The first abbot of Clairvaux developed a rich theology of sacred space and music, writing extensively on both. from the translation of the late dr. eales. [5] During the absence of the Bishop of Langres, Bernard was blessed as abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne. Bernard of Clairvaux was one of the most interesting and influential people of his time. Bernard was the third of seven children, six of whom were sons. This letter made a positive impression on Harmeric, and in the Vatican. St. Bernard of Clairvaux is clearly one of the greatest preachers of all time. Moved by his burning words, many Christians embarked for the Holy Land, but the crusade ended in miserable failure.[6]. Cistercians honour him as the founder of the order because of the widespread activity which he gave to the order.[13]. Another time, while he slept in an inn, a prostitute was introduced naked beside him, and he saved his chastity by running. His more than 300 letters and sermons manifest his quest to combine a mystical life of absorption in God with his friendship for those in misery and his concern for the faithful execution of responsibilities as a guardian of the life of the church. He was the first Cistercian placed on the calendar of saints, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174. Bernard et la théologie monastiqudeu XII siècle,"in Gerard of Clairvaux, Bernard's older brother, became the cellarer of Citeaux. [6], The little community of reformed Benedictines at Cîteaux, which had so profound an influence on Western monasticism, grew rapidly. After the council of Étampes, Bernard spoke with King Henry I of England, also known as Henry Beauclerc, about Henry I's reservations regarding Pope Innocent II. Stones and trees will teach you that which you cannot learn from the masters. In 1141, at the urgings of Abelard, the archbishop of Sens called a council of bishops, where Abelard and Bernard were to put their respective cases so Abelard would have a chance to clear his name. He recalled the city of Milan to obedience to the pope as they had followed the deposed Anselm V, Archbishop of Milan. She, with the consent of her husband, soon took the veil in the Benedictine nunnery of Jully-les-Nonnains. Deputations of the bishops of Armenia solicited aid from the pope, and the King of France also sent ambassadors. Bernard de Clairvaux. 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. 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 . It was this general chapter that gave definitive form to the constitutions of the order and the regulations of the Charter of Charity, which Pope Callixtus II confirmed on 23 December 1119. [b] In 1137, he was again forced to leave his solitude by order of the pope to put an end to the quarrel between Lothair and Roger of Sicily. In opposition to the rational approach to divine understanding that the scholastics adopted, Bernard preached an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. One time he restored the power of speech to an old man that he might confess his sins before he died. According to tradition, Bernard founded the monastery on 25 June 1115, naming it Claire Vallée, which evolved into Clairvaux. He is labeled the "Mellifluous Doctor" for his eloquence. Bernard found it expedient to dwell upon taking the cross as a potent means of gaining absolution for sin and attaining grace. In June 1145, at the invitation of Cardinal Alberic of Ostia, Bernard traveled in southern France. The archbishop of Cologne and the archbishop of Mainz were vehemently opposed to these attacks and asked Bernard to denounce them. [4], Towards the close of the 11th century, a spirit of independence flourished within schools of philosophy and theology. Amour sacré, fin’amor: Bernard de Clairvaux et les troubadours.Philosophes médiévaux 60. Bernard did not reject human philosophy which is genuine philosophy, which leads to God; he differentiates between different kinds of knowledge, the highest being theological. He wanted to excel in literature in order to take up the study of the Bible. In the meantime Cluny established a reform, and Abbot Suger, the minister of Louis VI of France, was converted by the Apology of Bernard. He turned away from his literary education, begun at the school at Châtillon-sur-Seine, and from ecclesiastical advancement, toward a life of renunciation and solitude. Bernard of Clairvaux, saint, ascetic, founder of numerous abbeys and crusade preacher, was a powerful man of the Church and a 12th century trailblazer. After persuading Gerard, Bernard traveled to visit William X, Duke of Aquitaine. There are many who believe that it was his championship of the Templars that made their survival possible. Bernard was named a Doctor of the Church in 1830. This Bernard named Claire Vallée, or Clairvaux, on 25 June 1115, and the names of Bernard and Clairvaux soon became inseparable. He was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val d'Absinthe, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast of Bar-sur-Aube. [8] In 1118 Trois-Fontaines Abbey was founded in the diocese of Châlons; in 1119 Fontenay Abbey in the Diocese of Autun; and in 1121 Foigny Abbey near Vervins, in the diocese of Laon. 12/26/2020 In accordance with provincial restrictions to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person Masses in the Archdiocese of Toronto are temporarily cancelled. At the General Audience on Wednesday, 4 November [2009], in St Peter's Square, the Holy Father spoke of the theological controversy between St Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abelard and of what we can learn from it today. Malachy died at Clairvaux in 1148. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (feast day is August 20th) Find books 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! Germany had decided to support Innocent through Norbert of Xanten, who was a friend of Bernard's. He traveled to Sicily in 1137 to convince the king of Sicily to follow Innocent. Some of these, at the command of Innocent II, took possession of Tre Fontane Abbey, from which Eugene III was chosen in 1145. 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." The abbey became too small for its members and it was necessary to send out bands to found new houses. Christians had been defeated at the Siege of Edessa and most of the county had fallen into the hands of the Seljuk Turks. The next day, after Bernard made his opening statement, Abelard decided to retire without attempting to answer. francis aidan gasquet, d.d. There he explains how the sins of the crusaders were the cause of their misfortune and failures. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, (born 1090, probably Fontaine-les-Dijon, near Dijon, Burgundy [France]—died August 20, 1153, Clairvaux, Champagne; canonized January 18, 1174; feast day August 20), Cistercian monk and mystic, founder and abbot of the abbey of Clairvaux and one of the most influential churchmen of his time. abbot president of the english benedictine congregation . Anacletus died of "grief and disappointment" in 1138, and with him the schism ended. St. Bernard's Parish Hall. Bernard had a great taste for literature and devoted himself for some time to poetry. L’Amour de Dieu et La Grâce et le Libre Arbitre | Bernard de Clairvaux | download | B–OK. The Library of the Cistercian Abbey of Clairvaux at the time of Pierre de Virey (1472) PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION 1. Though not yet 30 years old, Bernard was listened to with the greatest attention and respect, especially when he developed his thoughts upon the revival of the primitive spirit of regularity and fervour in all the monastic orders. [6], Many miracles were attributed to his intercession. Overview of France's Clairvaux Abbey, with a discussion of the Cistercian order. Other websites. http://www.continents-interieurs.info/Michel-Cazenave/Bernard-de-Clairvaux By 1119 the Cistercians had a charter approved by Pope Calixtus II for nine abbeys under the primacy of the abbot of Cîteaux. In 1120, Bernard wrote his first work, De Gradibus Superbiae et Humilitatis, and his homilies which he entitled De Laudibus Mariae. Local system number: [17] Pope Eugenius came in person to France to encourage the enterprise. The zeal of Bernard extended to the bishops, the clergy, and lay people. As in the First Crusade, the preaching led to attacks on Jews; a fanatical French monk named Radulphe was apparently inspiring massacres of Jews in the Rhineland, Cologne, Mainz, Worms, and Speyer, with Radulphe claiming Jews were not contributing financially to the rescue of the Holy Land. In 1830 Pope Pius VIII bestowed upon Bernard the title "Doctor of the Church". Henry of Lausanne, a former Cluniac monk, had adopted the teachings of the Petrobrusians, followers of Peter of Bruys and spread them in a modified form after Peter's death. [4] William yielded and the schism ended. Many letters, treatises, and other works, falsely attributed to him survive, and are now referred to as works by pseudo-Bernard. Another time, an immense number of flies, that had infested the Church of Foigny, died instantly after the excommunication he made on them. Saouma, Brigitte. Disciples flocked to it in great numbers and put themselves under the direction of Bernard. Hasten to appease the anger of heaven, but no longer implore its goodness by vain complaints. Bernard had observed that when lectio divina was neglected monasticism suffered. This Bernard named Claire Vallée, of Clairvaux, on the 25th of June, 1115, and the names of Bernard and Clairvaux thence became inseparable. Translated by P ierre-Y ves É mery. Bernard de Clairvaux: Sermons Divers. [29] Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title "Doctor of the Church". In addition to these victories, Bernard also had his trials. He protested his profound esteem for the Benedictines of Cluny whom he declared he loved equally as well as the other religious orders. About the same time, Bernard was visited at Clairvaux by Malachy, Primate of All Ireland, and a very close friendship formed between them. [3] In the year 1128, Bernard attended the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar,[a] which soon became the ideal of Christian nobility. In June 1145, Bernard traveled in southern France and his preaching there helped strengthen support against heresy. He also preached against Catharism. [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. Bernard's parents were Tescelin de Fontaine, lord of Fontaine-lès-Dijon, and Alèthe de Montbard [fr], both members of the highest nobility of Burgundy. [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. At the Eucharist, he "admonished the Duke not to despise God as he did His servants".