Theoderic, or Thierry, was a royalist

bishop of Verdun The Diocese of Verdun (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Besançon. The Diocese of Verdun co ...

from 1047 to 1089. Before his consecration, he was a chaplain of Henry III . He sided with Henry III during the rebellion of

Godfrey the Bearded Godfrey III ( – 1069), called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, Duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. Biography Disputed succession By inheritance, Godfrey was Count of Verdun and he became Margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of t ...

, which led to significant destruction in Verdun by the latter.Patrick Healy, "The Chronicle of Hugh of Flavigny. Reform and the Investiture Contest in the Late Eleventh Century". Ashgate. In 1073, he had problems with the Abbey of St.Mihiel, probably instigated by

Sophie, Countess of Bar Sophie ( 1004 or 1018 – 21 January/June 1093) was Countess of Bar and Lady of Mousson in her own right from 1033 until her death. She was also Countess of Montbéliard as the wife of Louis, Count of Montbéliard. Life Sophie was a daughter ...

. He placed it under an interdict, a sentence he maintained even after an intervention by the

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. , A.Dantzer, "La Querelle des Investitures dans les Évêchés de Metz, Toul et Verdun". Annales de l'Est 16,1902, pp.85-100 During the reign of Henry IV, even if he did not attend the Synod of Worms in 1076, and fled Utrecht later that year to avoid witnessing the excommunication of

by bishop William of Utrecht, he was identified with the King's side from the beginning of the

Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest (, , ) was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe, the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture), abbots of monasteri ...

. He acknowledged his rebellion, and asked for forgiveness, by sending abbot Rudolf of Saint Vanne to the Pope, with his ring and stole as tokens of submission. However, he attended Henry IV's court in Speyer and he attempted to travel to Italy in his service, early in 1077, but was made prisoner by count Adalbert of Calw, who extracted a ransom from him. He was the King's envoy, and plead the King's case with

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, at the Lenten synod of 1078 in Rome, and managed to keep the Pope neutral in the conflict between Henry and the anti-king Rudolph. In 1079, he was the only bishop to support

Egilbert Egilbert (or Engelbert) (died 1101), called of Rothenburg, was the Archbishop of Trier from 1079 until his death. He was a partisan of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy, and was rewarded in 1100 with the dignity o ...

, Henry's candidate to the

Archbishopric of Trier The Diocese of Trier (), in English historically also known as ''Treves'' () from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.Duke Theodoric of Upper Lotharingia. After Henry's second excommunication, in the Lenten Synod of 1080, Theoderic went decidedly to the king's side, attending the synod of Mainz, where he renounced his obedience to the Pope. Moreover, in a public letter he called for his deposition. In contrast to 1076, he did not immediately petition for papal forgiveness, and commissioned a polemical work from

Wenrich of Trier Wenrich of Trier was a German ecclesiastico-political writer of the eleventh century. Biography He was a canon at Verdun, and afterwards scholasticus at Trier. Sigebert of Gembloux (''Patrologia Latina'', CXL, 584 sq.) calls him also Bishop of V ...

. Apparently, such actions led the clergy in his diocese to deny him their obedience, and he was deprived of his episcopal and sacerdotal offices. Forced by these events, and especially by the monks of Saint Vanne, he again sent abbot Rudolf to Rome with his ring, stole and resignation. When the war changed course in 1081, he did not wait to receive the absolution, and resumed his offices regardless.Dom. Hubert Dauphin, "Le Bienheureux Richard. Abbé de Saint-Vanne de Verdun". Bibliothèque de la Revue d'Histoire Ecclésiastique . In 1084, when Henry entered Rome and Gregory fled into exile, Theoderic could fully reassert his authority. He exiled the pro-Gregorian monks from Liège that had taken refuge in the city, subjugated the monks of St. Mihiel (even burning the palace at

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

, and led the monks of St. Vanne into exile, led by their abbot Rudolf, a former friend. During that period, he exercised something close to a regency while Henry campaigned in Italy. He negotiated with the Saxon rebels, finally consecrated Egilbert to the archbishopric of Trier, following Henry's orders,Theodor E. Mommsen, Karl F. Morrison, "Imperial Lives & Letters of the Eleventh Century". Columbia University Press. pp.165-167 and also consecrated Walon, abbot of Saint-Arnould as bishop of Metz, after the deposition of Hermann. He died in 1085, having before asked the Pope and the community of Saint Vanne for forgiveness.

References

{{Authority control 11th-century French Roman Catholic bishops Bishops of Verdun