Alberic of Ostia
Encyclopedia
Alberic of Ostia was a Benedictine
monk, and Cardinal Bishop of Ostia from 1138 to 1148.
He was born at Beauvais
in France
. He entered the monastery of Cluny
and became its sub-prior and, later, prior
of St. Martin-des-Champs, but was recalled (1126) to Cluny by Peter the Venerable
, to aid in the restoration of discipline in that famous monastery.
In 1131 he was Abbot
of Vezelay
in the Diocese of Autun
, and held that office until he was made Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia by Pope Innocent II
(1138). Immediately after his consecration Alberic went as papal legate to England
. He was successful in his endeavours to end the war then raging for possession of the throne between the usurper Stephen of Blois
and David I of Scotland
, who had espoused the cause of Empress Matilda
.
He then called a legatine council
of all the bishops and abbots of England, which assembled at London
, December 1138, and at which eighteen bishops and about thirty abbots were present. The chief business of the council, besides some disciplinary measures, was the election of an archbishop for the See of Canterbury. Thibaut
, Abbot of Bec, was chosen, and consecrated by Alberic.
Accompanied by Thibaut and other bishops and abbots, he returned to Rome in January 1139. The same year, Alberic was sent to exhort the inhabitants of Bari
, a town on the Adriatic, to acknowledge as their lawful sovereign Roger II of Sicily
, against whom they were in revolt.
They refused, however, to listen to the legate of the Holy See
, and shut their gates against him. In 1140 Alberic was appointed to examine into the conduct of Ralph of Domfront, Latin Patriarch of Antioch
. In a council of eastern bishops and abbots, at which Alberic presided, Rodolph was deposed, and was cast into prison (30 November 1140). Pope Eugene III
sent Alberic (1147) to combat the Albigenses in the neighbourhood of Toulouse.
In a letter written at this time to the bishops of that district, St. Bernard of Clairvaux calls Alberic "the venerable Bishop of Ostia, a man who has done great things in Israel, through whom Christ has often given victory to His Church".
St. Bernard was induced to join the legate, and it was owing chiefly (according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
) "to the miracles and eloquence of the Saint" that the embassy was in some degree successful.
Three days before the arrival of St. Bernard, Alberic had been given a very cold welcome. The populace, in derision of his office, had gone to meet him, riding on asses, and escorted him to his residence with the music of rude instruments. It is said of him that he could not win the people, but that the Albigensian leaders feared him more than any other cardinal of his time. The last work of Alberic was that of co-operating with St. Bernard in promoting the Second Crusade
. He it was who arranged with Louis VII of France
the details of the undertaking.
He died at Verdun on 20 November 1148, according to the necrology of St.-Martin-des-Champes. St. Bernard of Clairvaux celebrated the funeral mass.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk, and Cardinal Bishop of Ostia from 1138 to 1148.
He was born at Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He entered the monastery of Cluny
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
and became its sub-prior and, later, prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of St. Martin-des-Champs, but was recalled (1126) to Cluny by Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable , also known as Peter of Montboissier, abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny, born to Blessed Raingarde in Auvergne, France. He has been honored as a saint but has never been formally canonized.-Life:Peter was "Dedicated to God" at birth and given to the monastery at...
, to aid in the restoration of discipline in that famous monastery.
In 1131 he was Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Vezelay
Vézelay
Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France. It is a defendable hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and the Basilica of St Magdelene are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites....
in the Diocese of Autun
Diocese of Autun
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Autun, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese comprises the entire Department of Saone et Loire, in the Region of Bourgogne....
, and held that office until he was made Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia by Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II , born Gregorio Papareschi, was pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III .-Early years:...
(1138). Immediately after his consecration Alberic went as papal legate to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was successful in his endeavours to end the war then raging for possession of the throne between the usurper Stephen of Blois
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, who had espoused the cause of Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
.
He then called a legatine council
Legatine council
A legatine council or legatine synod is an ecclesiastical council or synod that is presided over by a papal legate.According to Pope Gregory VII, writing in the Dictatus papae, a papal legate "presides over all bishops in a council, even if he is inferior in rank, and he can pronounce sentence of...
of all the bishops and abbots of England, which assembled at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, December 1138, and at which eighteen bishops and about thirty abbots were present. The chief business of the council, besides some disciplinary measures, was the election of an archbishop for the See of Canterbury. Thibaut
Thibaut
Thibaut is a surname, and may refer to:*Willem Thibaut, Tybaut, or Tibout , was a Dutch Golden Age painter.*Anton Friedrich Justus Thibaut , German jurist*John Thibaut, social psychologist...
, Abbot of Bec, was chosen, and consecrated by Alberic.
Accompanied by Thibaut and other bishops and abbots, he returned to Rome in January 1139. The same year, Alberic was sent to exhort the inhabitants of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, a town on the Adriatic, to acknowledge as their lawful sovereign Roger II of Sicily
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria , then King of Sicily...
, against whom they were in revolt.
They refused, however, to listen to the legate of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, and shut their gates against him. In 1140 Alberic was appointed to examine into the conduct of Ralph of Domfront, Latin Patriarch of Antioch
Latin Patriarch of Antioch
The Latin Patriarch of Antioch was an office created in 1098 by Bohemund, founder of the Principality of Antioch, one of the crusader states....
. In a council of eastern bishops and abbots, at which Alberic presided, Rodolph was deposed, and was cast into prison (30 November 1140). Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
sent Alberic (1147) to combat the Albigenses in the neighbourhood of Toulouse.
In a letter written at this time to the bishops of that district, St. Bernard of Clairvaux calls Alberic "the venerable Bishop of Ostia, a man who has done great things in Israel, through whom Christ has often given victory to His Church".
St. Bernard was induced to join the legate, and it was owing chiefly (according to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
) "to the miracles and eloquence of the Saint" that the embassy was in some degree successful.
Three days before the arrival of St. Bernard, Alberic had been given a very cold welcome. The populace, in derision of his office, had gone to meet him, riding on asses, and escorted him to his residence with the music of rude instruments. It is said of him that he could not win the people, but that the Albigensian leaders feared him more than any other cardinal of his time. The last work of Alberic was that of co-operating with St. Bernard in promoting the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
. He it was who arranged with Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
the details of the undertaking.
He died at Verdun on 20 November 1148, according to the necrology of St.-Martin-des-Champes. St. Bernard of Clairvaux celebrated the funeral mass.