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Jean de Vienne (died 14 June 1351) was a French prelate and diplomat. He served as the
bishop of Avranches The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...
(as Jean IV) from 1328 until he was transferred to the
diocese of Thérouanne In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
(as Jean III) in 1331. He was transferred again in 1334 to the
archdiocese of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...
(as Jean II), which he held until his death. Jean twice served the king of France as an ambassador to the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
and once as an ambassador to Castile.


Early life

Jean was the eldest of several brothers born into an old noble family of Vienne-en-Bessin in Normandy. His younger brother Renaud became archdeacon of
Bayeux Bayeux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts ...
and later treasurer of Reims. Jean received a good education as a young man. His arms are described as "a gold chevron on a red field" (''de gueules au chevron d'or''). For a time Jean served the
House of Évreux The House of Évreux was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal house of France, which flourished from the beginning of the 14th century to the mid 15th century. It became the royal house of the Kingdom of Navarre. The House was founded ...
, which became the ruling family of
Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
in 1328.


Bishop of Avranches

Jean was elected bishop of Avranches on 20 September 1327 and made his profession to the Holy See on 17 May 1328. Following the French victory at the battle of Cassel on 23 August 1328, which ended the peasant revolt in Flanders, Jean was charged with securing conditions of peace. Philip VI empowered him to demolish the fortifications of
Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
,
Courtrai Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It is the capital and larges ...
and certain other cities, and to lift the sentence of excommunication imposed on the citizens of
Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
. Something of Jean's interests can be gleaned from the agreement he made with Jean de la Porte, abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel, at his castle in Le Parc on 8 September 1329. The abbot granted Jean the right to hunt in the woods of Néron, near Champeaux, for three years. Mont-Saint-Michel was one of the most important establishments in the diocese of Avranches. On 2 February 1330, he reached another agreement with the abbot over certain rights in the village at the foot of the monastery. In 1330, Philip VI made him Master of Requests. He was never consecrated as bishop of Avranches.


Bishop of Thérouanne

Jean was transferred to the diocese of Thérouanne in 1331, making a profession of obedience to the Holy See on 4 February. Fifteen days later (19 February), he was granted control of the
temporalities Temporalities or temporal goods are the secular properties and possessions of the church. The term is most often used to describe those properties (a ''Stift'' in German or ''sticht'' in Dutch) that were used to support a bishop or other religious ...
of his new see. On 20 March 1332, Philip VI sent him as ambassador to the Avignon court of 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 ...
. There, in a public consistory on 26 July 1333, Jean swore an oath that either Philip or his son
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
would lead a new
crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
. In the end, neither ever led a crusade.


Archbishop of Reims


Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

Impressed by Jean's intelligence and abilities, Pope John XXII appointed him to the metropolitan see of Reims in October 1334. It was the first time the '' reservatio papalis'' (papal reservation) had been used in the case of Reims. Jean made his profession for Reims on 4 November 1334. Jean did not initially visit his new diocese. Instead, he set off on the
Way of Saint James The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...
, a pilgrimage to the saint's shrine at
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
in Spain. While passing through Spain, he was asked by the co-monarchs of Navarre, Philip III and Joan II, to negotiate a peace with King
Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...
, who had lately invaded Navarre. A truce was quickly agreed and a final peace signed on 28 February 1336. During his long absence, the cathedral chapter of Reims sent him a letter demanding he perform the
canonical visitation In the Catholic Church, a canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to car ...
of his diocese. Jean instead obtained a papal dispensation and sent
Guillaume Bertrand Guillaume Bertrand (died 19 May 1356) was a French prelate of the 14th century. Biography Coming from the Bertrand family, he was the son of Robert VII Bertrand de Bricquebec, Baron de Bricquebec, and Ide de Clermont-Nesle, and the brother of ...
, the
bishop of Noyon The former French Catholic diocese of Noyon lay in the north-east of France, around Noyon. It was formed when Saint Medardus moved the seat of the bishopric at Vermandois to Noyon, in the sixth century. For four centuries it was united with the ...
and one of his suffragans to perform the duty in his place. This Guillaume did in 1337.


War with England

Jean finally returned to his diocese late in 1337. He ordered all the vassals of the diocese to assemble in arms at the
Porte de Mars Porte de Mars is an ancient Roman triumphal arch in Reims, France. It dates from the third century AD, and was the widest arch in the Roman world. The Arch The monumental Mars Gate dates from the first part of the 3rd century and is the only r ...
on 31 October in order to serve against King
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...
. Philip VI, however, preferred a money aid and demobilized the troops of Reims. Nevertheless, Jean remained with the French army for the following two years. He did not finally make a solemn entrance into Reims until September 1339. At the same time, Philip named him captain of the city, in charge of its defences. Before the end of 1339, Jean consecrated Hugues d'Arcy, his eventual successor, as
bishop of Laon The diocese of Laon in the present-day département of Aisne, was a Catholic diocese for around 1300 years, up to the French Revolution. Its seat was in Laon, France, with the Laon Cathedral. From early in the 13th century, the bishop of Laon wa ...
. On 13 April 1340, Jean was sworn in as bishop in the cathedral. Among the canons present was the famous composer
Guillaume Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...
. Owing to the ongoing war with England, ecclesiastical life in Reims was disrupted.
Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning. The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated by ...
was no longer said daily at midnight, and only one mass was performed each day before the grand altar of the cathedral. As of 1340, on certain days of the year, the canons still ate together at a communal table, an ancient practice that cannot be traced later than this date at Reims. In 1341, Jean established a Saturday mass for the Virgin to be said at the altar of the Rouelle. Guillaume Machaut and his brother Jean subsequently made a generous endowment to this mass, and in 1365 Guillaume composed the ''
Messe de Nostre Dame ''Messe de Nostre Dame'' (''Mass of Our Lady'') is a polyphonic mass composed before 1365 by French poet and composer Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377). Widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious music, ...
'' for it. Between 23 and 26 July 1344, Jean held a provincial synod in Noyon. Attended by six bishops, it published seventeen canons aimed at protecting the privileges and liberties of the church from the effects of war. On 22 September 1342, Pope
Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bla ...
had written to Jean asking him to assist at the foundation of a convent for
Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...
at Mézières by Count
Louis I of Flanders Louis I ( – 26 August 1346, ruled 1322–1346) was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel. Life He was the son of Louis I, Count of Nevers, and Joan, Countess of Rethel, and grandson of Robert III of Flanders. He succeeded his father as c ...
and his wife,
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
, daughter of King
Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...
. On 11 November 1344, Philip VI named Jean his ambassador to Clement VI and to the court of Alfonso XI of Castile. For the next eighteen months, Jean was away from his diocese. Disputes arose between the canons of Reims, the suffragan bishops and some diocesan officials. The provost, Étienne de Courtenai, called a meeting of the canons in order to once again summon Jean to his diocese, threatening otherwise to excommunicate recalcitrant officials. According to the contemporary chronicler
Giovanni Villani Giovanni Villani (; 1276 or 1280 – 1348)Bartlett (1992), 35. was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the ''Nuova Cronica'' (''New Chronicles'') on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman ...
, Jean was present at the
battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...
on 26 August 1346. Following the French defeat, Philip VI confided the captaincy of Reims in Gaucher de Lor, lord of Ressons, but Jean protested and by 29 July 1347 the defence of Reims had been restored to him.


Final years

In 1347, Jean intervened with the pope on behalf of his nephews Guillaume and Jean Le Masuier, prebendaries of Bayeux and partisans of
Charles II of Navarre Charles II (10 October 1332 – 1 January 1387), called Charles the Bad, was King of Navarre 1349–1387 and Count of Évreux 1343–1387. Besides the Pyrenean Kingdom of Navarre, Charles had extensive lands in Normandy, inherited from his father ...
, a rival of the Philip VI. In 1350, Jean granted permission to Jean Panteuf, bishop of Dragonara and vicar-general and auxiliary bishop of Reims, to translate the relics of
Saint Timothy Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus (Greek language, Greek: ; ''Timótheos'', meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God") was an early Christian Evangelism, evangelist and the first Christianity, Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates die ...
to Reims. Jean officiated the funeral of Philip VI on 28 August 1350. On 24 September at Reims, he consecrated the Philip's son John as king and his wife,
Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine * Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...
, as queen. He died the following year and was buried in the sanctuary of Reims.


Notes


Sources

* * * * * {{Authority control Date of birth unknown 1351 deaths Bishops of Avranches Bishops of Thérouanne Archbishops of Reims