Hugues Géraud (died 30 August 1317) was a 14th-century Roman Catholic bishop, serving as

bishop of Cahors The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cahors (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cadurcensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Cahors'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the whole of the department of Lot. In the begi ...

from 1313 until his dismissal in 1317 for attempting to murder

pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...

by poison and witchcraft, for which he was burned at the stake.

Life

During his time as bishop he was tried for embezzlement and – thinking he had lost his case – he decided to poison the pope. He enlisted Pons de Vassal and Isar d’Escodata, both members of the papal court, and procured poisons and wax figurines to bewitch the pope. He first tested the bewitchment against the pope's nephew

Jacques de Via Jacques de Via (died 13 June 1317) was a French cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. His brother Arnaud was also a cardinal. Life Born in Cahors, he became chantry canon of Fréjus, archdeacon of Mede and prebendary canon of Mende. In 1313 he ...

. Three wax figurines, representing Pope John XIII and his advisors

Bertrand du Pouget Bertrand du Pouget (Italian ''Bertrando del Poggetto'') (1280 – 3 February 1352) was a French papal diplomat and Cardinal. Bertrand was born in Castelnau-Montratier. He may have been a nephew of Pope John XXII. As cardinal he was closely ...

and Gaucelme de Jean, were hidden in loaves and given to messengers to carry into the episcopal palace. However, the messengers' strange behaviour drew the attention of the papal guards, who discovered the figurines. On 23 March 1317 Géraud and everyone else implicated in the plot were arrested. Influential figures from south-west France gravitated towards Géraud's entourage, including

Gaillard de Preyssac Gaillard de Préchac or de Preyssac was a French Roman Catholic cleric. His mother Vidal/Vitale/Gailharde de Got was the sister of pope Clement V and of Arnaud-Garcie de Gout. Gaillard's father was Arnaud-Bernard I de Préchac (Préchac and Preys ...

(

bishop of Toulouse The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toulouse (–Saint Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux) ( la, Archidioecesis Tolosana (–Convenarum–Rivensis); French: ''Archidiocèse de Toulouse (–Saint-Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux-Volvestre)''; Occitan: ''A ...

and nephew of

pope Clement V Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his de ...

), Arnaud de Pellegrue (cardinal and rival to John XXII at his election as pope) and the viscount of Bruniquel (Clement V's nephew by marriage). Questioning began on 22 April at the château de Noves and on 5 May the pope commissioned

Pierre des Prés Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

and Arnaud de Capdenac to continue the enquiry. The suspects were questioned in secret, meaning the names of major figures implicated in the plot were not revealed. The plot quickly unravelled, with Géraud admitting everything without being tortured and the pope praising des Près's "prudence, faithfulness and experience". During the questioning Jacques de Via died. On 21 August the pope personally questioned Géraud, who nine days later was found guilty of witchcraft, sacrilege and the murder of Jacques de Via. He was dismissed from his bishopric, handed over to the secular arm and burned at the stake in front of the episcopal palace in Avignon. de Preyssac also lost his diocese, but de Pellegrue went unpunished. 1317 also saw the pope issue a papal bull expanding inquisitors' rights when investigating witchcraft and sorcery, followed by another in August 1326 entitled '' Super illius specula'' which made sorcery practically equivalent to heresy. This campaign against sorcery was continued by John's successors from

pope Benedict XII Pope Benedict XII ( la, Benedictus XII, french: Benoît XII; 1285 – 25 April 1342), born Jacques Fournier, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1334 to his death in April 1342. He was the third Avignon pope. Benedict was a careful p ...

Antipope Alexander V Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (c. 1339 – May 3, 1410), named as Alexander V ( la, Alexander PP. V; it, Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He reigned briefly ...

. At the pope's request Pierre des Prés also presided over the trials of Géraud's accomplices, most notably those of Pierre de Saleilles in September 1322 and of Bernard Gasc (a bishop ''in partibus'' who had blessed the wax figurines) on 26 November 1322

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geraud, Hugues Bishops of Cahors 1317 deaths Failed assassins People executed by burning French people executed for witchcraft 14th-century executions by France