CHRODEGANG of METZ (d. 766), Bp. of Metz. He was one of the chief ecclesiastical reformers of his time. of noble birth, he became chancellor and chief minister to Charles Martel and his successor Pepin III, continuing in political office even after he was made Bp. of Metz, probably sometime between 742 and 748. He succeeded St Boniface as apostolic delegate in the Frankish realm in 754. In 748 he founded the abbey of Gorze, near Metz, and continued to take a keen part in furthering monasticism throughout his diocese. He also caused the canons of his cathedral to live a community life, drawing up for them the ‘rule’ which bears his name (c.755). The picture given by this rule is that of a community consisting essentially of clerics, monastic in their common life and in the performance of the Divine Office, but unmonastic in their close connection with diocesan officials such as the bishop and archdeacon, and, above all, in their licence to hold private property. He also introduced the Roman chant and liturgy into the diocese of Metz. Feast day, 6 Mar.

‘Rule’ repr. from L. d’Achery in J. P. Migne, PL 89. 1057–96; crit. edn. from Leiden Cod. Voss. Lat. 94 by W. Schmitz (Hanover, 1889); text, based on edn. of Schmitz, with introd. and notes, in J. B. Pelt, Études sur la cathédrale de Metz: La liturgie (1937), pp. 5–28. Early Eng. tr., together with Lat. text, ed. A. S. Napier in EETS, Original Series, 150 (1916), pp. 1–101, with introd., pp. vii–x. Life ascribed to John, Abbot of Gorze (historically valueless), ed. G. H. Pertz in MGH, Scriptores, 10 (1852), pp 552–72. Of more importance is relevant section of Paul the Deacon’s Liber de Episcopis Mettensibus, ed. G. H. Pertz in MGH, Scriptures, 2 (1829), pp. 267 f. M. Buchner, ‘Die “Vita Chrodegangi”—eine kirchenpolitische Tendenzschrift aus der Mitte des 9. Jahrhunderts, zugleich eine Untersuchung zur Entwicklung der Primatial- und Vikariatsidee’, Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte, Kanonistische Abt., 16 (1927), pp. 1–36, with refs. to earlier studies. R. Folz and others, Saint Chrodegang: Communications présentées au colloque tenu à Metz à l’occasion du douzième centenaire de sa mort (Metz, 1967); E. Ewig, ‘Beobachtungen zur Entwicklung der fränkischen Reichskirche unter Chrodegang von Metz’, Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2 (1968), pp. 67–77; repr. in id., Spätantikes und fränkisches Gallien, 2 (Beihefte der Francia, 3. 2; Munich, 1979), pp. 220–31; J. Semmler, ‘Chrodegang, Bischof von Metz 747–766’, in F. Knöpp (ed.), Die Reichsabtei Lorsch: Festschrift zum Gedenken an ihre Stiftung 764, 1 (Darmstadt, 1973), pp. 229–45, with refs. M. Parisse in DIP 3 (1976), cols. 314–19, s.v. ‘Crodegango’, with full bibl.; J. Semmler in TRE 8 (1981), pp. 71–4, s.v. Study by M. Claussen in preparation.

RESOURCES:

Schmitz edition of the Regula Canonicorum available in PDF & HTML format:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Fv0_AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Side-by-side comparison with the Rule of Benedict

Fr. Grimme, "Die Kanonikerregel des hl. Chrodegang und ihre Quellen" JGLGA [Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für Lothringische Geschichte und Altertumskunde] 27/28 (1915-16) pp. 1-44.

Periodical available for reading and page-by-page download of BMP images at:

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k200444h.r=.langen

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