Category : England

England

Collegiale Notre-Dame

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We saw two churches today, the first a collegiate church in Mantes-La-Jolie named Collegiale Notre-Dame. We spent much time looking at its outside and were well rewarded. Built on a steep hill above the River Seine, this church was strategically located between the powerful Duchy of Normandy and the Paris-based Capetian kingdom. In fact, William the Conqueror, also the Duke of Normandy, attacked Mantes in 1087 and the church was burned down along with most of the town. William left funds for the church’s rebuilding, although what we see today was yet another rebuilding from the middle to late 12th century.

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England

Norwich Cathedral

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Norwich Cathedral has a different beginning than many other English Cathedrals in that it is not built on the site of an ancient Anglo-Saxon church.  Before the Norman Conquest, Norwich was an important trading town in East Anglia, the wealthiest and most densely populated region of England.  Norwich was second only to London in population.  So after the Normans arrived in 1066, they eventually determined that a cathedral should be established in this regional capital. 

King William II, better known as Rufus, found a soulmate in Herbert de Losinga, a prior from Normandy.  Herbert was an ambitious man and was selected as the Norwich Bishop by Rufus in exchange for 1,200 pounds, a huge sum of money at the time.  Though technically guilty of committing the sin of simony, Herbert was conducting business as usual as Rufus assumed he should receive a reward for his patronage.  Herbert traveled to Rome to obtain the Pope’s permission to establish the East Anglia cathedral in Norwich, and construction began.  The cathedral was mostly finished by Herbert’s death in 1119, and fully completed by 1145.

The Norman cathedral and monastery was not initially welcomed by Norwich citizens.  Construction replaced an Anglo-Saxon settlement and two churches had to be demolished.  In addition,  the abbey was exempt from local civic taxes.  Ill feelings continued for some time, culminating in an assault by Norwich citizens in 1272 that resulted in the burning of much of the cathedral and the destruction of many treasures.  Eventually, the Crown ordered the city to pay 2,000 pounds for repairs and 30 townspeople were hanged in punishment.

Fast forwarding to today, though, clearly feelings have long mended and the city celebrates having the cathedral in its midst.  There is a devoted and active community of volunteers that tend to much of the cathedral’s upkeep.  While there I spoke with several women who were cleaning and dusting, donating their time to care for a building they love.  Other volunteers work as guides, staff the cathedral store, and help tend to the gardens.  It was interesting talking with them and all have a deep love and pride for their church home.

And – on a personal note – there was a bit of excitement.  When visiting cathedrals l often attend choral Evensong services.  These services take place in the late afternoon and are held in the choir area – once only open to monks.  One or more of the choirs sing for most of the service and their voices are indeed beautiful.   On the evening I went, none other than HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was there (you probably know him better as King Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward).  This was my first, and most likely last, time to worship with royalty!

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England

Peterborough Cathedral

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Peterborough Cathedral Choir

Peterborough Cathedral’s history is very different from the other English cathedrals we have been looking at on this trip because it has only been a cathedral for about 500 years. 

Let’s start at its beginning, which may have been during Roman times.  The archeological evidence suggests that there was some sort of Roman building on the site, perhaps a temple.  Solid documentation tells us there was a monastery founded by Paeda, son of Mercia’s King Penda, in 655.  The Vikings destroyed the monastery in 870 and it was not refounded until 964.  Danish mercenaries raided the monastery in 1070, so William the Conqueror sent in 60 knights to defend the abbey and its estates.  An 1116 fire destroyed the abbey, so a new monastic church was built in the Norman style – the building that we see today.  Peterborough Monastery served the region until the time of Henry VIII, and here its fate becomes quite intriguing.

A great monastery such as Peterborough was a place of tremendous wealth and power.  These monasteries provided social services  such as helping the poor, educating the young, and caring for the ill.  But with money and power, the temptation of corruption became all too strong for some.

Robert Kirkton was installed as Peterborough’s abbot in 1497.  Under his guidance, the “New Building” was installed in Peterborough’s east end, creating additional space for altars and pilgrims.  Abbot Robert had few champions, though, due to some significant lapses in judgement.  He neglected his monks’ education and they spent their time drinking, singing, and dancing after dark.  His sacrist was charged with giving gifts of jewels taken from a saint’s shrine to local women.   A 1518 inquiry found that Abbot Robert spent more on his Christmas entertainment than on alms for the poor or food for his monks. 

Cardinal Wolsey appointed John Chambers to replace the corrupt Robert Kirkton in 1528.  Besides being a reformer, Abbot John was a savvy politician and may be the reason Peterborough became a cathedral.  He cultivated strategic friendships and provided hospitality to Cardinal Wolsey in 1530, when Wolsey was escaping the dark marital clouds of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.   Their marriage was annulled in 1533  and when Katherine died in 1536, she was buried in Peterborough Abbey’s church.  Although not a yet cathedral, it was a great church and an important abbey, worthy of her burial.

Thomas Cromwell (not the same as Oliver Cromwell of later years  when King Charles I was beheaded) served as Henry VIII’s Vice Regent.  Starting in 1536, under King Henry’s direction, Cromwell implemented what is called the Dissolution of the Monasteries.  Starting with the smaller monasteries and priories, these religious communities were shut down and their land, wealth, and income reverted to the King.  The dissolution continued with the larger monasteries, including Peterborough Abbey in 1539.  Importantly, no longer was the Pope in Rome receiving funds from English monasteries.

After the dissolution, Henry created six new cathedrals, mostly promoting former abbey churches to this new status, while destroying and selling off the stones and timber of their other buildings.  The question is – why did Henry do this, particularly at Peterborough?  One explanation is that he wanted to be seen as showing respect to Queen Katherine’s final resting place – she would now spend eternity in a cathedral.

But there is another possibility.  Ruling on the cusp of medieval times, Henry was a brutal king, but not a stupid man.  Peterborough Abbey was within the diocese of Lincoln Cathedral, one of the largest, wealthiest, and therefore most powerful bishoprics in England.  Henry did not relish sharing power with anyone. By creating a new Peterborough Cathedral, land and income were taken away from Lincoln and the power and wealth of Lincoln’s bishop was significantly weakened. 

This is where the former Abbot John returns to our story.  John spent the years between 1539 and 1541 becoming a priest (monks were not necessarily priests, but one needed to be a priest to become a bishop).  He had cleverly not raised a big fuss during the dissolution of Peterborough monastery, so avoided alienating King Henry.  Thus, John Chambers became the only abbot to survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries and become bishop in the same place.

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England

York Minster

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Evensong

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Diocletian, Roman Emperor from 284-305, became infamous in history for his merciless persecution of Christians.  His successor, Constantius, ruled only a short time, from 305-306.  But Constantius’ marriage to Helena changed the world, as Helena was a Christian and no doubt influenced their son, Constantine, who succeeded his father. (Constantius and Constantine were both in York fighting the Caledonians at the time of the succession.) By 313, the Western Roman Emperor Constantine, together with Licinius, Emperor of the Balkans, issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing the practice of Christianity.  This was a cataclysmic shift in policy and Christianity was on its way to become the religion of the powerful and people of the Western World.

Christianity in Britain struggled for a couple of centuries after the Romans left. Celtic Christianity survived in the western portions as the incoming Germanic tribes dominated the rest of the landscape with their Teutonic religions.   As we learned at St Martins, Pope Gregory sent Augustine to “rechristianize” Britain in 597, his task eased by the support of Christian Queen Bertha of Kent.  Together, they convinced her husband, King Ethelbert, to be baptized.

Their Christian daughter Ethelberga, like her mother, agreed to marry the pagan king of Northumbria, Edwin, only if she could practice her religion and bring a chaplain with her.  Edwin agreed  and Ethelberga traveled to Northumbria’s capital, York, with Paulinus.  Eventually,  King Edwin repeated his father-in-law’s conversion and was baptized in a small wooden church near the site of the present York Minster.  Paulinus became Archbishop of York in 627, and despite setbacks, Christianity eventually became the religion of all of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

The wooden church was replaced by a  stone Anglo-Saxon church which survived the Viking invasions and the Norsemen’s control of Northumbria in the 9th and 10th centuries.  (Within a few generations, the Vikings had converted, also.)   The stone church, in turn, was replaced by the Normans after their 1066 invasion, and this Norman building was completely replaced above ground starting in 1225.  Therefore, except the crypt, York Minster is entirely Gothic, manifesting all three phases – Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular.

The building, though, has suffered  significant structural challenges and three major fires, resulting in parts that don’t always fit together well.  These idiosyncrasies give it a certain charm and document its scars of survival.  Major fires in 1829 and 1840 destroyed the wooden vaults in the choir and nave, and a 1984 fire destroyed the southern transept roof.  But the cathedral still stands as donors fund major repairs and masons continue to practice their crafts while training the next generation. 

Note:  York Minster is a cathedral.  Minster comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word for a large or important church. 

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England

Canterbury Cathedral

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Today the focus is Canterbury Cathedral, England’s oldest  cathedral.  Hopefully, you read the June 20th blog post explaining how in 597 Pope Gregory sent then Prior Augustine, accompanied by several monks, to the Kingdom of Kent to reestablish Christianity in Britain.  Augustine’s goals included founding additional bishoprics throughout the land and Augustine became the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the multiple dioceses.  Eventually, there would be another Archbishop in York, but the Archbishop of Canterbury was considered “superior” and to this day is ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Church.
 
King Ethelbert of Kent gave Augustine lands on which to build a cathedral and establish a large and important monastery.  This cathedral building was destroyed several centuries later when the Normans conquered England and replaced it with a Norman structure (the Normans replaced every cathedral in England).  The Norman structure has been remodeled and expanded several times.  Architecturally, one can see examples of Norman and all three phases of Gothic, culminating in the massive nave built in the last Gothic phase of Perpendicular.
 
Canterbury is famous for another event – the 1170 martyrdom of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Henry II.  Thomas and King Henry were friends (as much as one can be friends with a monarch) when Becket served as the Lord Chancellor, one of if not the highest ranking office in the land.  When Archbishop of Canterbury Theobald died, Henry proposed Thomas Becket to take his place.  Becket strongly resisted, advising the king that if he became archbishop, his loyalty would be to the church instead of the king.  Henry did not take Becket’s advice and the anticipated disagreements ended in tragedy.  
 
Among other conflicts, one event was the catalyst for Becket’s martyrdom.  At the time, any English clergy accused of a crime were tried in an ecclesiastical court, rather than a secular court which tended to hand out harsher punishment.  Henry challenged and Becket defended this practice.   Eventually, Becket fled to France (recall that we saw a stained glass window dedicated to Becket in Sens, and Vezelay Abbey where Becket threatened the English with excommunication and an interdict). Upon Becket’s return to England, King Henry reportedly lamented, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?”   These were likely not the King’s actual words, but four knights ended up going to Canterbury, probably intending to arrest the Archbishop.  In the end, they murdered Becket while he was in the north transept, cutting off the top of his head.  
 
The news of the Archbishop’s murder in his own cathedral shocked the English citizens and Christian Europe.  Soon, miracles were widely reported resulting in Becket’s canonization in little over two years.  Becket shrine soon became a major pilgrimage destination until it was destroyed by King Henry VIII’s men in 1538.  But, that is another story altogether, to be told in a later time.  For now, the travel blog photo will show a single candle that perpetually burns in the location of the original shrine.

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England

St Martin’s Church

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Today and tomorrow I am in Canterbury, an extremely important city to England’s Christian history.  I’ll talk more about Canterbury Cathedral tomorrow, but today the focus is on St Martin’s Church.

After the Romans left Britain around 410, the Christian religion was largely replaced by the beliefs of the Angles, Saxon, and Jutes over the next couple of centuries.  Christianity (and this is a gross generalization) shifted more to the western parts of the British Isles, especially Wales and Ireland, and its believers became isolated from the Roman Catholic world, evolving into a “Celtic” Christianity.  The fundamental beliefs remained the same, but practices such as when Easter should be celebrated or how a monk should wear his tonsure were different.

Trade and communications with the European continent were ongoing, however, and when it came time for Ethelbert, King of Kent, (one of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdoms) to find a bride, he looked to the daughters of Frankish kings.  Bertha was the lucky girl, and as a Christian, agreed to the marriage only if she could retain her religion and bring her own priest.  Ethelbert and Bertha married in 580 and Queen Bertha worshiped at an old building which is now called St Martin’s Church.  St Martin’s has the distinction of being the oldest church in the English speaking world. 

Before too long, Pope Gregory was looking to expand Rome’s influence and saw an opportunity through Queen Bertha.  He sent Augustine to Kent who in 597 established his headquarters in Canterbury and created England’s first permanent cathedral.  King Ethelbert,  being a smart man, eventually converted.  It is unclear if this conversion was sincere or if he saw the advantages of closer ties with a powerful pope – perhaps it was a bit of both.  In any case, Augustine (eventually a saint) went on to establish bishoprics  in other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (including York, coming up in a few days) and Roman Catholicism was thus reintroduced to the Britains,  eventually replacing the Germanic religions.  It is interesting to note that the church in Britain was united long before the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united to become the country of England.

On a personal note, this was the first time I was able to see St Martin’s.  I had studied the church and its history, and seen  photos, but shorter day trips never allowed me the time to walk over there.  What a special treat!

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England

Winchester Cathedral

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I took the train from London to Winchester to see its cathedral, which never fails to impress. It was nice to be back in familiar territory.  The French churches are new friends, whereas Winchester cathedral is an old friend. 

This great church will probably start off a new class for Osher.  Winchester was the capital of Anglo-Saxon England, remaining an important location after the Norman conquest, so the bones of both pre-conquest rulers and Rufus, an early Norman king, are kept within the cathedral.  Only one problem…the bones were all mixed up during the commonwealth period (from 1649  when Cromwell’s forces beheaded Charles I  until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660).  These bones are kept in mortuary chests and continue to receive DNA testing.

During the commonwealth period, soldiers came into the nave and did some target shooting with their muskets, aiming at the stained glass windows.  Local townspeople gathered what glass they could and eventually the west window was recreated with the glass remains.  They were unable to recreate any recognizable images,  so the window images have an abstract quality.  All other windows in the church date from after the Middle Ages.

When visiting an English cathedral, there is often a pause at the top of the hour when the clergy on duty asks those to either listen to a prayer, or to have a moment of silence if one is not a Christian.  I have long loved this practice.  It is respectful of the different beliefs that visitors may have, yet still reminds all present that this is the House of the Lord.

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England

Tower of London – Chapel of St. John

Today was devoted to The Tower of London and specifically to the Chapel of St John.  When the Normans came to conquer England in 1066, much of their military success was due to their introduction of castles.  The lands of France and Normandy were full of castles, but castles…

England

Welcome Message

Today is the first day of a five-week trip to France and England.  There are three parts to this trip – the first is a visit to Burgandy region of France to learn about its medieval church architecture.  Then, two weeks will be spent traveling around England to look…