Guillaume de Montfort, (died 27 September 1432,
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
) was a 15th-century French cleric,
Bishop of Saint-Malo
The former Breton and French Catholic Diocese of Saint-Malo ( la, Dioecesis Alethensis, then la, Dioecesis Macloviensis, label=none) existed from at least the 7th century until the French Revolution. Its seat was at Aleth up to some point in the ...
and
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
.
Biography
Montfort was born in
Dinan
Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan.
Geography
Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of n ...
,
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, the son of , lord of Montfort and Gaël, and Isabeau de la Roche-Bernard, lady of Loudéac (died 1400).
Entering the church at a young age, Montfort was appointed
protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic (PA; Latin: ''protonotarius apostolicus'') is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pop ...
and Archdeacon of Dinan.
[Moréri, p. 375] Named Bishop of Saint-Malo on 13 October 1423, the following year he took command of the military forces of Brittany, and advanced on the English besieging
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France.
The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...
, forcing them to withdraw.
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...
offered Montfort the bishoprics of
Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.
History
Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
in 1424, and of
Dol in 1430, but he refused both.
On 29 May 1424, he demonstrated his opposition to
John V, Duke of Brittany
John V, sometimes numbered as VI, (24 December 1389 – 29 August 1442) bynamed John the Wise ( br, Yann ar Fur; french: Jean le Sage), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1399 to his death. His rule coincided with the height of t ...
, who was constructing a dungeon at the château of Saint-Malo, by throwing a stone. Thus he affirmed his rights over the territory, which the duke had appropriated.
He was created a cardinal ''
in pectore
''In pectore'' (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals wit ...
'' by Pope Martin V on 8 November 1430.
The pope died the following year; his successor,
Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...
, announced his nomination in the consistory of 11 March 1432. He received the cardinal's hat and the
titular church
In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary de ...
of
cardinal de Sainte-Anastasie on 13 June 1423.
[Lobineau & Morice, p. 232] He was henceforward known as "the cardinal of Brittany".
[Manet, p. 364]
While visiting
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, he travelled secretly to the
Council of Basel
The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...
, against the pope's wishes. He died suddenly en route, possibly poisoned,
on 27 September 1432, and was buried in the
church of the Cordeliers in Siena.
References
Bibliography
*
Moréri, Louis. , publisher Denys Mariette, 1707, p. 375
*
Lobineau, Guy Alexis; Morice, Pierre-Hyacinthe. , p. 232
* Manet, François. , H. Rottier, 1824, p. 364
Related articles
*
Cardinals created by Martin V
External links
His page on ''Catholic Hierarchy''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montfort, Guillaume
Bishops of Saint-Malo
15th-century French cardinals
People from Dinan
1432 deaths