Pierre de Murat de Cros,

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

, ( 1320 – 1388) was a French monk of aristocratic origins who became a cardinal of the Avignon Obedience during the Great Schism, as well as the

Archbishop of Arles The former French Catholic Archbishopric of Arles had its episcopal see in the city of Arles, in southern France.Apostolic Camera (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Camerarius Apostolicus''). Refusing from the day of his election to support Bartolomeo Prignano (Pope Urban VI, the former head of the rival Apostolic Chancellery) after the Papal Conclave of 1378, de Cros played a critical role in delivering a considerable portion of the Roman Curia to the rival claimant

Robert of Geneva Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI, was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election l ...

, who took the name Clement VII. Historian Daniel Williman calls Murat de Cros's actions a "counter-coup".Daniel Williman. 2008. "Schism within the Curia: The Twin Papal Elections of 1378". ''The Journal of Ecclesiastical History'', 59(1): 29. Pierre_de_Cros

Early life

Pierre was born in La Chaul in the ancient Province of

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

. He was the son of Aymar de Murat de Cros, a nobleman of

Auvergnat or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne. Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rather a va ...

extraction, and of Marie de Montclar. He entered the

Order of Saint Benedict , 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 ...

in his youth, and after living in several French monasteries became Bishop of Saint-Papoul in July 1362. On 9 June 1370 he was transferred to the Metropolitan See of Bourges. Pierre was the brother of

Jean de Murat de Cros Jean de Murat du Cros was a French cardinal of the Catholic Church. He became the Bishop of Limoges (1347–1371). He was a leader in what became the Great Schism within Western Christianity. He was born on an unknown date in the Chateau of Cal ...

, who became the Bishop of Limoges, and both were cousins of

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pop ...

and thus favored by him in the administration of the Curia, after his election in 1370. Jean was named a

cardinal-nephew A cardinal-nephew ( la, cardinalis nepos; it, cardinale nipote; es, valido de su tío; pt, cardeal-sobrinho; french: prince de fortune)Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". ...

and one of the first cardinals of Gregory XI upon his ascension to the papacy. Pierre, already the

Bishop of Bourges The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bourges (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Bituricensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bourges'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese comprises the departements of ...

and a staff member of the Camera, was named

Papal Chamberlain A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

that same year, succeeding the deceased

Arnaud Aubert Arnaud Aubert (died 11 June 1371) was nephew of Pope Innocent VI, who appointed him Bishop of Agde (1354), then Bishop of Carcassonne (1354–57) and finally Archbishop of Auch (from January 1357 until his death). He was Camerlengo of the Holy Rom ...

(d. 1371). In 1374, he was given the wealthy

Archbishopric of Arles The former French Catholic Archbishopric of Arles had its episcopal see in the city of Arles, in southern France.

Chamberlain of the Camera

Under Gregory XI

Pierre de Cros was the "most important and powerful courtier" of the pope, and their bedchambers were joined by a secret staircase. According to Williman, "it is no exaggeration to say that his powers and functions combined those of a minister of finance, a chief justice and a secretary of state, as well as major-domo of the papal household". He accompanied Gregory XI in the last year of his reign to

Anagni Anagni () is an ancient town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical and artistic center of the Latin Valley. Geography Overview Anagni still maintains the appear ...

from 16 May to 7 November 1377, when the pope relied on him for his "most important correspondence" rather than the Chancellery. De Cros grew suspicious of the intrigues of Bartolommeo Prignano, the acting-head of the Chancellery, hearing that he was attending the meetings of the ''bandaresi''. Senator Gui de Prohins, named as military governor of Rome by Gregory XI, was not a party to their intrigues, being loyal to the Pope. Pierre de Cros also controlled the Apostolic Camera (established 1361), the judicial wing of the Camera, which had "absolute and final" jurisdiction over any case affecting the interests of the Camera, even if already pending in front of other ecclesiastical courts, and even if they involved issues of theology. This court was not burdened by the ''ordo iudiciarius'', the slow and formalistic rules of the papal courts, but rather gave expedited and summary rulings. It was in no small part due to the unwillingness of Murat to coerce the extreme taxation ordered by Gregory XI, that the pontiff found himself bankrupt by his wars against the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

and ultimately by the

War of the Eight Saints The War of the Eight Saints (1375–1378) was a war between Pope Gregory XI and a coalition of Italian city-states led by Florence that contributed to the end of the Avignon Papacy. Causes The causes of the war were rooted in interrelated issues ...

, fought against a coalition of Italy city states led by the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

, which instigated rebellion in the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

. While Gregory XI was forced to borrow from the

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

, Murat excelled at diplomacy, convincing Bologna to relent in exchange for a lifting of the

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits persons, certain active Church individuals or groups from participating in certain rites, or that the rites and services of the church are banished from ...

. De Cros drafted and persuaded his cousin Gregory XI to adopt ''Futuris peculis'' on March 19, modifying the laws of the papal conclave. He also persuaded Gregory XI to make Pierre Rostaing, the castellan of Castel Sant'Angelo to swear not to turn over the fortress to any papal claimant without the assent of the six cardinals remaining in the ''

Comtat Venaissin The Comtat Venaissin (; Provençal: , Mistralian norm: , classical norm: ; 'County of Venaissin'), often called the for short, was a part of the Papal States (1274‒1791) in what is now the region of France. The entire region was an enclav ...

''. Fearing for his own life, he moved into the fortress and prepared it for a long siege. Rather than guarding the conclave personally (as he would later do at

Fondi Fondi ( la, Fundi; Southern Laziale: ''Fùnn'') is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. I ...

), Murat de Cros deputized the Bishop of Valence and Die to perform the task.

During the Western Schism

De Cros did not accept the election of Prignano as Urban VI, and sheltered in Castel Sant'Angelo a group of like-minded cardinals, which included his brother. He met the ''bardaresi'', carrying a battleaxe and followed by a heavily armed entourage, refusing to allow him to escort the cardinals back for a papal coronation ("That fool thinks he’s pope? I surely don’t consider him pope"). Later in the day Murat de Cros and the other cardinals went to pay homage to Urban VI although he feigned illness to avoid the coronation. He carried on his duties as chamberlain as if Gregory XI were still in power and Urban VI did not exist, refusing to date his letters according to the latter's election. As Chamberlain of the Camera (Camerlengo), de Cros held a curial office which was one of the few that did not expire during a ''

sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...

'', as established by the bull '' Ubi periculum'' (1274). He persuaded the entire College of Cardinals to convene in

, himself leaving Castel Sant'Angelo between 25 June and 1 July. He issued a formal summons to Prignano to appear before a cameral tribunal in Anagni, and sometime before 10 July declared him excommunicated and deprived of his Archbishopric of Bari. Also under the judicial power of the Apostolic Camera, Murat de Cros received the cardinals on 2 August, and after hearing accounts of the conclave, declared it null and void and the church to continue in ''

''. This meeting was neither a consistory or a conclave but a tribunal with Murat de Cros presiding as an ordinary judge. De Cros worked to arrange a meeting of the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are app ...

on 20 September 1378 which elected Robert of Geneva as Clement VII. According to Williman, "de Cros used his huge discretionary powers to make himself virtually a regent or protector, a keeper of the papal power ''sede vacante''". It was at this point that Murat de Cros appointed a new procurator and registrar for the Camera, and assisted Clement VII in turning out copious amounts of official-looking documents.

Cardinal

On 23 December 1383

Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

of the Avignon Obedience named him

cardinal-priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

of the

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

Santi Nereo e Achilleo Santi Nereo ed Achilleo is a fourth-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, located in via delle Terme di Caracalla in the rione Celio facing the main entrance to the Baths of Caracalla. It has been the titular church of Cardinal Celestino Aós ...

. On the following day he resigned as Camerlengo, but retained the Archbishopric of Arles until January 1388. From that time he was known as ''Cardinalis Arelatensis'', the "Cardinal of Arles". In April 1385 he was legate of Clement VII to Queen Maria of Naples in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. He died at Avignon on 16 November 1388.Pierre de Cros
(entry by Salvador Miranda); retrieved on 5 October 2009. Eubel, p. 27 and 45.

Sources

Dee Cros recounted his version of the outbreak of the Schism in Avignon to the ambassadors of

John I of Castile John I ( es, Juan I; 24 August 1358 – 9 October 1390) was King of Castile and León from 1379 until 1390. He was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile. Biography His first marriage, to Eleanor of Aragon on 18 June 137 ...

on 30 May 1380. His deposition was edited and published by J. M. H. Albanes in his ''Gallia christiana novissima'' (1669).

Legacy

According to Williman, de Cros was instrumental in beginning the

Western Schism The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Vatican Standoff, the Great Occidental Schism, or the Schism of 1378 (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417 in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon b ...

, and creating a true split in the Western Church without precedent among the antipopes of preceding centuries, who had wielded little popular or international support:

"The Western Schism had its roots within the papal Curia. Even before there were two international obediences, or two popes, even before two legal opinions began to be argued about the validity of the April election, and before the ultramontane cardinals and Urban VI had gone to their separate summer refuges of Anagni and Tivoli, the nucleus of the Curia was split in interest and policy between two ministers, the heads of the Chancery and of the Camera, Bartolomeo Prignano and Pierre de Cros."

References

Bibliography

Konrad Eubel Konrad Eubel or Conradus Eubel (19 January 1842 – 5 February 1923) was a German Franciscan historian. He is known for his reference work, the ''Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi'', on medieval popes, cardinals and bishops. It appeared in thre ...

, ''Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi'', I, Münster 1913

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Murat de Cros, Pierre de 1320s births 1388 deaths People from Corrèze Papal family members Economic history of the Holy See Western Schism 14th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in France French Benedictines Benedictine bishops Benedictine cardinals Archbishops of Arles Archbishops of Bourges Apostolic Camera 14th-century French cardinals