Wulfstan of Worcester

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Wulfstan (c. 1008 - January 19, 1095) was a Bishop of Worcester. He was the last Anglo-Saxon prelate in England after the Norman Conquest.

Although he is said to have initially resisted out of humility, Wulfstan was made bishop in 1062 with the approval of King Edward the Confessor. After the Conquest in 1066, most of England's native prelates were replaced by Normans, but Wulfstan was the exception; indeed, he earned the trust of King William the Conqueror, and when the Conqueror's son, William Rufus, was faced with a rebellion of the nobility in 1088, Wulfstan excommunicated the rebels and rallied the king's soldiers. At the same time, however, he was nevertheless harshly critical of the Normans.

Wulfstan was severe in his denunciation of the slave trade that persisted along the west coast of England and was to a large extent responsible for curtailing it. He was noted for promoting the construction of churches, and during his time as bishop, Worcester Cathedral was partially rebuilt. On the other hand, however, he condemned the replacement of true piety by ostentation, and he famously complained that men were "neglecting their souls" in order to "pile up stones".

Wulfstan was noted for his exceptional kindness towards the poor and for his forceful preaching and frequent visits throughout his diocese. He was popularly recognized as a saint immediately after his death, and was formally canonized by the Church in 1203.