 Liebertus was born to the Brabantian nobility at Opbrakel (a village in the present-day municipality of Brakel).He served as archdeacon and provost of the cathedral of Cambrai before his election as bishop.As bishop of Cambrai, he attempted a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1054 with some of his flock ("people of all ages and both sexes"), but did not reach it.