Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/540

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
472

GERHOH


472


GERMAIN


entitled "Homo quidam" and "Beatus vir"; the two are almost identical (de la Bigne, Bibliotheca Patrum, XXVI). Two other treatises on prayer in the mother- tongue and on reading the Scripture in the mother- tongue are attributed to him (Ullmaun. Reformatoren vor der Reformation ; and Hirsche in Herzog's Real- encyklopadie, 2nd ed.)- Ullmann and other contro- versialists have used Gerhard of Zutphen's zeal for propagating the vernacular Scriptures as proof to con- nect the Brothers of the Common Life with the German Reformers ; but an examination of Gerhard's arguments, as quoted by them, reveals with how little foundation.

Arthur, The Spiritual Ascent, a translation of Gerhard, Bentus vir (London, 1908); Arthur, The Founders of the New Devotion {London, 1905); Cruise, Thomas a Kempis (London, 1SS7); Gem, Hidden Saints (London, 1907); Kettlewell, Thomas h Kempis and the Brothers of the Common Life (London, 1SS2); Scully, Life of the Ven. Thomas a Kempis (London, 1901); A Kempis, Opera Omnia (Antwerp, 1607. Herder is is.suing a new critical edition); Ullmann, Reformatoren (Gotha, 1S66).

Vincent Scully.

Gerhoh of Reichersberg, provost of that place and Austin canon, one of the most distinguished theo- logians of Germany in the twelfth century, b. at Poll- ing, Bavaria, 109.S; d. at Reichersberg, 27 June, 1169. lie studied at Freising, Mosburg, and Hildesheim. In 1119, Bishop Hermann of Augsburg called him as "scholasticus" to the cathedral school of that city; shortly afterwards, though still a deacon, he made him a canon of the cathedral. Gradually Gerhoh adopted a stricter ecclesiastical attitude, and eventually with- drew (1121) from the simoniacal Bishop Hermann, and took refuge in the monastery of Raitenbuch in the Diocese of Freising. After the Concordat of Worms (1122) Bishop Hermann was reconciled with the legiti- mate pope, Callistus II, whereupon Gerhoh accom- panied the bishop to the Lat«ran Council of 1123. On his return from Rome Gerhoh resigned his canonicate, and with his father and two half-brothers joined the Austin canons at Raitenbuch (1124).

Bishop Kuno of Ratisbon ordained him a priest in

1126, and gave him the parish of Cham, which he later resigned under threats from Hohenstaufen followers whom lie had offended at the Synod of Wiirzburg in

1127. He returned to Ratisbon, and in 1132 Arch- bishop Conrad I of Salzburg appointed him provost of Reichersberg, to the spiritual and material advantage of that monastery. Archbishop Conrad sent him several times on special missions to Rome; in 1143 he also accompanied, together with Arnold of Brescia, Cardinal Guido of Santa Maria in Porticu on his em- bassy to Bohemia and Moravia. Eugene III (1145- 53) held Gerhoh in high esteem ; his relations with the successors of that pope were less pleasant. On the occasion of the disputed papal election in 1159 (Alex- ander III and Victor IV) Gerhoh sided with Alexander III, but only after long hesitation; for this action the imperial party looked on him with hatred. For refus- ing to support the antipope, Archbishop Conrad was condemned to banishment in 1166, and the monastery of Reichersberg repeatedly attacked ; Gerhoh himself was forced to take refuge m flight, and died soon after his return to Reichersberg. Gerhoh was a reformer in the spirit of the Gregorian ideas. He aimed partic- ularly, perhaps with excessive zeal, at the reform of the clergy; it seemed to him that this object could not be attained unless the community life were generally adopted.

His reformatory views, and his ecclesiastical policy are set forth in the following works: " De ffidificio Dei seu de studio et cura disciplinae ecclesiasticse" (P. L., CXCIV, 1187-1336; Sackur, 136-202); "Tractatus adversus Simoniacos" (P. L., 1335-1372; Sackur, 2.39-272; see also Jaksch in Mittheilungen des Insti- tute fiir osterreichische Geschichtsforschung, VI [188.5], 254-69); "Liber epistolaris ad Innocentium II. Pont. Max. de eo quid distet inter clericos sa;cu-


lares et regulares" (P. L., CXCIV, 1375-1420; Sackur, 202-239) ; " De novitatibus hujus sa;culi ad Adrianum IV Papam" (selections in Grisar and in Sackur, 2SS- 304); furthermore, the important work written in 1162,"De investigatione Anti-Christi " libri III [selec- tions in P. L., CXCIV, 1443-1480; see also Stulz in "Archiv fiir osterreichische Geschichte, XXII (1858), 127-188; selections in Scheibelberger, .see below; book I complete in Sackur, 304-395]; " De schismate ad cardinales" [Miihlbacher in Archiv fiir osterreich- ische Geschichte, XLVII (1871), 355-382; Sackur, 399-411]; his last work is the "De quarta vigilia noctis" [Oesterreichische Vierteljahresschriftfiir kath. Theologie X (1871), 565-606; Sackur, 503-525]. His principal work he left unfinished, " Commentarius in Psalmos" (P. L., CXCIII, 619-1814; CXCIV, 1- 1006) ; it offers much interesting material for contem- poraneous history. This is particularly true of his commentary on Ps. l.xiv, that appeared separately as "Liber de corrupto Ecclesiie statu ad Eugenium III Papam (P. L., CXCIV, 9-120; Sackur, 439-92). We are indebted to him also for a number of polemical works and letters against the Christological errors of Abelard, Gilbert de la Porr^e, and Bishop Eberhard of Bamberg; others deal with the errors of Folmar, Provost of Triefenstein, on the subject of the Holy Eucharist.

The genuineness of the "Vitse beatorum abbatum Formbacensium Berengeri et Wirntonis, O.S.B.", gen- erally ascribed to Gerhoh, is denied by Wattenbach. The Migne edition of Gerhoh 's works is faulty and in- complete. Those of his writings which are of impor- tance for the study of the history of that period were edited by Sackur in the "Monumenta Germanl'e Hls- torica: Libelli de lite imperatorum et pontificum", III (Hanover, 1897), 131-525; also by Scheibelberger, "Gerhohi Opera adhuc inedita" (Linz, 1875).

STiiLZ, Historische Abhandlung iiber das Leben und die Wcrkf. des Propstes Gerhoh /. von Reichersberg in Denkschriflen der kaisertichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, I (1849); Bach, Propsi Gerhoch I. von Reichersberg, ein deutscher Reforma- tor des XII Jahrhunderts in Oesterreichische Vierteliahresschrift fur kath. Theologie, IV (1865). 19-118; Dilloo, De Gerhnho pr^eposilo Reichersbergensi (Berlin, 1867); Nobbe, Gerhoh von Reichersberg (Leipzig, 1881); Lepflad in Kirchenlex. s. v.; Wattenbach. Deutschlands Geschichtsqudlen im Mittelalter, 6th ed., II (Berlin, 1894), 308-314; Idem in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographic, VIII. 783 sqq.; Vildhaut, Handbuch der Quellen- kunde zur deutschen Geschichte (Arnsberg, 1898), 322-330; Potthast, Bibliotheca historica medii cevi, 2nd ed., I (Berlin, 1896), 502 sq.; Hurter, Nomenclator; Kirchliches Handlexi- kon, I. 1658 sq. Details are treated in Binterim, Pragma- tische Geschichte der deutschen National-, Provimial und vorziig- lichsten Diocesanconcilien, IV (Mainz, 1840), 187-212; Bach, Dogmengeschi^hte des Mittelalters (Vienna, 1875), passim; Kaltner, Folmar von Triefenstein und der Streit Gerhohs mit Eberhard von Bamberg in Theologische Quartalschrift (Tubingen, 1883), 523-552; Ribbeck, Gerhoh von Reichersberg und seine Ideen iiber das Verhaltniss zwischen Staai und Kirche in For- schungen zur deutschen Geschichte, XXIV (Gottingen, 1884), 1-80; see also XXV (1885), 556-561; Grisar, Die Investitur- frage nach ungedruckten Schriften Gerhohs iwn Reichersberg in Zeitschrift fur kath. Theologie, IX (1885), 536-5.53.

Friedrich Lauchert.

Gerlach. See Peterssen, Gerlac.

Gerlandus. See Garland, John.

Germain, Saint, Bishop of Auxerre, b. at Auxerre c. 380; d. at Ravenna, 31 July, 448. He was the son of Rusticus and Germanilla, and his family was one of the noblest in Gaul in the latter portion of the fourth century. He received the very best education provided by the distinguished schools of Aries and Lyons, and then went to Rome, where he studied elo- quence and civil law. He practised there before the tribunal of the prefect for some years with great success. His high liirtli and brilliant talents brought him into contact with the court, and he married Eustachia, a lady highly ostecincd in imperial circles. The emperor stni't him back to Gaul, appointing him one of till' six dukes, entrusted with tlic government of the (iallic provinces. He resided at ,\uxcrre and gave himself up to all the enjoyments that naturally