CRODEGANDO (CRODEGANGO) of METZ, Saint. Born at the beginning of the 8th century from a noble family of Brabant. In 742, Pippin appointed him bishop of Metz, but did not allow him to leave the court, where he distinguished himself for his learning, piety, and benefactions. In 753, he went to Rome to escort Pope Stephen II, who was to meet Pippin at Pontifino (6 January 754). He accomplished the mission with such firmness and skill that Stephen II granted him the pallium and, after the death of Boniface (754), also the title of archbishop, though this did not make his see metropolitan.
He founded the monasteries of Gorze near Mainz (748), of St Peter on the Moselle, and of Lorsch in the diocese of Worms (764). He promoted the spread of the liturgy and of Gregorian chant. Following the example of other bishops, he placed all the clergy of his cathedral under a common life and in 755 composed a Regula canonicorum which rightly made him famous (v. CANONICI REGOLARI). His name appears at the head of the list of signatories to the “pactum funerarium,” the earliest known agreement concluded among the 44 participants at the Synod of Attigny (between 760–62), by which each agreed to celebrate 100 Masses, 30 if a bishop, and to recite 100 psalters at the death of the other members. He died on 6 March 766 and was buried at Gorze.