Jaromír, Bishop of Prague facts for kids

Jaromír (born after 1035 – died June 26, 1090) was an important figure in the history of Bohemia. He was a prince and a bishop, meaning he was both part of the royal family and a leader in the church. Jaromír became the Bishop of Prague in 1068. His older brother, Vratislaus II of Bohemia, who was the Duke of Bohemia, appointed him to this powerful position. Both brothers were sons of Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia.

A New Bishopric and a Big Problem

In 1063, before Jaromír became bishop, his brother Vratislaus decided to create a new church area called a diocese in a city called Olomouc. He appointed a monk named John to be the new bishop there.

This made Jaromír very upset. As Bishop of Prague, he received money and land (called tithes and fiefs) from his diocese. Losing part of his territory to Olomouc meant losing some of his wealth and power. This started a long-lasting disagreement between the two brothers.

Jaromír even got into a fight with the new Bishop John. He used force to take back important religious items (called relics) that had been moved from Prague to the new church in Olomouc. To show his displeasure, Duke Vratislaus would sometimes wear special robes given to him by the Pope. He did this in front of Jaromír during important events, which was a way of showing off his own power and upsetting his brother.

Popes Get Involved

The arguments between Jaromír and Vratislaus became so serious that the Pope had to step in. Pope Alexander II sent a special representative, called a papal legate, named Rudolph to Prague. Rudolph's job was to hold a meeting to sort out the problems with the new diocese.

Jaromír, however, did not attend this meeting. Because of his absence and his actions, he was removed from his position as bishop. Later, another Pope, Pope Gregory VII, called Jaromír and other bishops to a meeting in Rome in 1074. At this meeting, Jaromír admitted that he had treated Bishop John badly. However, he still refused to give up some land called Podvin, which was part of the dispute. Pope Gregory VII then told Duke Vratislaus that he should make his brother obey, even if it meant using force.

An Alliance with the Emperor

Jaromír found a powerful friend in Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. At this time, there was a big conflict known as the Investiture Controversy. This was a major disagreement between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor about who had the right to appoint church leaders like bishops. Jaromír chose to support Emperor Henry IV.

In 1077, Emperor Henry IV appointed Jaromír as his chancellor, a very important advisor position. At this time, Jaromír also took on a new name, Gebhard.

Later Years and Final Conflicts

In 1085, Bishop John of Olomouc died. Jaromír saw this as a chance to get the Olomouc diocese back under Prague's control. He strongly pushed for a meeting (called a Reichstag) in Mainz to close down the Moravian diocese and reunite it with Prague. His efforts were successful.

However, Duke Vratislaus soon had his own disagreements with Emperor Henry IV. Vratislaus then appointed his own chaplain, Wecel, to be the new Bishop of Olomouc, calling him Andrew I. This went against Jaromír's wishes to close the diocese.

Jaromír was determined to stop this. He traveled to Rome to protest to Pope Urban II. He was preparing for another confrontation with Wecel in a place called Esztergom when he died on June 26, 1090.

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:  "Prague". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton.