Foulque de Neuilly

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

A popularCrusade preacher, d. March, 1202. At the end of the twelfth century he wascuré at thechurch of Neuilly-sur-Marne, in the Diocese ofParis (now the department of seine-et-Oise). According to Jacques de Vitry he once led an irregular life, but experienced a sudden conversion. Ashamed of hisignorance, he went toParis to study under Pierre, a chanter of Notre Dame. It was not long before his master noticed his earnestness and had him preach in the church of Saint-Séverin before a number of students. His eloquence was so great that he was thought to be inspired by the Holy Ghost. Large crowds assembled to hear him in the Place Champeaux where he was wont to preach. He was especially severe in his denunciation ofusurers and dissolute women. In 1195, according to Rigord with the assent of theBishop ofParis, he began to preach in neighbourhood ofParis, and soon afterwards met with successively inNormandy, at Lisieux and Caen, later atBurgundy, Picardy,Flanders. He was credited withpower to work miracles, and from every quarter the sick were brought to him, whom he cured by thelaying on of hands and by thesign of the cross. After 1198 he preached theFourth Crusade amid much popular enthusiasm. He declared later that in three years he had given the cross to 200,000persons. According to Jean de Flixecourt, it was Pierre le Chantre who pointed out his ability as a preacher toInnocent III. In November, 1198, thepope conferred upon him thenecessary powers, with the right of choosing his assistants among thesecular clergy (Historiens de France, XIX, 369). The chief of these were Pierre de Proussi, Rustache,Abbot of Flai, and Herloin, amonk of Saint-Denis. Herloin even led a band of BretonCrusaders as far asSaint-Jean d'Acre. In 1200 many nobles of NorthernFrance had taken the cross. On the nineteenth of March of that year Foulque preached atLiège (Hist. de France, XVIII, 616). After Boniface of Montserrat had been chosen leader of thecrusade Foulque gave him the cross atSoissons. In 1201 he assisted at the chapter ofCîteaux with Boniface, and entrusted to theCistercians a portion of thealms he had collected for the Holy Land. There used to repair the ramparts of Acre andTyre, but he had aroused distrust, and his later success was slight. He returned to Neuilly, where he restored theparish church, which is still in existence. When Foulque died, he was regarded as a saint. He had taken a decisive part in the preparation for theCrusade of 1204.

CONTACT US |ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT