Robert of Arbrissel - Citizendia

Robert of Arbrissel (c. 1045-1116) was an itinerant preacher, and founder of the abbey of Fontevrault. Fontevraud Abbey (or Fontevrault Abbey) is located in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. He was born at Arbrissel (now Arbressec) near Rhétiers, Brittany; and died at Orsan. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Orsan is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Biography

Robert studied in Paris during the pontificate of Gregory VII, perhaps under Anselm of Laon and later displayed considerable theological knowledge. Pope Anselm of Laon (died 1117 was a French theologian. Born of very humble parents at Laon before the middle of the 11th century he is said to have studied The date and place of his ordination are unknown. In 1089 he was recalled to his native diocese of Rennes by Bishop Sylvester de la Guerche, who desired to reform his flock.

As archpriest, Robert devoted himself to the suppression of simony, lay investiture, clerical concubinage, irregular marriages, and to the healing of feuds. This reforming zeal aroused such enmity that upon Sylvester's death in 1093, Robert was compelled to leave the diocese. He went to Angers and there commenced ascetic practices which he continued throughout his life. In 1095 he became a hermit in the forest of Craon (s. Craon is the name of several communes in France Craon, in the Mayenne department Craon former commune of the Meurthe-et-Moselle w. of Laval), living a life of severest penance in the company of Bernard, afterwards founder of the Congregation of Tiron, Vitalis, founder of Savigny, and others of considerable note. His piety, eloquence, and strong personality attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of Canons Regular of La Roé, becoming himself the first abbot. In the same year Urban II summoned him to Angers and appointed him a "preacher (seminiverbus, cf. Acts 17, 18) second only to himself with orders to travel everywhere in the performance of this duty" (Vita Baldrici).

There is no evidence that Robert assisted Urban to preach the Crusade, for his theme was the abandonment of the world and especially poverty. Living in the utmost destitution, he addressed himself to the poor and would have his followers known only as the "poor of Christ", while the ideal he put forward was "In nakedness to follow Christ naked upon the Cross". His eloquence, heightened by his strikingly ascetic appearance, drew crowds everywhere. Those who desired to embrace the monastic state under his leadership he sent to La Roé, but the Canons objected to the number and diversity of the postulants, and between 1097 and 1100 Robert formally resigned his abbacy, and founded Fontevrault. Fontevraud Abbey (or Fontevrault Abbey) is located in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. His disciples were of every age and condition. His legend has long alluded to the presence of converted prostitutes, but there is no contemporary evidence for this assertion. The earliest mention of prostitutes in conjunction with Robert's following dates from the 16th century, and may have been enhanced by his dedication of one house at his abbey of Fontevrault to Mary Magdalene. Robert continued his missionary journeys over the whole of Western France till the end of his life, but little is known of this period. He was, however, condemned by Abbot Geoffrey of Vendôme and Bishop Marbod of Rennes for the practice of syneisaktism, a mortification of the flesh that consisted of resisting the temptation of sleeping among women. Geoffrey of Vendôme ( Goffridus Abbas Vindocinensis) (b 1093 of a noble family at Angers, France d At the Council of Poitiers, November 1100, he supported the papal legates in excommunicating Philip I of France on account of his lawless union with Bertrade de Montfort; in 1110 he attended the Council of Nantes. Philip I ( 23 May 1052 &ndash 29 July 1108) called the Amorous or the Fat, was King of France from 1060 Bertrade de Montfort (c 1070 - February 14, 1117) was the daughter of Simon I de Montfort and Agnes Countess of Evreux. Knowledge of his approaching death caused him to take steps to ensure the permanence of his foundation at Fontevrault. He imposed a vow of stability on his monks and summoned a Chapter (September, 1116) to settle the form of government. From Hautebruyère a priory founded by the penitent Bertrade, he went to Orsan, another priory of Fontevrault, where he died. The "Vita Andreæ" gives a detailed account of his last year of life.

Veneration

Robert was never canonized. Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints The accusation made against him by Geoffrey of Vendôme of extreme indiscretion in his choice of exceptional ascetic practices (see P. Geoffrey of Vendôme ( Goffridus Abbas Vindocinensis) (b 1093 of a noble family at Angers, France d L. , CLVII, 182) was the source of much controversy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Other evidence of eccentric actions on Robert's part and scandals among his mixed followers may have helped to give rise to these rumors. The Fontevrists did everything in their power to discredit the attacks on their founder.

The accusatory letters of bishop Marbodius of Rennes and Geoffrey of Vendôme were without sufficient cause declared to be forgeries and the MS. Letter of Peter of Saumur was made away with, probably at the instigation of Jeanne Baptiste de Bourbon, Abbess of Fontevrault. This natural daughter of Henry IV of France applied to Pope Innocent X for the beatification of Robert, her request being supported by Louis XIV and Henrietta of England. Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III Pope Innocent X ( May 6, 1574 &ndash January 7, 1655) born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili) was Pope Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Henrietta Anne of England duchesse d'Orléans (born Henrietta 16 June (Old Style 26 June (New Style 1644 – 30 June 1670) in French Both this attempt and one made about the middle of the nineteenth century failed, but Robert is usually given the title of "Blessed".

The original recension of the Rule of Fontevrault no longer exists; the only surviving writing of Robert is his letter of exhortation to Ermengarde of Brittany (ed. Petigny in "Bib. de l'école des Chartes", 1854, V, iii). This article is about the academic journal For the school please see École Nationale des Chartes The Bibliothèque de l'École des Chartes

Biography

Veneration

Further reading