OTTO OF FREISING, BISHOP - 22 SEPTEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 22nd of September

OTTO OF FREISING, BISHOP

Otto (Otho) was a famous bishop, also called the "Great". He was a son of St Leopold, Margrave of Austria, and his wife Agnes, and was born on December 5, 1109. Determined at an early age to become a clergyman, he undertook studies in Paris, and after completing them - although he already held the position of provost of Klosterneuburg at that time - in order to die to the world and to live only with God, he entered the thriving Cistercian monastery Morimund, where he took his vows in 1127. 

This was followed by even more studies at the University of Paris. In 1131 Otto had to take over the leadership of the Morimund monastery, which he held for six years. In the meantime Leopold converted the secular monastery of Klosterneuburg into a regular one and, at his request, also granted his pious son the introduction of the Cistercian order into Austria. This is how the Heiligenkreuz monastery was established in 1134, for which eleven monks were sent from Morimund under the abbot Gottschalk. 

But the pious abbot was soon to be ranked even higher. When the episcopal chair of Freising became vacant in 1137, Pope Innocent II ordered him to take over the leadership of the flagging church there. With an unusual zeal, supported by deep wisdom and an excellent knowledge of the world and people, he undertook to "restore what had been destroyed" and "sow and guard the seeds of the divine word." 

Otto set about restoring several monasteries and canonicals, for example Sheftlarn , Schlehdorf, Schliersee, Tegernsee, Weihenstephan, and appointed  worthy rulers for them. In 1141 he handed Neustift over to the newly founded order of the Premonstratensians. In short, he became "the saviour of the diocese in its great distress." 

The cathedral monastery was also reorganised by him in such a way that during his reign the clergy of the Freising Cathedral excelled in generosity and science. He used his influence to be among the princes a protector and advocate for churches, as well as a helper for widows and orphans.

At the same time he was eager to publish academic work, and in the first eight years of his administration of the diocese (in order to demonstrate the power and wisdom of God in the course of world history), he wrote a detailed chronicle; it covered the time span from the creation of the world up to 1146. To this end, he also analysed the history of his own time. 

This worthy pastor was not spared suffering, either. Apart from the hardships he endured on his crusade to Jerusalem, from which he came back in 1149, he had to endure many insults for faithfully defending the rights of the Church, and even had to endure ill-treatment. 

In 1158, anticipating his end, he went back to Morimund monastery to attend the chapter meeting of the friars which was taking place there. Having arrived there, he received Extreme Unction, begged forgiveness from all those he might have insulted verbally or in writing, subjected his books to the scrutiny and improvement of learned men, and closed his outwardly much eventful life, which inwardly was always lived  hidden in God, with the declaration that he, who had at all times been devoted to the holy Catholic Church with filial love, also wanted to die in her very bosom. In the Missal of the Cistercians he is listed among the "saints". 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)