Geoffrey of Vendôme (Goffridus Abbas Vindocinensis) (c. 1065/70 of a noble family, at

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...

, France – 26 March 1132 at Angers, France) was a French

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk, writer and cardinal. At an early age he entered the Benedictine community of the Blessed Trinity at

Vendôme Vendôme (, ) is a subprefecture of the department of Loir-et-Cher, France. It is also the department's third-biggest commune with 15,856 inhabitants (2019). It is one of the main towns along the river Loir. The river divides itself at the ...

in the

diocese of Chartres The Diocese of Chartres (Latin: ''Dioecesis Carnutensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Chartres'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of th ...

; and in 1093, while still very young and only a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

, was chosen abbot of the community. During all his lifetime he showed a great attachment to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. Thus, in 1094, he went to Rome in order to help Pope Urban II (1088–99) to take possession of the

Lateran 250px, Basilica and Palace - side view Lateran and Laterano are the shared names of several buildings in Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the Roman Empire. The Laterani lost their properties to Emperor Constantine ...

, still held by the faction of the antipope Clement III (1080–1100); the money which he offered to the custodian brought about the surrender.Mary Stroll,
Calixtus II (1119–1124): A Pope Born to Rule
' (), p. 271 In compensation he was created a cardinal-priest by Urban II, with the

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary des ...

of St. Prisca on the Aventine. No less than twelve times did he make the journey to Italy in the interest of the Church of Rome during the pontificates of Urban II,

Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

(1099–1118), and

Callistus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controvers ...

(1119–24); and on three occasions he was made a captive. In 1096 and 1107 he extended the hospitality of his monastery to Popes Urban and Paschal. He took part in the councils held at Clermont in 1095, by Pope Urban; at Saintes, in 1096, by the Apostolic Legate Amatus of Bordeaux; and at Reims, in 1131, by

Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

(1130–43). He also strenuously defended the ecclesiastical principles in the question of investitures, which he qualified in several small tracts as

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

and simony; he wrote in the same spirit to Pope Paschal II when the latter made concessions (1111) to

Emperor Henry V Henry V (german: Heinrich V.; probably 11 August 1081 or 1086 – 23 May 1125, in Utrecht) was King of Germany (from 1099 to 1125) and Holy Roman Emperor (from 1111 to 1125), as the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. He was made co-ru ...

(1106–25). Finally, he always defended firmly the prerogatives, the rights, and the property of his abbey at Vendôme against the encroachments of either bishops or secular princes. Geoffrey was one of the distinguished men of his age, and was in correspondence with many eminent personalities of that time. His writings consist of a number of letters; of a series of tracts on the investitures of ecclesiastics by laymen, on the Sacraments of the

Holy Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

Baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

, Confirmation, and

Extreme Unction In the Catholic Church, the anointing of the sick, also known as Extreme Unction, is a Catholic sacrament that is administered to a Catholic "who, having reached the age of reason, begins to be in danger due to sickness or old age", except in t ...

, on ascetic and pastoral subjects; hymns to the Blessed Virgin and St. Mary Magdalene; sermons on the feasts of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalene, and St. Benedict.

References

Sirmond Jacques Sirmond (12 or 22 October 1559 – 7 October 1651) was a French scholar and Jesuit. Simond was born at Riom, Auvergne (province), Auvergne. He was educated at the Jesuit College of Billom; having been a novice at Verdun-sur-Meuse, ...

(Paris, 1610), reprinted in '' Patrologia Latina'', CLVII. *The tracts on the investitures are found also in " Mon. Germ. Hist.: Libelli de Lite", II, 680 sqq. *''Geoffroy de Vendôme, Oeuvres'' (1996) edited and translated into French by Geneviève Giordanengo

External links

CNRS page (French language)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vendome, Geoffrey of 11th-century births 1132 deaths French Benedictines 12th-century French Catholic theologians 12th-century French cardinals 12th-century Latin writers Cardinals created by Pope Urban II