[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. Bernard praises it in his "De Laudibus Novae Militiae". 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. [31], The Couvent et Basilique Saint-Bernard, a collection of buildings dating from the 12th, 17th and 19th centuries, is dedicated to Bernard and stands in his birthplace of Fontaine-lès-Dijon.[32]. In 1115 Harding appointed him to lead a small group of monks to establish a monastery at Clairvaux, on the borders of Burgundy and Champagne. [17] Pope Eugenius came in person to France to encourage the enterprise. Bernard invited William to the Mass which he celebrated in the Church of La Couldre. All Public Masses in the Archdiocese of Toronto Are Temporarily Cancelled. At the Eucharist, he "admonished the Duke not to despise God as he did His servants". There he explains how the sins of the crusaders were the cause of their misfortune and failures. The last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the crusaders, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him. Bernard de Clairvaux (cunoscut și ca Sfântul Bernard, n. 1091, d. 21 august 1153, Clairvaux) a fost un călugăr și conte de Châtillon. He is a Roman Catholic saint. However, Abelard continued to develop his teachings, which were controversial in some quarters. Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin: Bernardus Claraevallensis; 1090 – 20 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was a Burgundian abbot, and a major leader in the revitalization of Benedictine monasticism through the nascent Order of Cistercians.. Four brothers, an uncle, two cousins, an architect, and two seasoned monks under the leadership of Bernard endured extreme deprivations for well over a decade before Clairvaux was self-sufficient. Cardinal Harmeric, on behalf of the pope, wrote Bernard a sharp letter of remonstrance stating, "It is not fitting that noisy and troublesome frogs should come out of their marshes to trouble the Holy See and the cardinals."[4]. 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. Abelard's treatise on the Trinity had been condemned as heretical in 1121, and he was compelled to throw his own book into the fire. The reputation of his holiness soon attracted 130 new monks, including his own father. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Life of the Mind, John R. Sommerfeldt, Newman Press (2004) ISBN 0809142031 ISBN 9780809142033, p. 67 „I rejoiced so greatly when I heard of your answer in the case of some who seemed to be filled with extravagant ambition 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 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. [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. Leuven: Éditions de l’Institut supérieur de philosophie, Louvain-La-Neuve/Peeters, 2016. vii + 373 pp. The whole conflict ended when Anacletus died on 25 January 1138. Germany had decided to support Innocent through Norbert of Xanten, who was a friend of Bernard's. During the absence of the Bishop of Langres, Bernard was blessed as abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne, who saw in him the predestined man, servum Dei. He then returned to Clairvaux. He subsequently denounced the teachings of Peter Abelard to the pope, who called a council at Sens in 1141 to settle the matter. In June 1145, at the invitation of Cardinal Alberic of Ostia, Bernard traveled in southern France. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 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. Bernard took his time in terminating his domestic affairs and in persuading his brothers and some 25 companions to join him. Conrad III and his son Henry died the same year. St Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abelard. Bernard expanded upon Anselm of Canterbury's role in transmuting the sacramentally ritual Christianity of the Early Middle Ages into a new, more personally held faith, with the life of Christ as a model and a new emphasis on the Virgin Mary. Born in what is now considered France at Fontaines near Dijon in 1090 or 1091, his father, Tecelin or Tesselin, was a knight who died in the First Crusade, as well as a friend and vassal of the Duke of Burgundy. [24] Calvin also quotes him in setting forth his doctrine of a forensic alien righteousness, or as it is commonly called imputed righteousness. Anacletus died of "grief and disappointment" in 1138, and with him the schism ended. [25], One day, to cool down his lustful temptation, Bernard threw himself into ice-cold water. Bernard's letters to William of St-Thierry also express his apprehension about confronting the preeminent logician. [4] William yielded and the schism ended. author of “henry viii. Primitive Rule of the Templars, Paperback by Clairvaux, Bernard De; Payens, Hugues De, ISBN 1503149218, ISBN-13 9781503149212, Brand New, Free shipping This is the original, primitive rule of the Templars. Believing himself at last secure in his cloister, Bernard devoted himself with renewed vigour to the composition of the works which won for him the title of "Doctor of the Church". His two successors, Pope Celestine II and Pope Lucius II, reigned only a short time, and then Bernard saw one of his disciples, Bernard of Pisa, and known thereafter as Eugene III, raised to the Chair of Saint Peter. After the council, the bishop of Verdun was deposed. Aleth’s death, in 1107, so affected Bernard that he claimed that this is when his “long path to complete conversion” began. Latin text by J. L eclercq, H. R ochais, and C h. H. T albot. saint bernard abbot of clairvaux. He is honored as a founder of the Cistercian order because of his role in popularizing the order in the twelfth century. It was eventually reassembled at 16711 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, Florida, where it is now an Episcopal church and tourist attraction called Ancient Spanish … Bernard set out to convince these other regions to rally behind Innocent. At the age of nine, he was sent to a school at Châtillon-sur-Seine run by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles. He then went with him into Italy and reconciled Pisa with Genoa, and Milan with the pope. St. Bernard of Clairvaux is clearly one of the greatest preachers of all time. Towards the end of 1134, he made a second journey into Aquitaine, where William X had relapsed into schism. The Library of the Cistercian Abbey of Clairvaux at the time of Pierre de Virey (1472) PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION 1. If thou art tossed by the waves of pride or ambition, detraction or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. The first abbot of Clairvaux developed a rich theology of sacred space and music, writing extensively on both. Bernard de clairvaux. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, was a monk who spent most of his time out of the cloister, a spiritual man who seemed always embroiled in politics and a man of peace who convinced thousands to fight and die for their faith. This led for a time to the exaltation of human reason and rationalism. 1473. 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." Bernard et la théologie monastiqudeu XII siècle,"in Faith and morals were taken seriously, but without priggishness. 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. 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! Other websites. In 1120, Bernard wrote his first work, De Gradibus Superbiae et Humilitatis, and his homilies which he entitled De Laudibus Mariae. … 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. At the age of 22, while Bernard was at prayer in a church, he felt the calling of God to enter the monastery of Cîteaux. The death of his contemporaries served as a warning to Bernard of his own approaching end. [12] The council found in favour of Bernard and their judgment was confirmed by the pope. In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran. 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. The need for healthy theological discussion in the Church. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was a French theologian. St. Bernard: De Maria numquam satis. In 1144 Eugene III commissioned Bernard to preach the Second Crusade[6] and granted the same indulgences for it which Pope Urban II had accorded to the First Crusade. Around this time, he praised them in his Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae. Conrad III of Germany and his nephew Frederick Barbarossa, received the cross from the hand of Bernard. [18], There was at first virtually no popular enthusiasm for the crusade as there had been in 1095. 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 . He had a spe­cial de­vo­tion to the Blessed Vir­gin, and there is no one who speaks more sub­lime­ly of the Queen of Heav­en. The first to die was Suger in 1152, of whom Bernard wrote to Eugene III, "If there is any precious vase adorning the palace of the King of Kings it is the soul of the venerable Suger". [4], In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran, in which the surviving adherents of the schism were definitively condemned. The central elements of Bernard's Mariology are how he explained the virginity of Mary, the "Star of the Sea", and her role as Mediatrix. Deus vult! " In June 1145, Bernard traveled in southern France and his preaching there helped strengthen support against heresy. 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. [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]. from the translation of the late dr. eales. He was the hardest for Bernard to convince. He traveled to Sicily in 1137 to convince the king of Sicily to follow Innocent. In the first part, he proved himself innocent of the charges of Cluny and in the second he gave his reasons for his counterattacks. Bernard was only nineteen years of age when his mother died. [4] These include: Burgundian saint, abbot and theologian (1090-1153). Leclercq, "Les Ecrits de Geoffrod'Auxerre,y Revue" bénédictine 62 [1952] 282). Pope Innocent II died in the year 1143. The influence of the Abbot of Clairvaux was soon felt in provincial affairs. [28] He was the first Cistercian monk placed on the calendar of saints and was canonized by Alexander III 18 January 1174. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was a French abbot, confessor, saint, and Doctor of the Church. After that, Bernard spent most of his time in Italy persuading the Italians to pledge allegiance to Innocent. Illustrious persons were buried at Clairvaux in the livery of the poor of Christ, among them Henry of France, brother of King Louis VII; Alexander of Cologne, who was later one of the successors of St. Bernard of Clairvaux; Henry Murdach who became Abbot of Vauclair and later Archbishop of York; Philip, Archdeacon of Liège, etc. At his death, they numbered 343. He was an Abbot in the Cistercian order. He decided in favour of Innocent II. Encyclopedia Americana, 1970 v. 3, p. 606 (Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153) Incipit Speculu[m] b[ea]ti Bernhardi abbatis de honestate vite, ca. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Bernard-of-Clairvaux, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Saint Bernard of Menthon, Eternal Word Television Network - Biography of Staint Bernard of Clairvaux, The Catholic Encyclopedia - St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Franciscan Media - Biography of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [4], In the year 1119, Bernard was present at the first general chapter of the order convoked by Stephen of Cîteaux. Abelard continued to press for a public debate, and made his challenge widely known, making it hard for Bernard to decline. In the meantime Cluny established a reform, and Abbot Suger, the minister of Louis VI of France, was converted by the Apology of Bernard. [10], In 1132, Bernard accompanied Innocent II into Italy, and at Cluny the pope abolished the dues which Clairvaux used to pay to that abbey. [4], In the year 1128 AD, Bernard participated in the Council of Troyes, which had been convoked by Pope Honorius II, and was presided over by Cardinal Matthew of Albano. [4], The beginnings of Clairvaux Abbey were trying and painful. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 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. [6] His father and all his brothers entered Clairvaux to pursue religious life, leaving only Humbeline, his sister, in the secular world. He wanted to excel in literature in order to take up the study of the Bible. He hastened to terminate his worldly life and restore discipline in his monastery. This he did, but when the campaign continued, Bernard traveled from Flanders to Germany to deal with the problems in person. By Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. Some of these, at the command of Innocent II, took possession of Tre Fontane Abbey, from which Eugene III was chosen in 1145. Lothair II became Innocent's strongest ally among the nobility. Bernard of Clairvaux is the attributed author of poems often translated in English hymnals as: The modern critical edition is Sancti Bernardi opera (1957–1977), edited by Jean Leclercq.[33][d]. [12] Bernard lobbied the prelates on the evening before the debate, swaying many of them to his view. 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. The monks of the abbey of Cluny were unhappy to see Cîteaux take the lead role among the religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Deputations of the bishops of Armenia solicited aid from the pope, and the King of France also sent ambassadors. Malachy died at Clairvaux in 1148. Innocent II, having been banished from Rome by Anacletus, took refuge in France. "[20], When Bernard was finished the crowd enlisted en masse; they supposedly ran out of cloth to make crosses. [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. http://www.continents-interieurs.info/Michel-Cazenave/Bernard-de-Clairvaux Growing up my family had a St. Bernard dog. In 1830 Pope Pius VIII bestowed upon Bernard the title "Doctor of the Church". Bernard de Clairvaux: Sermons Divers. Bernard had a great taste for literature and devoted himself for some time to poetry. He was also the patron of the Knights Templar. 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. Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny, answered Bernard and assured him of his great admiration and sincere friendship. [6], The little community of reformed Benedictines at Cîteaux, which had so profound an influence on Western monasticism, grew rapidly. Pope Benedict XVI. For this, he was offered, and he refused, the archbishopric of Milan. rolled over the fields, and was echoed by the voice of the orator: "Cursed be he who does not stain his sword with blood. Henry I was sceptical because most of the bishops of England supported Antipope Anacletus II; Bernard persuaded him to support Innocent. A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae, representing the combined will of earth and heaven, https://books.google.com/books?id=kkoJAQAAIAAJ, List of Latin nicknames of the Middle Ages: Doctors in theology, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, patron saint archive, "Monuments historiques : Couvent et Basilique Saint-Bernard", "Sermon XIII: The Believers Concern, to pray for Faith", Audio on the life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Database with all known medieval representations of Bernard, "Here Followeth the Life of St. Bernard, the Mellifluous Doctor", "Two Accounts of the Early Career of St. Bernard", Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Abbot, Doctor of the Church-1153, Lewis E 26 De consideratione (On Consideration) at OPenn, MS 484/11 Super cantica canticorum at OPenn, Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution, Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart, Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII, Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Rise of the Evangelical Church in Latin America, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bernard_of_Clairvaux&oldid=996407825, Pre-Reformation saints of the Lutheran liturgical calendar, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 December 2020, at 12:18.