Geoffrey of Vendôme

Geoffrey of Vendôme (Goffridus Abbas Vindocinensis; c. 1065/70 – 26 March 1132) was a French

.

Born to a noble family, at an early age he entered the Benedictine

, was chosen abbot of the community.

During all his lifetime he showed a great attachment to the Holy See. Thus, in 1094, he went to Rome in order to help Pope Urban II (1088–99) to take possession of the Lateran, still held by the faction of the antipope Clement III (1080–1100); the money which he offered to the custodian brought about the surrender.^[1]

In compensation he was created a cardinal-priest by Urban II, with the

(1119–24); and on three occasions he was made a captive.

In 1096 and 1107 he extended the hospitality of his monastery to Popes Urban and Paschal. He took part in the councils held at

(1130–43).

He also strenuously defended the ecclesiastical principles in the

(1106–25). Finally, he always defended firmly the prerogatives, the rights, and the property of his abbey at Vendôme against the encroachments of either bishops or secular princes.

Geoffrey was one of the distinguished men of his age, and was in correspondence with many eminent personalities of that time. His writings consist of a number of letters; of a series of tracts on the investitures of ecclesiastics by laymen, on the Sacraments of the

, on ascetic and pastoral subjects; hymns to the Blessed Virgin and St. Mary Magdalene; sermons on the feasts of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalene, and St. Benedict.

References

• Sirmond (Paris, 1610), reprinted in Patrologia Latina
  , CLVII.
• The tracts on the investitures are found also in "
  Mon. Germ. Hist.
  : Libelli de Lite", II, 680 sqq.
• Geoffroy de Vendôme, Oeuvres (1996) edited and translated into French by Geneviève Giordanengo

External links

• CNRS page (French language)

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Geoffrey of Vendôme". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.