Liège''), now also Espace Prémontrés, is an educational institution in the Diocese of Liège, founded in 1592. History The seminary was first founded ...

. A. Simon, "Rutten (Martin-Hubert)", ''

Biographie Nationale de Belgique The ''Biographie nationale de Belgique'' (; ) is a biographical dictionary of Belgium. It was published by the Royal Academy of Belgium in 44 volumes between 1866 and 1986. A continuation series, entitled the ''Nouvelle Biographie Nationale'' (, ...

''
vol. 31
(Brussels, 1961), 659-664. He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 April 1867, and taught mathematics at the minor seminary of Saint-Roch (Ferneres) from 1868, becoming director of the school in 1873. In 1875, he was appointed an

honorary canon Canon () is a Christian title usually used to refer to a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct of ...

, in 1878 rector of the minor seminary in Sint-Truiden, and in 1879 president of the diocesan seminary and

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège The Diocese of Liège () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. The diocese was erected in the 4th century and presently covers the same territory as Belgium's Liège Province, but it was histo ...

. In 1888, he became

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

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 ...

in Liège, and on 26 August 1901 was named bishop. His appointment was supported by

Leopold II of Belgium Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Leo ...

, who saw him as a man who would combat the growth of

Christian democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...

in Liège. Unlike his predecessor, he was opposed to the franchise extension and thought nobody under 30 should be allowed to vote. He was consecrated on 6 June 1902. Rutten was from a Dutch-speaking family and inclined to ''

flamingant The term ''flamingant'', in both Dutch and French, refers to an adherent of the Flemish Movement. Originating as a pejorative term use by Belgian nationalists, it may be equally used as an adjective or substantive and the term ''flamingantisme'' ...

'' ideas, thinking it a matter of pressing importance that ordinary people receive instruction in so far as possible in their native language. During the

First School War The First School War (, ) was a political crisis in Belgium over the issue of religion in education. The School War marks the high water mark of the conflict between the conservative Catholic Party, and the secular Liberal Party. The war lasted fr ...

, he interpreted live for

Jean-Joseph Thonissen Jean-Joseph Thonissen (b. Hasselt, Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, 21 Jan., 1817; d. Leuven, 17 Aug., 1891) was a professor of law at the Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968), Catholic University of Leuven and a minister in the Belgian Governmen ...

at a political rally in Limburg. He published two articles in '' Het Belfort'', in 1887 and 1892, and addressed the Eucharistic Congress held at

Hasselt Hasselt (, , ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846. The old ...

in 1904 in Dutch. He protested against German atrocities and exactions during the

German occupation of Belgium during World War I The German occupation of Belgium (, ) of World War I was a military occupation of Belgium by the forces of the German Empire between 1914 and 1918. Beginning in August 1914 with the invasion of neutral Belgium, the country was almost complet ...

and condemned those who collaborated to obtain language concessions, but immediately after the end of the war, he decreed that the Catholic secondary schools in Limburg should switch to Dutch as the main medium of instruction. On 16 November 1925,

Eupen Eupen (, , ; ; ; former ) is the capital of German-speaking Community of Belgium and is a city and municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Belgium, Belgian Liège Province, province of Liège, from the Germany, German border (Aachen ...

and

Malmedy Malmedy (; , historically also ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Malmedy had a total population of 12,654. The total area is 99.96 km2 which gives a population dens ...

were removed from the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne The Archdiocese of Cologne (; ) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. History At an early date Christianity came to Cologne with the Roman soldiers ...

and attached to the diocese of Liège. Rutten died in

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

on 17 July 1927. Throughout his episcopate, he consecrated 120 churches and 24 chapels to bring the sacraments as close to the people as possible.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutten, Martin-Hubert 1841 births 1927 deaths People from Limburg (Belgium) 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Belgium Bishops of Liège cATEGORY:Bishops appointed by Pope Leo XIII