hildegard_english_final

"Speak of these wonderful things, therefore, 

write them down and report them" 

Hildegard, Liber Scivias 

Hildegard of Bingen 

Doctor of the church 

Visionary 

Healer 

Admonisher

Biography 

For me Hildegard is a strong, prophetic figure – 

a window to heaven, to transcendence. She 

teaches us that the love of God, love of creation, 

love of humankind and love of the Church belong 

together. Hildegard’s criticism was always 

constructive, it was rooted in her love of the 

Church and helped to build up the Church. Her 

passionate dedication urges all Christians, 

clergy and religious to be credible. Saint 

Hildegard is a mentor and companion for me. 

Clementia Killewald OSB 

Abbess, Abbey of St Hildegard 

1098 

ca. 1106 

1112 

1136 

1141–1151 

1147/1148 

1150 

1147–1179 

1158 

1158–1170/1 

1158–1173 

1163 

1165 

1173 

1174/1175 

1178/1179 

1179 

1180–1190 

1227 

1632 

1802 

1904 

2012 

Hildegard is born in Rhine-Hesse (region 

southwest of Mainz) 

Hildegard is placed in Jutta of Sponheim’s care 

for education 

Hildegard enters an enclosed cell at 

Disibodenberg 

Death of Jutta of Sponheim 

Hildegard is elected Magistra 

Work on her first book, Liber Scivias, 

composition of songs and a musical drama 

Pope Eugene III confirms Hildegard’s visionary 

gift 

Move to the new monastery at Rupertsberg 

near Bingen 

Extensive correspondence with popes, bishops 

... 

Deed of ownership of Rupertsberg 

Public preaching at Mainz, Trier, Cologne and 

other places 

Work on her books Liber Vitae Meritorum, 

Physica and Causae et Curae and Liber 

Divinorum Operum 

Meeting with the Emperor Frederick 

Barbarossa at Ingelheim 

Hildegard founds a second monastery at 

Eibingen, of which she is also abbess. 

Hildegard’s secretary Volmar dies 

The monk Godfrey begins to write the Life of 

Hildegard 

Hildegard comes into conflict with the 

diocesan administrators of Mainz 

Hildegard dies on 17 September 

The monk Theodoric completes the Life of 

Hildegard 

First petition for her canonization 

The monastery at Rupertsberg is destroyed 

during the Thirty Years’ War 

Dissolution of the monastery at Eibingen 

during the Secularization 

The Abbey of St Hildegard is newly founded 

Canonization and Proclamation of Hildegard of 

Bingen as a Doctor of the Church

The Twelfth Century 

Hildegard was born at a time of upheaval and far-reaching 

changes. The climate was warming, the population 

increased. New arable land was claimed, rural settlements 

and towns develop. People became more mobile. New 

methods in agriculture and specialisation in craftsmanship 

and trade facilitate the better provision of people. Goods 

were transported over long distances. The guilds, a new 

form of society, came into existence. The use of coinage 

gradually replaces barter. Written documentation in 

everyday life attains a higher significance. 

The cultural life of this era is characterized by the flowering 

of Romanesque art with the Gothic period beginning in 

France. First universities are founded in Paris and Bologna 

at an age when providing access to higher education is still 

the privilege of monasteries. The crusades accelerate the 

encounter of different cultures. Writings in Greek and 

Arabic (for instance on philosophical and medical subjects) 

reach the Western world. 

For me Hildegard of Bingen is a woman, who was 

able to realize her talents and bring them to 

fruition in a very special way, which in her day 

required tremendous courage and profound faith in 

God, but also confidence in herself. Were she alive 

today, she might perhaps be a brilliant scientist or 

a Mother Teresa. In her, both came together. Her 

inquisitiveness about the world that surrounded 

her and which she wanted to understand, as well as 

her dedication to the infirm and those in need. She 

rejoiced in God’s creation, but was stern with those 

who would not respect and honour it. 

Margarethe von Trotta 

The Church, too, is undergoing change. In 1054 Rome and 

Byzantium seperate. Christendom is now divided into a 

Western and an Eastern Church. The Investiture 

Controversy rages between pope and emperor over the 

right to appoint bishops. The first crusade sets off for the 

Holy Land in 1096. Deplorable internal conditions (simony, 

married clergy, moral decline and excessive wealth) present 

a threat to the Church. This leads to a change of thought in 

the Church and a desire for reform: the Gregorian Reform, 

the foundation of new orders, itinerant preachers, the sect 

of the Cathars are all reactions to the condition of the 

Church. 

When she was about 14, Hildegard‘s parents 

committed her to the monastic life. Hard though 

this is to imagine today, in Hildegard’s time this 

was a privilege. To be able to enter a monastery 

was an opportunity open to a select few – most 

often members of the nobility. – Only life in a 

monastery offered the possibility of an excellent 

education and continued training.

The Sites 

The canonization of Hildegard of Bingen is a 

significant development for the Universal Church. I 

am delighted that this outstanding person, who is 

already held in high esteem in our country, has now 

received further recognition. The Abbey of St 

Hildegard at Eibingen has become an important 

place of pilgrimage and a Hildegard Centre in 

Germany. I am grateful that the veneration of St 

Hildegard in the Benedictine Order, at the Abbey of 

St Hildegard and in the dioceses of Mainz, Trier and 

Limburg bears such abundant fruit. 

Robert Zollitsch 

Archbishop em. of Freiburg 

Disibodenberg 

Hildegard began her life at Disibodenberg 

on 1 November 1112. The women in the 

hermitage followed a strict monastic life 

according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. 

Hildegard received a well-founded, broad monastic education 

from her mentor, Jutta of Sponheim: She learned to read, write 

and sing, acquired comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures, 

but also closely studied nature, in particular herbs and plants. 

At Disibodenberg she wrote her first book, Liber Scivias. In 

1147/48 Pope Eugene III was residing at Trier and heard about 

Hildegard. He had her visionary gift examined by a commission 

and confirmed it. 

In a letter he bade her continue with her writing. For Hildegard 

this was endorsement, encouragement and stimulation. For 

those around her it was definitive proof that the Magistra of 

Disibodenberg really was “God’s trumpet”. While all of this was 

happening, Hildegard also pursued her intention of founding her 

own monastery. 

Rupertsberg 

Hildegard purchases land at 

Rupertsberg near Bingen and with her 

nuns built a monastery based on her 

own concept. They relocated between 

1147 and 1151. A charter in the name of Henry, archbishop of 

Mainz, dated 1 May 1152, documents the consecration of the 

church. There was a dispute with the abbot of Disibodenberg 

concerning Rupertsberg’s independence and its possessions. 

Hildegard made use of her good connections and received deeds 

which largely safeguard her monastery’s independence. In 1632 

Rupertsberg was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. 

Eibingen 

Hildegard’s fame drew many to seek admission at 

Rupertsberg. Soon the monastery was too small. 

She bought a vacated monastery at Eibingen. It 

was rededicated in 1165. Hildegard also became 

abbess of this second monastery and crossed the 

Rhine twice a week to visit the sisters at Eibingen. 

In 1802, as a result of the Secularization, the monastery was 

dissolved; all its possessions were lost. In 1831 the monastic 

church became the parish church of Eibingen. 

New Foundation of the Abbey of St Hildegard 

In 1904, after a four years of building, 14 nuns of the 

Abbey of St Gabriel in Prague move into the newly 

built monastery high above the Rhine. The 

monastery is raised to the full status of an abbey 

and endowed with all rights and privileges of 

Hildegard’s former monasteries. It is exempt 

from local episcopal authority and is placed 

directly under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. 

The community of the Abbey of St Hildegard 

regards the study of and care for Hildegard’s 

legacy as its pre-eminent concern, passing it 

on to contemporaries as a timelessly relevant 

message.

The Works 

Saint Hildegard was an eminent polymath, who left a 

substantial body of highly diverse work. She was a nun, but 

equally a scientist, a theologian and a philosopher, a musician 

and poet, and a physician, particularly skilled in methods of 

natural healing. Her whole work aims at directing people 

towards God and to encourage them to live a life of faith. 

The seven most important works of Hildegard of Bingen: 

Hildegard’s teaching aims at guiding humans onto 

the way of salvation, by showing them that out of 

love God has already made His way to them and 

continues to walk with them: At the creation, 

through the incarnation and throughout history. For 

me, therefore, it is first and foremost an intellectual 

challenge to grasp Hildegard’s doctrine of God, man 

and the world in the philosophical-theological 

context of the twelfth century and to make it 

accessible for us today. At the same time she is my 

mentor in the conduct of life, because she teaches 

me to find the right balance for myself - which is 

what the end leads every human being to 

happiness. 

Maura Zátonyi OSB 

Abbey of St Hildegard 

LIBER SCIVIAS – Know the Ways (1141-1151) 

In Hildegard’s first theological work, in which she records her 

visions and which spread her fame during her lifetime, she 

discusses on the one hand God’s way to man in creation, 

redemption and the course of history and on the other man’s 

ways to God. 

LIBER VITAE MERITORUM – 

The Book of Life’s Merits (1158-1163) 

The second of Hildegard’s main works reveals in dramatic 

dialogues between 35 virtues and vices the inseparable 

interrelation of the cosmos, salvation history and human moral 

conduct. It becomes clear that personal decisions are part of 

the cosmic struggle between good and evil. 

LIBER DIVINORUM OPERUM – 

The Book of Divine Works (1163-1170) 

Hildegard’s later work deals with the definition of the relational 

concept of God, the world and man. Once again her main 

themes and concerns are summarized in a sophisticated 

sweep. 

CAUSAE ET CURAE – 

Cause and Cure of Illnesses (1150-1158) 

In this book Hildegard describes a multitude of illnesses, their 

causes and symptoms and then gives instructions for 

treatment using natural remedies. Particular significance is 

ascribed to the advice on prevention of diseases and for a 

healthy and moderate way of life. 

PHYSICA – Wholesomeness of Creation – Natural and 

Effective Power of Things (1150-1158) 

This work describes in nine chapters the powers of nature and 

their effect on healthy and on sick people: herbs, elements, 

trees, gemstones, fish, birds, land animals, reptiles and metals. 

Time and again Hildegard emphasizes that the nature of visible 

things points to an invisible reality. 

SYMPHONIAE – Songs (1151-1170) 

This book contains 77 chants and songs for which Hildegard 

composed both the music and the words, as well as the musical 

drama “Ordo Virtutum” (The Dance of the Virtues), which was 

first performed at the consecration of the monastic church at 

Rupertsberg. 

EPISTOLAE – Letters (1147–1179) 

This collection of letters is comprises of some 390 of 

Hildegard’s letters addressed to her contemporaries, some 

well-known, others less well-known. Some personal but also 

many universally valid messages are found here. Hildegard 

reveals herself as an attentive witness and observer of current 

affairs and admonishes clergy and secular officials with a true 

awareness of her prophetic mission.

The Benedictine 

The orderly, well-balanced Benedictine rhythm of life in 

space, time and communal existence permeated all of 

Hildegard’s life. The pillars of spiritual life – prayer and work, 

study and spiritual reading, solitude and communal living – 

formed her every thought and action and was at the root of 

all of her work and ministry. Hildegard’s life and daily routine, 

like that of all nuns and monks, was defined by the Scriptures. 

In a monastery, liturgy regulates the course of the day; 

prayer times punctuate the varied tasks. This fosters 

composure and concentration, and helps us to view 

everything before God and in his gaze and to focus on the 

essential. In doing so, all things become connected and 

reciprocally interrelated. 

For Hildegard, the Benedictine canon of values – love of God 

and love of man, attentiveness and readiness to listen, 

reverence and hospitality, compassion and benevolence, 

liberty and constancy, peace and responsibility, centeredness 

and moderation, gratitude and humility – is the foundation on 

which she stands and the source from which she draws. In 

that sense she is a true Benedictine saint and a witness to 

the undiminished fascination and ever new reality of this 

concept of life. 

Saint Hildegard was profoundly shaped by 

Benedictine thought. From this she drew strength 

for her prophetic mission. In this was rooted the 

strength to proclaim her faith – 900 years ago, as 

today. For me it is a gift of God’s graces that of all 

the popes it was the one that bears the name of 

our founding father Benedict, who proclaimed 

Hildegard a Doctor of the Church. 

Edeltraud Forster OSB 

Abbess em., Abbey of St Hildegard 

The first light of day marks the devout words of apostolic 

teaching, but the dawn of day shows the beginning of the 

(monastic) way of life, which first originated in the desert 

and in caves; but then the sun shows the particular and 

well-structured way of my servant Benedict. I have infused 

him with a glowing fire and taught him (…) because this 

Benedict is like a second Moses. 


Since Saint Benedict wrote his Rule in the fear of God, in 

charity, love and mercy, nothing must be added to it or 

removed from it, as it does not lack in anything, since it was 

written and brought to perfection by the Holy Spirit. 

Hildegard, Explanations on the Rule of St Benedict, II.3 

Edeltraud Foster OSB, Abbess em. 

and Clementia Killewald OSB, Abbess, 

the 34th and 35th successors of Saint 

Hildegard

The Visionary 

The word ‘vision’ is derived from the Latin word ‘videre’ – to 

see. From a biblical point of view, to see means more than 

just the exterior perception of reality. What is meant is a 

loving discernment, access to an understanding of the 

essential and ultimately an intuitive vision and cognizance of 

God. Saint Hildegard was a Benedictine and as such familiar 

with the Bible, which she studied daily. In prayer and 

contemplation she received what she herself referred to as 

an “understanding of the Scriptures”. In consequence, her 

works were above all holistic interpretations of the Scriptures 

in a visionary-allegorical form. What is so specific about 

Hildegard’s visions, which almost all begin with the words “Et 

vidi” (“And I saw”), can be explained in five steps: 

What intrinsically is a basic feature of each and 

every Christian – though for the most part in an 

unspectacular way – was most exceedingly 

bestowed upon the seer of the Rhine: the gift and 

the task not to become fixated on the beautiful 

and the difficult things of everyday life, not to be 

confined by one’s limited horizon, not to be 

absorbed by the major and minor demands of the 

here and now, but to see further than the end of 

one’s nose, beyond one’s own existence and to 

glimpse of the whole of the world and all history. 

Stephan Ackermann 

Bishop of Trier 

p When still a child, Hildegard was called by God in a special 

way and lived all of her life in a profound closeness to her 

creator. 

p In her daily study of the Scriptures, in the light of faith and 

on the background of her universal learnedness, the 

mysteries of God revealed themselves to her, 

p which she saw inwardly in ever new visionary images 

p wrote down at the behest of God 

p and then interpreted theologically and spiritually 

But the visions that I saw, I have not experienced in dreams 

nor was I asleep or in mental confusion, nor were they heard 

with the physical ears of the exterior person nor in hidden 

places, but I received them wide-awake and of sound mind 

with the eyes and ears of the inner person, in open places 

according to the will of God. In which way this is happening 

is very difficult to understand for a corporeal person. 


And I have not written these things according to a 

contrivance of my heart or some other person, but as I have 

seen and heard them in a heavenly realm and received them 

by the veiled mysteries of God. 

Hildegard, Liber Scivias

The Theologian 

Hildegard of Bingen is the most significant female theologian 

and writer of Christendom before the 16th century. She is on the 

same level with major theological thinkers of her age. In her 

extensive and diverse writings Hildegard is mainly concerned 

with the authentic interpretation of the Scriptures. It is her 

utmost concern to direct humans onto the way of salvation. The 

relationship between God, man and the world is at the centre of 

her theological concept. Man as God’s creature within creation 

and with responsibility for it is at the very heart of her thinking 

and her visions. Every single person is at all times called upon to 

be sensitive to their responsibility before God in their lives, in 

their thoughts and actions. 

As a theologian, I am fascinated by the 

individuality with which Hildegard interprets the 

Bible. I am particularly impressed by her reading of 

Genesis 2: in contrast to her contemporaries, for 

Hildegard, the secondary creation of Eve is not a 

shortcoming, but an advantage for woman – 

because Eve, unlike Adam, for whom God needed 

two steps (clay and breath), is fully human from 

the beginning. I gladly draw inspiration from 

Hildegard’s creative dialogue with the Bible! As a 

woman with management concerns in the Catholic 

Church, I am fascinated by Hildegard: She 

realistically assessed her opportunities and 

limitations in a male dominated church. Hildegard 

was no revolutionary, but a superb strategist, 

tactician and politician. She knew and accepted the 

conventions and rules – but at the same time did 

not let herself be diverted. 

Hildegard Gosebrink 

Theologian and Hildegard Biographer 

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit cannot be separate one from 

the other, but are at work in unison with one accord. These 

three persons of the true Trinity live inseparably in the 

majesty of the Godhead (…) Therefore, oh man, know the One 

God in three persons. But in the folly of your mind, you think 

that God was so powerless that He would not be able to truly 

live in three persons, but in weariness to only exist in one. (…) 

But the Father is not without the Son, nor the Son without the 

Father, nor are the Father and the Son without the Holy Spirit, 

nor the Holy Spirit without them both, since these three 

persons are inseparable in the unity of the Godhead. 


In the midst of the structure of the world there is man, because he 

is more powerful than the other creatures that live in it; admittedly, 

he is of slight stature, but he is great due to the strength of his 

soul. His head he turns upwards, his feet downwards and thus 

moves the upper and lower elements. Similarly he penetrates them 

with the work he does with his right and his left hand, because with 

the power of his inner person he has the strength to do this. Just 

as the size of man’s body exceeds the size of his heart, so the powers 

of the soul with their strength surpass 

man’s body. And just as man’s heart is 

hidden within his body, so his body is 

enveloped by the powers of the 

soul, because they span the 

whole earth. 

Hildegard, Liber Divinorum Operum

The Sage 

Man and his life are the focus of Hildegard’s thought and action. 

Out of pure love God created man in his image, a free being. 

Man’s response to this love consists of becoming ever better 

adjusted to the wise and moderate order of the cosmos in all of 

his actions and relationships. For Hildegard, life can only succeed 

if we responsibly structure the world out of reverence for God 

and respect for ourselves, each other and creation. 

But when God looked at man, he was well pleased, because he 

had created him after His own image and similitude so that he 

would proclaim all the wonderful works of God audibly with his 

sensible voice. That is to say, man is God’s most perfect work, 

because through him God is known and because God made all 

creatures for his sake. To him He granted with the kiss of true 

love that by his faculty of reason he glorifies and praises Him. 

Hildegard, Liber Divinorum Operum 

Hildegard is a larger-than-life personality, who 

impresses and encourages me. Although a 

visionary, she went her own way, keeping her 

feet firmly on the ground. Hildegard of 

Bingen’s example shows how strength of 

character, directness and openness to the new 

inspire faith in God and service to people. Her 

work is a source of inspiration of timeless 

vitality. 

Just as I, wisdom, ordered everything, when I walked around 

the circle of the heavens, so have I spoken through Solomon 

about the love of the creator for his creation and the creation 

for its creator: how the creator adorned creation when he 

created it because he loved it so much; and how creation 

received the creator’s kiss when it obeyed him, because it was 

obedient in everything. Creation had already received the 

creator’s kiss, in that God gave creation everything it needed. 

But I compare the love of the creator for creation and of 

creation for the creator with the love and faithfulness by which 

God joins man and woman so that offspring emanate from 

them just as all creation emanates from God. 

Hildegard, Liber Vitae Meritorum 

Malu Dreyer 

Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate

The Admonisher 

Hildegard regarded herself as an instrument of God and 

continually wanted to show mankind the way to and with 

God. She never tired of reminding her contemporaries of 

God and admonishing them to return to the way of 

salvation. This admonition remains valid for us today as 

well. For Hildegard, it was all a matter of living the 

Christian life consistently. Everything, heaven and earth, 

faith and reason, the whole creation in all its facets and 

possibilities are for her a mirror of God’s love, they are at 

the same time gift and mission. No one may abdicate their 

responsibility. 

The seer becomes a teacher! A Doctor of the 

Church – what does that mean? Not only that she 

has presented the teaching of the Church, but 

rather that she taught the Church, that she has 

something to say to the Church… Nothing 

characterizes us more than our lack of passion for 

God. Precisely that characterizes the life of Saint 

Hildegard…Renewal of the Church – there is much 

talk of that these days. How can it succeed? Only 

by returning to the source, to the Gospel. We do 

not need to borrow extrinsic programmes – the 

gospel is programme enough. Hildegard lives, 

thinks, prays and writes with the Scriptures… 

What surprises and impresses with Hildegard is 

the breadth of her mind: philosophy and the study 

of nature, the art of healing in the sense of holistic 

medicine. Hildegard is not just concerned with the 

Church, with controversy within the Church. She is 

concerned with creation, with the cosmos, with the 

preservation of creation. As if one were reading a 

modern environmental paper…The environmental 

crisis is a crisis of mankind. Man has forgotten to 

whom he owes himself and the world. Whoever 

speaks of nature must not leave God unmentioned. 

As ultimately he will be perplexed by the world and 

will not understand himself. 

And I heard a loud voice which spoke to the man from the 

elements of the earth: We cannot walk and thus complete 

our way, as our lord has determined. Because humans 

with their bad deeds are spinning us around like a mill 

wheel. Therefore we reek of pestilence, and hunger for 

full justice. 

But the man answered: (…) The winds have become 

hoarse because of the stench, the air spews out filth, 

because humans do not open their mouths for integrity. 

Even vitality (viriditas) is withering because of the 

iniquitous superstition of the preposterous masses of 

people, who arrange everything according to their wishes 

and say. “Who is that Lord whom we have never seen?” 

And I, God, answer them: Do you not see me by day and 

at night? Do you not see me when you sow and when the 

seed is watered by rain, so that it may grow? All of 

creation aspires toward its creator and obviously 

understands that it has been created. But man is a rebel 

and splits his creator into many creatures. 

Hildegard, Liber Vitae Meritorum 

Franz Kamphaus 

Bishop em. of Limburg 

von

The Healer 

In medieval times, monasteries were also centres for 

treatment and healing of the sick. At Disibodenberg, 

Hildegard had already acquired her considerable skills in 

caring for the sick, and in practical and herbal medicine. 

Salvation and healing are inseparable for her. Humans 

become ill when they drop out of the originally harmonious 

relationship with God and the surrounding world. That is 

why a meaningful, value-centred and moderate way of living 

is the best prevention of illnesses of the body and the soul. 

It is not easy to approach the person of Saint 

Hildegard. She frequently describes herself as a 

simple, unlearned woman. But in reality she is one 

of the great women of the Middle Ages: She is a 

physician, composer, author of great works about 

the world and humanity, knows the Bible and the 

Church Fathers, is as well versed in the nature 

studies of her time, as in medicine or agriculture. 

Above all she was renowned for her visions. We 

admire this German prophet, as she may be called. 

Nevertheless, she will always remain unfamiliar, so 

that we have to make a great effort to comprehend 

her thought. It will be a continuing task to better 

understand her significance as a Doctor of the 

Church for our own times. 

Karl Kardinal Lehmann 

Bishop of Mainz 

Whilst the human body is never idle and never stops 

doing something, man‘s soul has, at times, on account of 

its nature, the duty – when tired of physical activities – 

to withdraw from its course, as if asleep, like a mill wheel 

occasionally stops working, when a rush of water has 

broken something at a certain point. In this way the soul 

is at times in silent repose, until the body is beset and 

aggrieved by some ill or other trepidation. Then it 

gathers strength and takes up its course and awakes, 

and it seems to that man as if he was newly born and a 

new person. 

Hildegard, Causae et Curae 

And the earth gave of its vitality according to the type of 

man, to his disposition and character and whatever the 

nature of his activities. That is to say, the earth reveals 

in useful plants, by differentiating them, the dealings of 

the human spirit, but shows in non-utile plants that are 

not usefulits negative and sinister traits. 

Hildegard, Physica 

The Hildegard-Forum 

herb garden at the 

Rochusberg in Bingen

The Mentor 

A total of 390 letters to popes, bishops and monasteries, to secular 

rulers, noblemen and ordinary people have been passed down. They 

are evidence of admonitory concern and great foresight, of intrepid 

and refreshingly humorous directness, as well as personal 

involvement and obvious exertion of influence in (ecclesio-) political 

matters. They provide an immediate insight into Hildegard’s 

personality and inimitably, briefly and succinctly summarize her 

thought and work. 

Oh King, it is imperative that you act cautiously. I see you in a 

mystic vision like a child and a recklessly living person before the 

Living Eyes (of God). Nonetheless you still have time to rule over 

worldly matters. Take care, therefore, that the heavenly king does 

not strike you down because of the blindness of your eyes, which do 

not quite see how you should hold the sceptre in your hand for 

proper governance. See to it that you conduct yourself in a way 

that the grace of God does not run dry within you. 

Hildegard, Epistolae, Hildegard to the Roman King Frederick (later the Emperor Barbarossa) 

Saint Hildegard is a major prophetic figure of the 

Church: vigorous, courageous and, in the truest 

sense of the phrase, leading the way. In her work, 

Hildegard has presented an all-embracing relational 

definition of God, world and man – and that in 

entirely new, figurative language. She proclaimed the 

faith at a time when – like the present – people had 

increasingly forgotten God. She lived as she taught, 

was credible and absolutely authentic. Her theology 

is ‘grounded’ and orientated toward life. In this 

respect especially, she proves herself genuinely 

Benedictine. I am convinced that with her help, it 

can be accomplished in our present day to once 

again fill people with enthusiasm for God, and for 

living purposeful and consistent lives of discipleship. 

Your tongues are silent in view of the loud voice of the sounding 

trumpet of the Lord. They do not love holy prudence which, like the 

stars, moves in a circular orbit. The trumpet of the Lord is the 

righteousness of God which you should ponder assiduously in 

holiness. (…) But that you fail to do because of your inconsiderate 

self-will. This is why, when you preach, the firmament of divine 

righteousness is lacking in luminaries, as if the stars are not 

shining. It is because you are night, which exhales darkness, and 

like an indolent people, who unwillingly do not walk in the light. (…) 

Instead you rather do whatever your flesh demands. (…) But you 

are struck down, and are no support for the Church fleeing instead 

to the caves of your lust, and because of your disgusting opulence, 

your avarice and other vanities you do not teach your subordinates, 

nor let them seek instruction from you (…) 

Hildegard, Epistolae, Hildegard to the Shepherds of the Church 

Philippa Rath OSB 

Abbey of St Hildegard

The Composer 

Hildegard composed 77 songs as well as a musical drama. Taken 

together, her musical work therefore constitutes the largest 

corpus of medieval music. Essentially, the songs were written 

for liturgical use. The core themes of Hildegard’s writings are 

captured again in the words and as such are a synopsis of her 

theological and spiritual work. 

For the glorifying jubilations, which ring out in the simplicity of 

concord and love, lead the faithful to that unity where there is 

no discord, because they induce in those, who still abide on 

earth, the sigh of heart and mouth for the heavenly reward. 


Yet the body is the vestment of the soul which has a 

resounding voice. Therefore, it befits the body which has a 

voice to praise God together with the soul (…) And since man, 

in hearing a song, often sighs deeply when he remembers the 

original celestial harmony, the prophet sensitively ponders the 

unfathomable nature of the spirit, knowing that the soul is 

filled with harmony (symphonialis est) … 

Hildegard, Epistolae 

Charity abounds in all things / most excellent from the depths 

to high above the stars. / And it is most loving to all / for to 

the highest king / it has given the kiss of peace. 

Hildegard, Symphoniae 

In her songs Hildegard praises in numerous 

variations the mystery of God, the creation, the 

mystery of the incarnation and the wonders of 

the whole cosmos. She does this with the unique 

imagery of music. Her compositions are based on 

Gregorian Chant, those ancient melodies, which 

belong to the oldest musical tradition of 

Christianity, but take it further into totally new, 

undreamt of ranges. For Hildegard, the soul of 

man is symphonic. But in the same way, the 

whole of the cosmos is symphonic for her, which 

from the beginning has been filled with the sound 

of music. 

Oh sweetest bough, / flower of Jesse‘s root, 

How great is your strength, / that God looked upon the most 

beautiful daughter, / as the eagle looks at the sun, / because 

the supreme father took care of the purity of the virgin, in 

whom he wanted his Word to take flesh. 

Hildegard, Symphoniae 

Christiane Rath OSB 


Listen to Hildegard music on the 

website of the Abbey of St Hildegard 

Antiphon 

»O aeterne Deus« 

Antiphon 

»O magne Pater«

The Saint 

God created man and He dwells in his soul, so that 

the soul is from heaven and the body is formed of 

the earth’s elements. The gift of creation is the 

sphere of my life, and it is the realm in which to 

experience the invisible God. As a labourer in God’s 

cause, I have a mission in the course of time. With 

God’s help, may I do good works. 

Saint Hildegard, teacher of the Church, pray for us, 

that we may be aware of our dignity and our 

mission - glorifying God in everything – and that 

we may, with His Son and the Church (His fair 

body), find our way home to the heart of the Father. 

Hiltrud Gutjahr OSB 


Even in her lifetime, Hildegard of Bingen was revered by her 

contemporaries as a saint and a “prophet of the German 

people”. After her death on 17 September 1179, her grave 

became a place of pilgrimage, especially for the sick, in their 

hope of finding relief from pain and a cure for their illnesses. 

The abbess and convent of the monastery of Rupertsberg 

petitioned for the canonization of their founding abbess as 

early as 1227. Pope Gregory IX initiated the process and 

sent an assessment commission to Bingen, whose protocol 

was dispatched to Rome in 1233. As the accounts of 

witnesses did not meet the formal requirements, the pope 

charged a new commission in 1237. It is presumed that this 

commission never took up its work, and the canonization 

process came to nothing. Other initiatives were also 

unsuccessful, the last being those of the German Bishops’ 

Conference in 1979 and 1987. Nonetheless, Hildegard was 

regarded as a saint by people far beyond the borders of 

Germany. 

After the new edition of Hildegard’s main works was 

completed in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI gave two catecheses 

on Hildegard. He acknowledged her as a “great prophet who 

has particular importance for our own day”. 

Soon afterwards, on 25 December 2010, the abbess and 

convent of the Abbey of St Hildegard filed another petition 

for the canonization of their patron, and for her designation 

as a Doctor of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI re-initiated 

the process, and recognized as miracle the fact that 

Hildegard had been venerated as a saint by the people for 

more than 850 years as a miracle. On 10 May 2012, he 

entered her name in the martyrology of the Universal 

Church. On 7 October of the same year, she was formally 

proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in Rome.

The Doctor of the Church 

In Saint Hildegard exhibits an extraordinary harmony 

between her teaching and everyday life. 

With perceptive, wise and prophetic sensitivity, Hildegard 

focuses on the Revelation. Her analytical study develops 

from the biblical event, in which, stage by stage, it remains 

firmly grounded. The concept of the mystic of Bingen is not 

restricted to tackling individual issues, it presents a 

synthesis of the whole of the Christian faith. That is why in 

her visions and subsequent reflections, she encompasses 

the history of salvation from the beginning of the universe 

to the Last Day. 

Hildegard’s prominent teaching reflects the teaching of the 

apostles, the writings of the Church Fathers and the works 

of the authors of her time, whilst she finds a constant point 

of reference in the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia. 

Monastic liturgy and the internalisation of the Scriptures 

constitute the guidelines of her thinking, which is centred 

upon the mystery of the Incarnation, and is expressed at 

the same time in a profound stylistic and textual uniformity, 

which permeates all of her writings. 

Excerpts from the Apostolic Letter, proclaiming Saint Hildegard of Bingen a Doctor of the Church, Pope Benedict XVI, Rome, 7 

October 2012 

Saint Hildegard of Bingen, an important 

female figure of the twelfth century, made her 

valuable contribution to the development of 

the Church of her time, by making the fullest 

use of the gifts God had bestowed upon her. In 

so doing, she proved herself to be a woman of 

lively intelligence, deep sensitivity and 

recognized spiritual authority. The Lord 

granted her a prophetic spirit and a profound 

ability to read the signs of the times. 

Hildegard exhibited a pronounced love of 

creation, and devoted herself to medicine, 

poetry and music. Above all, she always 

maintained a great and faithful love of Christ 

and for his Church. 

Ceremony of the 

proclamation of 

Saint Hildegard as 

a Doctor of the 

Church on 7 

October 2012 

Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2012

Can be purchased in our Abbey shop! 

Benedictine Abbey of St Hildegard 

Copyright: 

www.abtei-st-hildegard.de / www.keb.bistumlimburg.de. | www.keb.bistumlimburg.de 

Editor: Diocesan Educational Institution, Domplatz 3 • 60311 Frankfurt 

Idea and conception: Claudia Hülshörster • Eva Knoellinger-Acker • Kerstin Meinhardt • Johannes 

Oberbandscheid • Philippa Rath OSB 

Layout and realisation: Meinhardt Verlag und Agentur • © Idstein, Mai 2014 

Translator: Barbara Thompson 

Hildegard quotations are taken from the new complete (German) edition of her work. 

Photo and Illustration Credits: 

Cover: Bronze Sculpture by Karlheinz Oswald © Kerstin Meinhardt 

Miniatures on pages 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13: Rupertsberg Scivias Codex, original lost in 1945: parchment, 

Rupertsberg monastery, c.1165-1175; hand-made facsimile, parchment, 1927-1933, Abbey of St 

Hildegard, Rüdesheim/Eibingen, photos: Abbey of St Hildegard 

p. 4: Abbey of St Hildegard © Kerstin Meinhardt 

Engravings: Abbey of St Hildegard 

p. 5: “Hildegardis”, woodcut, Schedel’s World Chronicle, Nürnberg, 1493, Nuremberg 1493 

p. 6: small photo: Abbey of St Hildegard, Rüdesheim/Eibingen © Abbey of St Hildegard 

p. 7: Ceramic Statue by Christophora Janssen OSB © Kerstin Meinhardt 

Miniatures on pages 9, 11, 12: Lucca Codex (Liber Divinorum Operum), parchment with 10 coloured 

miniatures, Rupertsberg monastery, c.1220/30, Lucca, Biblioteca Statale, Codex 1942, photo: Abbey 

of St Hildegard. 

p. 11: small photo: Herb Garden © Hildegardforum, Bingen 

p. 12: small photo: Hildegard and King Frederick, monastic church, Abbey of St Hildegard 

© Kerstin Meinhardt 

p. 14: Parish church and shrine of St Hildegard, Eibingen, © Kerstin Meinhardt 

p. 15: “S. Hildegardis Prophetissa”, monastic church, Abbey of St Hildegard © Kerstin Meinhardt 

photos taken on 7 October 2012: left: picture alliance/abaca; right: Jessica Kraemer 

The Abbey Shop 

Abtei St. Hildegard 1 · D-65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein 

Fone +49(0)6722 499-116 · klosterladen@abtei-st-hildegard.de 

www.abtei-st-hildegard.de 

Opening hours: 

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Saturdays: from 9.30 a.m. to 17.00 p.m.; Sundays and public holidays: 

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