Godfried van Mierlo
Encyclopedia
Godfried van Mierlo was bishop
of Haarlem
and abbot
of Egmond Abbey from 1570 to 1578.
. Though he was welcomed in the Haarlem St. Bavochurch in 1571, on December 4, 1572, the church suffered the Beeldenstorm
and was temporarily the scene of Durtch Reformed services until the end of the Siege of Haarlem
. Van Mierlo had to re-sanctify the church in 1573. In Veere
, in 1577 Van Mierlo set his seal to the "Satisfactie van Haarlem
" wherein he promised to swear allegiance to Willem the Silent rather than Philip II of Spain
, on the condition that the Catholics would keep the same rights as Protestants.
This was reversed a year later on May 29, Sacrament Day, when Calvinist supporters stormed the church during the "Noon" service at the 9th hour of the day, or 3:00 PM; ravaging the altars, killing a priest and injuring several others. The provost Jacobus Zaffius, who had witnessed the Amsterdam "Alteratie
" two days beforehand, saw it happen. Van Mierlo fled to Rome where Pope Gregory XIII
appointed him coadjutor bishop
of Münster
. He was then appointed bishop of Deventer
in 1587, where he needed to re-sanctify the local churches. Van Mierlo died the year of his appointment and was buried in the Lebuïnuskerk of Deventer.
After Van Mierlo fled Haarlem, the city was no longer an official Catholic bishopric
, and the period from then onwards until 1798 (during the French occupation) is known as the Hollandse Zending, or Dutch Mission, where the Catholics had underground churches. However, the Haarlemse kapittel or Haarlem chapter, remained active and the Bavo church was always called the cathedral
by townsfolk, even after the Cathedral of Saint Bavo
was built in the 19th century.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
and abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Egmond Abbey from 1570 to 1578.
Biography
Godfried was named bishop of Haarlem and abbot of Egmond in 1570 by Pope Pius VPope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
. Though he was welcomed in the Haarlem St. Bavochurch in 1571, on December 4, 1572, the church suffered the Beeldenstorm
Beeldenstorm
Beeldenstorm in Dutch, roughly translatable to "statue storm", or Bildersturm in German , also the Iconoclastic Fury, is a term used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century...
and was temporarily the scene of Durtch Reformed services until the end of the Siege of Haarlem
Siege of Haarlem
The siege of Haarlem was an episode of the Eighty Years' War. From December 11, 1572 to July 13, 1573 an army of Philip II of Spain laid bloody siege to the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, whose loyalties had begun wavering during the previous summer...
. Van Mierlo had to re-sanctify the church in 1573. In Veere
Veere
Veere is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands, on Walcheren island in the province of Zeeland.-Population centres :Aagtekerke , Biggekerke , Domburg , Gapinge , Grijpskerke , Koudekerke , Meliskerke , Oostkapelle , Serooskerke , Veere , Vrouwenpolder , Westkapelle...
, in 1577 Van Mierlo set his seal to the "Satisfactie van Haarlem
Satisfactie van Haarlem
The Satisfactie van Haarlem was one of many treaties in the city of Veere in 1577 where Willem the Silent ensured the loyalty of the cities under his rule....
" wherein he promised to swear allegiance to Willem the Silent rather than Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, on the condition that the Catholics would keep the same rights as Protestants.
This was reversed a year later on May 29, Sacrament Day, when Calvinist supporters stormed the church during the "Noon" service at the 9th hour of the day, or 3:00 PM; ravaging the altars, killing a priest and injuring several others. The provost Jacobus Zaffius, who had witnessed the Amsterdam "Alteratie
Alteratie
The Alteratie is the name given to the change of power in Amsterdam on May 26, 1578, when the Catholic city-government was deposed in favor of a Protestant one. The coup should be seen in the context of the greater Dutch Revolt that was breaking out in this time...
" two days beforehand, saw it happen. Van Mierlo fled to Rome where Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
appointed him coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
. He was then appointed bishop of Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
in 1587, where he needed to re-sanctify the local churches. Van Mierlo died the year of his appointment and was buried in the Lebuïnuskerk of Deventer.
After Van Mierlo fled Haarlem, the city was no longer an official Catholic bishopric
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
, and the period from then onwards until 1798 (during the French occupation) is known as the Hollandse Zending, or Dutch Mission, where the Catholics had underground churches. However, the Haarlemse kapittel or Haarlem chapter, remained active and the Bavo church was always called the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
by townsfolk, even after the Cathedral of Saint Bavo
Cathedral of Saint Bavo
The Cathedral of Saint Bavo is a religious building in Haarlem, the Netherlands, built by the Catholics from 1895 to 1930 to replace the former Waterstaatskerk St. Joseph. That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578...
was built in the 19th century.