Son
of King Saint Canute of Denmark. Raised in the court of his maternal
grandfather,
Robert de Frison, Count of Flanders. Fought in the second Crusade.
Succeeded Robert II as count of Flanders. Married into the family
of the Duke of Clermont. His rule was a
continuous defense of the poor against profiteers of his time, both
clerical and lay. Called "the Good" by popular acclamation. Reformed
laws to make them more fair, supported the poor, fed the hungry, walked
barefoot to Mass each day. Martyred in the church of Saint Donatian
at Bruges by Borchard, part of a conspiracy of the rich whom he had
offended. Beheaded 2 March 1127; relics at the Cathedral of Bruges,
where he is venerated. Canonized in 1883 by Pope Leo XIII. |