Manasses I, Archbishop of Reims
Encyclopedia
Manasses I, known as Manasses de Gournay, was the Archbishop of Reims
, and thus primate of France, from 1069 to his deposition on 27 December 1081.
Manasses was indisputably of noble lineage, maybe even a son of the female line descended from Hugh Capet, King of France. He was a simple cleric before he succeeded Gervase de Bellême as archbishop. He was known to be enterprising and liberal and was reputed as "one of the columns of the church" by Lanfranc
, Archbishop of Canterbury
. Pope Gregory VII
entrusted Manasses with several delicate missions, but the bishop's character was not held in esteem by his former colleagues, the lower clergy. Among them, he was reputed to be tyrannical, violent, corrupt, impatient, insolent, and disregarding of ecclesiastical regulations. His language gave cause to doubt his piety. According to Guibert of Nogent
, "the archbishop of Reims would be a beautiful benefit [to the see], if he were not obligated to sing the masses!"
Eventually this reputation became public. In 1072, he began disputing with the monks of Saint-Remi over their rights of suffrage and tried to impose his own choice of abbot. Manasses responded to the abbey's resistance by excommunicating the monks and despoiling their goods. Gregory VII intervened to order Geoffrey, Bishop of Paris, to receive and absolve the monks fleeing into his territory. Papal legates were sent and, at a council held in Autun
on 10 September, they condemned Manasses for simony and usurpation. He reacted by defending his conduct and trying to humiliate the legates. They in turn declared him a contumacious bishop.
Manasses appealed to the curia Romana
and wrote letters to the pope demanding his privilege to convoke all the Gallican bishops and never to be summoned by legates. He made known his intention to be at Rome
in Easter 1078. There he swore his innocence on the relics of St Peter. This was accepted, but returning to Reims, he acted even more haughtily and violently than before, punishing swiftly every opponent. At the suggestion of all the bishops of Gaul, the legates reopened the proceedings against him. He tried to bribe Hugh, Bishop of Die, with 300 pounds of gold, but this backfired and he was accused of bribery by Hugh at the Council of Lyon
. Manasses refused to appear. He was deposed. The pope offered him a delay in his sentence if he would make reparations. He never did and was deposed by the Holy See on 27 December 1081.
Renaud de Bellay was elected to succeed Manasses, but the latter refused to relinquish the archiepiscopal palace. He was eventually chased from the city violently. Sources diverge as to where he fled: either the Holy Land
, where he was captured by the Saracens, or Germany
, where he accompanied the fellow excommunicate Henry IV
, until he died.
Though Manasses was illiterate himself, an Apologia written by a cleric on his behalf and containing his ideas survives.
Archbishop of Reims
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by St. Sixtus, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750...
, and thus primate of France, from 1069 to his deposition on 27 December 1081.
Manasses was indisputably of noble lineage, maybe even a son of the female line descended from Hugh Capet, King of France. He was a simple cleric before he succeeded Gervase de Bellême as archbishop. He was known to be enterprising and liberal and was reputed as "one of the columns of the church" by Lanfranc
Lanfranc
Lanfranc was Archbishop of Canterbury, and a Lombard by birth.-Early life:Lanfranc was born in the early years of the 11th century at Pavia, where later tradition held that his father, Hanbald, held a rank broadly equivalent to magistrate...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
entrusted Manasses with several delicate missions, but the bishop's character was not held in esteem by his former colleagues, the lower clergy. Among them, he was reputed to be tyrannical, violent, corrupt, impatient, insolent, and disregarding of ecclesiastical regulations. His language gave cause to doubt his piety. According to Guibert of Nogent
Guibert of Nogent
Guibert of Nogent was a Benedictine historian, theologian and author of autobiographical memoirs. Guibert was relatively unknown in his own time, going virtually unmentioned by his contemporaries...
, "the archbishop of Reims would be a beautiful benefit [to the see], if he were not obligated to sing the masses!"
Eventually this reputation became public. In 1072, he began disputing with the monks of Saint-Remi over their rights of suffrage and tried to impose his own choice of abbot. Manasses responded to the abbey's resistance by excommunicating the monks and despoiling their goods. Gregory VII intervened to order Geoffrey, Bishop of Paris, to receive and absolve the monks fleeing into his territory. Papal legates were sent and, at a council held in Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
on 10 September, they condemned Manasses for simony and usurpation. He reacted by defending his conduct and trying to humiliate the legates. They in turn declared him a contumacious bishop.
Manasses appealed to the curia Romana
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
and wrote letters to the pope demanding his privilege to convoke all the Gallican bishops and never to be summoned by legates. He made known his intention to be at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in Easter 1078. There he swore his innocence on the relics of St Peter. This was accepted, but returning to Reims, he acted even more haughtily and violently than before, punishing swiftly every opponent. At the suggestion of all the bishops of Gaul, the legates reopened the proceedings against him. He tried to bribe Hugh, Bishop of Die, with 300 pounds of gold, but this backfired and he was accused of bribery by Hugh at the Council of Lyon
Council of Lyon
The Council of Lyon refers to either the 13th or 14th ecumenical councils of the Roman Catholic Church, both held in Lyon, France during the 13th century:*First Council of Lyon...
. Manasses refused to appear. He was deposed. The pope offered him a delay in his sentence if he would make reparations. He never did and was deposed by the Holy See on 27 December 1081.
Renaud de Bellay was elected to succeed Manasses, but the latter refused to relinquish the archiepiscopal palace. He was eventually chased from the city violently. Sources diverge as to where he fled: either the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, where he was captured by the Saracens, or Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he accompanied the fellow excommunicate Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
, until he died.
Though Manasses was illiterate himself, an Apologia written by a cleric on his behalf and containing his ideas survives.