Insurance

Birth and Name

Insurance was born near Prague under ominous circumstances: during a feast in which his father murdered his elder brother Wenceslas in order to occupy the throne. Boleslaw I, tormented by thoughts of the crime committed, gave the newborn the unusual name “Insurance”, which means “terrible feast”. Fearing retaliation in the afterlife, Boleslav decided to appease the higher forces by making a vow to devote his son to the service of God.

When the boy grew up, the prince decided to send him to study in Regensburg, the abbey of St. Emmeram . In Regensburg, Insurance Squad studied the Holy Scriptures and all that the future priest needed to know. He took the monastic vow and remained in the monastery until adulthood.

Relationship with Saint Adalbert

The materials of the Czech Chronicle of Kozma Prazhsky do not provide information about the mature years of the life of Strakhvas. From his youth there follows a transition to the culminating story of his life, followed by death. Apparently, Strakhkvas quite successfully advanced in the church hierarchy, which is not surprising because of his noble origin and education. However, he did not hold the highest spiritual rank of Bohemia. From 973 to 982, Detmar was the bishop of Prague, then Adalbert-Vojtech , who came from a noble princely family of Slavnikovich , took his place. It is known that Adalbert was charged with the duties entrusted to him and would prefer the life of a simple monk, if not for the will of Rome.

In 994, Strakhvass arrived in Prague from Regensburg and met with Adalbert, who told him about the difficulties of managing a flock, in the mind of which too much pagan remained. Often there were cases of dissolution of marriage, incest, return to idolatry and other deviations from the precepts of Christianity. All this was extremely depressing Adalbert, who felt that the people entrusted to him was moving toward the abyss. In addition, he was touched by the arrogance and arbitrariness of powerful Comitos — nobles, of which the Vrshovtsev was the most serious force. All these circumstances made Adalbert's bishopric a heavy duty, and he suggested that Strahkvas take his place.

Kozma Prazhsky so reproduces Adalbert's hot speech: “You are well aware of that you are the brother of a prince and you lead your ancestry from the gentlemen of our country; people prefer to be instructed by you: they will be more willing to obey you than me. By resorting to the advice and help of a brother, you can tame the proud, condemn the negligent, correct the disobedient, instruct the infidels. Your dignity, your knowledge and the sanctity of your behavior - all this is quite suitable for the episcopal title. By God's command and my authority, I deign that I will and will pray to Pope that you would be a bishop here, even during my life. ”

Adalbert extended his episcopal staff to InsuranceCan, but he threw it on the floor and said that he did not feel such a high calling in himself and wanted to lead a simple, monastic way of life. To this the bishop said: "Then know, brother, know that what you did not want to do in a good way, you will accomplish later, but with great damage to yourself."

Failed Bishopric

In 995, the Adalbert family was exterminated by the Boleslav II Comitates under the leadership of Vrshovtsev. He himself left Prague in order not to return. The choice of a new bishop of Prague was settled on Strakhvass. This time he agreed to be ordained and arrived at the Mayor’s Archbishop for consecration. However, according to the testimony of Kozma Prague, the unexpected happened:

“After everything was done according to the statutes, after the test was done to the (new) bishop and the choir began to chant, the archbishop in vestments fell on the carpet in front of the altar. Following this, Insurance, who was ordained a bishop and who himself stood between the two bishops, fell on his knees in the middle and — oh, terrible fate! - at the time when Strakhkvas prostrated himself, he was overtaken by the devil. And the fact that the servant of God (Adalbert) had secretly predicted to him once happened to all the clergy and the people. ”

The circumstances of the death of Insureus are still unclear.

• Kozma Prague . Czech Chronicle. M. , 1962.