Bernard is Dante Alighieri's last guide, in Divine Comedy, as he travels through the Empyrean. He was the hardest for Bernard to convince. [17] Pope Eugenius came in person to France to encourage the enterprise. The last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the crusaders, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him. Leclercq"S, . At the Eucharist, he "admonished the Duke not to despise God as he did His servants". http://www.continents-interieurs.info/Michel-Cazenave/Bernard-de-Clairvaux S-a născut într-o familie de nobili din nord estul ținutului Bourgogne în localitatea Fontaine, lângă Dijon. They are characterized by repetition of references to the Church Fathers and by the use of analogues, etymologies, alliterations, and biblical symbols, and they are imbued with resonance and poetic genius. The last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the Second Crusade he had preached, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him. Saint Bernard de Clairvaux “The Virgin’s name was Mary“, (Lk.1:27) which means ‘Star of the Sea.’This admirably befits the Virgin Mother. In a letter by Bernard to German Emperor Lothair regarding Antipope Anacletus, Bernard wrote, “It is a disgrace for Christ that a Jew sits on the throne of St. Peter’s.” and “Anacletus has not even a good reputation with his friends, while Innocent is illustrious beyond all doubt.”, Bernard wrote to Gerard of Angoulême (a letter known as Letter 126), which questioned Gerard's reasons for supporting Anacletus. [19] The full text has not survived, but a contemporary account says that "his voice rang out across the meadow like a celestial organ"[19]. He did not pledge allegiance to Innocent until 1135. [4] William yielded and the schism ended. [17] The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states were threatened with similar disaster. [29] Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title "Doctor of the Church". By the end of 1131, the kingdoms of France, England, Germany, Portugal, Castile, and Aragon supported Pope Innocent II; however, most of Italy, southern France, and Sicily, with the Latin patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch, and Jerusalem supported Antipope Anacletus II. [14], Having previously helped end the schism within the Church, Bernard was now called upon to combat heresy. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Conrad III and his son Henry died the same year. He is often cited for saying that Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles. It was a time when Bernard was experiencing what he apprehended as the divine in a mystical and intuitive manner. "[18], Bernard then passed into Germany, and the reported miracles which multiplied almost at his every step undoubtedly contributed to the success of his mission. Temporal matters are merely accessories; the principles according to Bernard's work were that piety and meditation were to precede action. Local system number: [13] Bernard considered it his duty to send an apology to the Pope and it is inserted in the second part of his "Book of Considerations." It is said that his mother, Aleth, exerted a virtuous influence upon Bernard only second to what St. Monica had done for St. Augustine of Hippo in the 5th century. Bernard was only nineteen years of age when his mother died. He hastened to terminate his worldly life and restore discipline in his monastery. Henry I was sceptical because most of the bishops of England supported Antipope Anacletus II; Bernard persuaded him to support Innocent. But an even greater show of support came from the common people. Pope Innocent II died in the year 1143. He then went with him into Italy and reconciled Pisa with Genoa, and Milan with the pope. He defended the rights of the Church against the encroachments of kings and princes, and recalled to their duty Henri Sanglier, archbishop of Sens and Stephen of Senlis, bishop of Paris. [6], So great was his reputation that princes and Popes sought his advice, and even the enemies of the Church admired the holiness of his life and the greatness of his writings. In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran. The same year Bernard was again at the Council of Reims at the side of Innocent II. Gerard of Clairvaux, Bernard's older brother, became the cellarer of Citeaux. She, with the consent of her husband, soon took the veil in the Benedictine nunnery of Jully-les-Nonnains. The enthusiasm of the assembly of Clermont in 1095, when Peter the Hermit and Urban II launched the first crusade, was matched by the holy fervor inspired by Bernard as he cried, "O ye who listen to me! He decided in favour of Innocent II. [5], In 1098 Robert of Molesme had founded Cîteaux Abbey, near Dijon, with the purpose of restoring the Rule of St Benedict in all its rigour. Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint (1090 or 91-1153), Mary Blessed Virgin, Saint, Malachy Saint (1094?-1148), Jesus Christ, Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint (1090 or 1091-1153), Bernard, de Clairvaux Saint (1090 ou 91-1153), Bridget of Sweden, Saint (ca. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (feast day is August 20th) The zeal of Bernard extended to the bishops, the clergy, and lay people. One time he restored the power of speech to an old man that he might confess his sins before he died. This was the occasion of the longest and most emotional of Bernard's letters. He then went to Aquitaine where he succeeded for the time in detaching William X, Duke of Aquitaine, from the cause of Anacletus.[5]. Bernard soon saw one of his disciples elected Pope Eugene III. [7] Bernard's testimony was so irresistible that 30 of his friends, brothers, and relatives followed him into the monastic life. On 31 March, with King Louis VII of France present, he preached to an enormous crowd in a field at Vézelay, making "the speech of his life". Bernard of Clairvaux, saint, ascetic, founder of numerous abbeys and crusade preacher, was a powerful man of the Church and a 12th century trailblazer. He then returned to Clairvaux. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? [19], Unlike the First Crusade, the new venture attracted royalty, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France; Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders; Henry, the future Count of Champagne; Louis's brother Robert I of Dreux; Alphonse I of Toulouse; William II of Nevers; William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey; Hugh VII of Lusignan, Yves II, Count of Soissons; and numerous other nobles and bishops. On the death of Honorius II, which occurred on 14 February 1130, a schism broke out in the Church by the election of two popes, Pope Innocent II and Antipope Anacletus II. He subsequently denounced the teachings of Peter Abelard to the pope, who called a council at Sens in 1141 to settle the matter. He also preached against Catharism. [6] In 1113 Stephen Harding had just succeeded Alberic as third Abbot of Cîteaux when Bernard and thirty other young noblemen of Burgundy sought admission into the monastery. To many, St. Bernard is known as the Mellifluous … In May of that year, the pope, supported by the army of Lothair III, entered Rome, but Lothair III, feeling himself too weak to resist the partisans of Anacletus, retired beyond the Alps, and Innocent sought refuge in Pisa in September 1133. About the same time, Bernard was visited at Clairvaux by Malachy, Primate of All Ireland, and a very close friendship formed between them. He could also commune with nature and say: Believe me, for I know, you will find something far greater in the woods than in books. About the same time he wrote his work on Grace and Free Will. However, Abelard continued to develop his teachings, which were controversial in some quarters. 1473. He defended the rights of the Church against the encroachments of kings and princes, and recalled to their duty Henry Archbishop of Sens , and Stephen de Senlis, Bishop of Paris . [26], Bernard "noted centuries ago: the people who are their own spiritual directors have fools for disciples. Hasten then to expiate your sins by victories over the Infidels, and let the deliverance of the holy places be the reward of your repentance." He had a spe­cial de­vo­tion to the Blessed Vir­gin, and there is no one who speaks more sub­lime­ly of the Queen of Heav­en. Leclercq, "Les Ecrits de Geoffrod'Auxerre,y Revue" bénédictine 62 [1952] 282). There are many who believe that it was his championship of the Templars that made their survival possible. [citation needed], John Calvin quotes Bernard several times[22] in support of the doctrine of Sola Fide,[23] which Martin Luther described as the article upon which the church stands or falls. Bernard died at age sixty-three on 20 August 1153, after forty years spent in the cloister. Find books [13] Bernard sent him, at the pope's own request, various instructions which comprise the Book of Considerations, the predominating idea of which is that the reformation of the Church ought to commence with the sanctity of the pope. 978-90-429-3132-9. [13], News came at this time from the Holy Land that alarmed Christendom. St. Bernard's Parish Hall. Download books for free. St. Bernard of Clairvaux is clearly one of the greatest preachers of all time. … She, I say, is that shining and brilliant star, needed so much, set in place above life’s great and spacious sea, glittering with merits, all aglow with examples for our imitation. After writing a eulogy for the new military order of the Knights Templar, he would write about the fundamentals of Christian spiritual life, namely the contemplation and imitation of Christ, which he expressed in his sermons “The Steps of Humility” and “The Love of God.”. Another time, while he slept in an inn, a prostitute was introduced naked beside him, and he saved his chastity by running. King Louis VI of France convened a national council of the French bishops at Étampes in 1130, and Bernard was chosen to judge between the rivals for pope. He was accused of being a monk who meddled with matters that did not concern him. After the Christian defeat at the Siege of Edessa, the pope commissioned Bernard to preach the Second Crusade. Bernard was the third of seven children, six of whom were sons. Bernard had a great taste for literature and devoted himself for some time to poetry. This letter made a positive impression on Harmeric, and in the Vatican. After persuading Gerard, Bernard traveled to visit William X, Duke of Aquitaine. [13] He was buried at the Clairvaux Abbey, but after its dissolution in 1792 by the French revolutionary government, his remains were transferred to Troyes Cathedral. From the beginning of the year 1153, Bernard felt his death approaching. Introduction and notes by F … [6] His father and all his brothers entered Clairvaux to pursue religious life, leaving only Humbeline, his sister, in the secular world. In a letter to the people of Toulouse, undoubtedly written at the end of 1146, Bernard calls upon them to extirpate the last remnants of the heresy. For this reason, the Black Monks attempted to make it appear that the rules of the new order were impracticable. Bernard had returned to France in June and was continuing the work of peacemaking which he had commenced in 1130.