| Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg, O.S.B. | |
|---|---|
Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg, O.S.B. |
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| Empress | |
| Born | 975 |
| Died | 3 March 1040 |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | 29 March 1200, Rome by Pope Innocent III |
| Major shrine | Bamberg Cathedral |
| Feast | 3 March |
| Patronage | Patroness of Luxembourg |
Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg, O.S.B. (c. 975 – 3 March 1040 at Kaufungen), also called Cunegundes and Cunegonda, was the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Saint Henry II. She is the Patroness of Luxembourg; her feast day is 3 March.
Her parents were Siegfried I of Luxembourg (922 – 15 August 998) and Hedwig of Nordgau (c. 935 – 992). She was a seventh-generation descendant of Charlemagne. Her marriage to St. Henry was a spiritual one (also called a "white marriage"), that is, they married for companionship alone and by mutual agreement did not consummate their relationship.
Calumniators accused her of scandalous conduct, but her innocence was signally vindicated by Divine Providence, as she walked over pieces of flaming irons without injury, to the great joy of her husband, the Emperor.[1]
She was very active politically. As the closest adviser of her husband, she took part in Imperial councils.
In 1014, St. Cunigunde went with her husband to Rome and was crowned Empress, receiving together with St. Henry the Imperial Crown from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII.
After St. Henry's death in 1024, she became Regent together with her brother and handed over the Imperial insignia when Conrad II was elected to succeed her late husband.
As a widow, St. Cunigunde was left comparatively poor, owing to the enormous wealth given away by her and St. Henry in charitable works.[1]
In 1025, exactly one year after the death of her husband, St. Cunigunde retired to Kaufungen Abbey, in (Hesse), Germany, where she entered the monastery of Benedictine nuns she had founded at Kaufungen. She died in 1040, and was buried at Bamberg Cathedral by her husband. She was canonised by Pope Innocent III on 29 March 1200.
It was reported in the Papal Bull that St. Cunigunde fell asleep one night and was carried into bed. Her maid also fell asleep and a candle set the bed on fire. The blaze awoke both of them and upon Cunigunde executing the Sign of the Cross, the fire immediately disappeared, saving them from burning.
| Preceded by Theophanu |
Queen consort of Germany 1002–1024 |
Succeeded by Gisela of Swabia |
| Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire 1014–1024 |
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| Preceded by Gisela of Burgundy |
Duchess consort of Bavaria 998–1005 |
Succeeded by Gunhilda of Denmark |