Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieu
Encyclopedia
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
, bishop and Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
. He was brother to Armand Cardinal Richelieu, the celebrated minister of Louis XIII.
He was educated at the Collège de Navarre
Collège de Navarre
The College of Navarre was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris, rivaling the Sorbonne and renowned for its library. It was founded by Queen Joan I of Navarre in 1305, who provided for three departments, the arts with 20 students, philosophy with 30 and theology with 20...
. He refused the position of bishop of Luçon, practically in the gift of his family. He joined the Carthusian Order in 1606, and became prior of Bompas
Bompas
Bompas is the name of the following communes in France:* Bompas, Ariège, in the Ariège department* Bompas, Pyrénées-Orientales, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department...
.
He was archbishop of Aix in 1626, archbishop of Lyon in 1628. He was created cardinal in 1629.