Albert of Louvain
Roman Catholic cardinal
Feast: 24 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Albert, son of Count Godfrey III of Louvain, was chosen Bishop of Liège in 1191 by people and chapter, but Emperor Henry VI forced his own candidate into the see. Albert appealed to Pope Celestine III, who made him deacon and cardinal.
Ordained and consecrated at Reims, soon after, outside the city, he was set upon by eight German knights of the emperor's following and stabbed to death, in November 1192 or 1193.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A bishop murdered for defending the Church's freedom against an emperor.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Albert of Louvain
- Wikidata Q1392380 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Albert of Louvain (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.