Ancient See of Aarhus

For the modern Church of Denmark diocese, see Diocese of Aarhus.

Diocese of Aarhus Dioecesis Arusiensis Aarhus Stift
Aarhus Cathedral, seat of the bishop of Aarhus.
Location
Country	Denmark
Ecclesiastical province	Lund
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Lund
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	948
Dissolved	1536
Cathedral	Aarhus Cathedral

The Ancient See of Aarhus (Latin: Arusia, Arusiensis) was a pre-reformation Catholic diocese in Denmark. The diocese included the counties (amter) of Aarhus and Randers, the islands of Samsø and Tunø, and, after 1396, part of the county of Viborg.

History

Frode, King of Jutland, built the church of the Holy Trinity at Aarhus in about 900. In 948 Archbishop Adaldag of Hamburg consecrated Reginbrand as missionary Bishop of Aarhus. Jutland was consolidated into a single diocese after Reginbrand's death in 988, with Viborg or Ribe as its centre. The diocese, then a suffragan of Hamburg-Bremen, was redivided in 1060, and Bishop Christian was ordained by Adalbert I, Archbishop of Hamburg. In 1104 the diocese became a suffragan of the then newly elevated Archdiocese of Lund.

Saint Clement's Cathedral

Bishop Ulfketil built a wooden church in 1102 to contain the relics of Saint Clement. In about 1150 the Venerable Niels, Prince of Denmark was buried in the churchyard. The offerings at his tomb facilitated the commencement of a new stone cathedral.

Peder Vognsen, Svend Udsson's successor, began the construction of the brick Cathedral of Saint Clement in 1201, which was finished around 1263. In 1330, the greater part of it burned down. Peder Jensen Lodehat (1386-1395) and Bo Mogensen (1395-1423) were the prelates mainly concerned with the erection of the present building.

The Reformation

The last Catholic bishop, Ove Bille resisted the Reformation, aided by Poul Helgesen, prior of the Carmelite monastery at Elsinore. Ove Bille was imprisoned for this in 1536.

Religious Life in the Diocese

There were in the diocese: a chapter with 34 prebendaries at Aarhus cathedral; Benedictines at Esbenbeek, Voer, Alling, and Veierlov; Augustinian Canons at Tvilum, Cistercians at Øm, who survived till 1560; and Carthusians at Aarhus. There were also Franciscans at Horsens and Randers, Dominicans at Aarhus, Horsens, and Randers, Carmelites and a hospital of the Holy Spirit at Aarhus. There were Hospitallers of St. John till 1568 at Horsens. Lastly there were Brigittines at Mariager from 1412 to 1592.

List of bishops

• Reginbrand, 948–988, Anointed by Adaldag of Hamburg-Bremen.
• Vacant (988–1060)
• Christian, 1060–??, Participated in one of the last Viking raids in 1069-70.
• Ulfketil, 1102–1134, Fell in the Battle of Fotevik
• Eskil, ??–1157, Fell during raid to Wendland
  • Vacant (1157–1165)
• Svend I, 1165–1191, Founded the Cistercian abbey at Øm)
• Peder Vognsen, 1191–1204, Initiated Aarhus Cathedral
• Skjalm Vognsen, 1204–1215
• Ebbe Vognsen, 1215–1224
• Peder Elevsøn, 1224–1246
  • Vacant (1246–1249)
• Peder Ugotsøn, 1249–1260
• Tycho I, 1261–1272
• Peder IV, 1272–1276
• Tycho II, 1276–1288
• Jens Assersøn, 1288–1306
• Esger Juul, 1306–1310
• Esger Bonde, 1310–1325
• Svend II, 1325–1352
• Paul, 1352–1369
• Olufsen, 1369–1386
• Peder Jensen Lodehat, 1386–1395
• Bo Mogensen, 1395–1424
• Ulrik Stygge, 1424–1449
• Jens Iversen Lange, 1449–1482
• Ejler Madsen Bølle, 1482–1490
• Niels Clausen, 1490–1520
• Ove Bille, 1520–1536

See also

• Diocese of Aarhus
• List of bishops of Aarhus

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Taylor, Arthur Whitcombe (1913). "Ancient See of Aarhus". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 16. New York: Robert Appleton Company.