VICAR-GENERAL: In the Roman Catholic system, the representative of the bishop in the ex ercise of his jurisdiction. Such representatives have been appointed since the thirteenth century, at first apparently in connection with the efforts of the bishops to break down the independent power of the Archdeacon (q.v.). The appointment of a vicar general is at the discretion of the bishop, though in case of incapacity to conduct the affairs of the dio cese he may be required by the pope to appoint one, or one may be appointed for him by the Congrega tion of Bishops and Regulars at Rome. Qualifi cations for the office are the possession of orders, or at least of the tonsure, the age of at least twenty five years, knowledge of canon law (with a degree, if possible), legitimate birth and unmarried condi tion. He represents the bishop in his ordinary juris diction; but in certain specially important matters needs a definite authorization. From him, as the representative of the bishop, appeal lies not to the bishop, but to higher tribunals. His office is vaca ted by death or resignation, by the loss of jurisdic tion on the part of the appointing bishop, or by the latter's revocation of his appointment. While in theory this last is perfectly free to the bishop, yet if he does it without any cause whatever, the vicar general has recourse to the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, which may compel his restoration.

P. Hinschius†.

Bibliography: P. Hinschius, Karchenreclet, ii. 205, Berlin, 1871; E. Friedberg, Lehrbuch des . . . Krorchenrechts, p. 169, Leipsic, 1895.

VICELIN, of"c5-lin': Apostle to the Wagrian Wends; b. at Hameln-on-the-Weser (26 m. s.w. of Hanover) toward the end of the eleventh century; d. at Oldenburg (32 m. n. of Lübeck) Dec. 12, 1154. He studied at Paderborn, where he became the assistant of Master Hartmann at the monastery school; later he was made head of the school at Bremen, where he distinguished himself for sever ity and ability. He then seems to have resided in France for a time (probably between 1123 and 1126), after which he was ordained priest and re turned to his canonry at Bremen, and there found his life-mission when Archbishop Adalbero bade him preach the Gospel to the Wends. The situation in the northern Slavic region be longing to the province of Hamburg seemed not unfavorable to such an enterprise, for, about 1093, after the reign of the pagan KrutG, Henry, son of the murdered Prince Gottschalk, had succeeded in regaining his father's dominions, ruling for thirty years from Wagria to Hither Pomerania. Be tween him and the neighboring Christian princes, especially the dukes of Saxony, friendly relations prevailed, but though himself a Christian, he did not imitate the missionary zeal of his father, whose fate he seems to have feared for himself. Notwith standing this passive attitude of Henry, Adalbero felt that the time had come for the reestablishment

of missions to the Wends, among wham peace at last reigned, and he accordingly sent into the Wendish lands Vicelin and the canons Ludolf of Verden and Rudolf of Hildesheim. They received a friendly reception from Henry, who assigned them the church, apparently in ruing, at Old Lübeck; but hardly had they returned home to organize their labors, when the sudden death of the Wendish ruler (1127) destroyed their plans. Henceforth the life of Vicelin wag a struggle against overwhelming odds. A slight consolation came when, shortly afterward, the archbishop appointed Yicelin parish priest at Wipenthorp, the modern Neumünster, near the Wagrian boundary, where he found need of missionary labors among his own flock, who, though nominally Christians, were pagan in belief and practise. Other priests soon gathered about him, and from their number he sent Ludolf and Volcward to Lubeck under the rule of Zwentipolch, the eldest son of Henry, who was distinctly friendly to Christianity. At Lubeck the missionaries were gladly welcomed by the little group of German merchants there, but in 1128 the men of Rugen destroyed the city, and the two priests barely escaped to Wipenthorp. In the struggles which the fall of Henry's line involved, the plans of Yicelin were hopeless, in spite of the warm friendship of the Danish Cnut Lavard, regent of the Wends.

In 1134 Vicelin interested the emperor in Wendish missions, and at his request the castle of Sigeberch was built in the western Wagrian district to form a center for the mission and to protect Holstein against Wendish inroads. The pagan Prince Pribislaw, who had seized the Wagrian and Obotritian districts after the murder of Lavard by his own kinsmen, was required to care for the church at Lubeck; but just as prospects again seemed favorable, they were blighted by the sudden death of Lothar. Pribislaw seized Sigeberch and burned the monastery at its fodt, while the monks fled to Neumünster. At the same time Pribislaw's capital, Lubeck, was destroyed by his enemy Race, and the Christians were expelled, thus leaving Wagria destitute of all Christian influence.

Meanwhile Neumünster had flourished, and in 1141 Vicelin became provost of the Augustinian monastery. About this time, too, the cherished dream of his life again seemed hopeful. ~ Henry, of Badewide, made count of Holstein by Albert the Bear, now proceeded against the hordes of Pribislaw; the Wendish lands were utterly devastated by furious Holsteiners in 1138-39. Only in the extreme north did a few Wends survive. Wagria and Polabia were thus opened to German colonization; the Christianity that there found entrance formed a center for the missionary plans of Vicelin, still further strengthened by the building of a German Lubeck; and the friendly relations between Count Adolf of Schauenburg and Niklot, despite the tatter's aversion to Christianity, guaranteed peace in Wendish Mecklenburg. These prospects, however, were blasted by the senseless crusade against the Wends in 1147, which rendered futile all hopes of peaceable conversion to Christianity (see Wends, Conversion of). Still Vicelin did not despair, and in his zeal even accepted episcopal dignity, only to

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become involved in the investiture strife between his archbishop, Hartwig of Stade, and his secular lord, Henry the Lion of Saxony. On Sept. 25, 1149, Vicelin was consecrated bishop of Oldenburg with out conference between Hartwig and Henry. Henry, however, declared that the investiture of bishops in Wendish territory belonged to him as suzerain, and ordered Adolf of Schauenburg to exact a tithe from the new bishop. At first Vicelin hesitated to obey these illegal demands, but eventually yielded, and in 1150 received investiture from Henry at Lüneburg. Henry now gave him Bosau as an episcopal estate; but, on the other hand, Vicelin had incurred the' implacable enmity of Hartwig, and as Oldenburg remained inaccessible for him, he began to build his palace at Bosau. On the death of Conrad III. (1152), Hartwig re newed his protests against the claims of Henry the Lion before the new king, Frederick Barbarossa. In 1152 Vicelin was required by the archbishop to ac company him to the diet at Merseburg, and there receive investiture from the king. But the bishop was crushed by age and infirmity, and declined to obey, fearing a new outbreak of the controversy. He returned to his diocese, where he was stricken with hemiplegia in the summer of 1152, though he lingered on until the end of 1154.

(E. Schäfer.)

Bibliography: Sources for a life are the Presbyter Hel mold's Chronica Slavorum, ed. J. M. Lappenberg in MGH, Script., xxi. (1889), 1-99; the material brought together by J. Langebek in Script. rer. Danicarum, iv. 433-445; C. Schirren, in Zeitachri,Jt der Gesellschaft . . . Jür achlea wip - · . lauenburgische Geschichte, viii (1878), 302 318; and N. Beeek, in Quelleiesammlung für schleswig - . Zauenburgische Geschichte, iv (1875), 127-204. Con sult further: W. von Bippen, Kritische UnEersuchung über die Versus de vita Vicel%n%, Lübeck, 1888; C. Schirren. Beiträge zur Kritik dlterer holsEein%acher Geschichtequellen, pp. 1-9, 241 sqq., Leipsic, 1878; H. Hohlbaum, in For achungen zur deutschen Geschichte, xvii (1877), 211-229; R. Haupt, Die Vizel%nskirchen, pp. 114-122, Kiel, 1884; A Böhmer, V%celin. Ein Beitrag zur Kritik Helmolda, Wismar, 1887; G. F. Maelear, Apostles of Med%a:aal Europe, pp. 240-250, London, 1888; L. Nottrott, Aus der Wendenmission, Halle, 1897.