Achard of St. Victor
Encyclopedia
Achard of St. Victor was a canon regular, abbot of St. Victor's, Paris, and bishop of Avranches.
By some authorities he is said to have been of English extraction, by others to be of the noble Norman family of de Pertins, of Domfront
. He completed his studies at the School of St. Victor, and entered the cloister there. On the death (1155) of the first abbot, Gilduin, he was elected to fill the vacant post, at a time when the royal abbey was almost at the zenith of its glory and power.
Two years later the cathedral chapter of Séez
, composed of canons regular, elected Achard for their bishop, and the choice was duly confirmed by Pope Adrian IV
. But Henry II of England
intervened and intruded his chaplain Frogier, or Roger. However, subsequent relations between Achard and the Plantagenet were quite cordial, and the abbot used his influence at the English Court to compel the royal treasurer, Richard of Ely, to disemburse for the benefit of the poor some moneys which he was unjustly detaining; his letter to Henry II on the matter is still extant.
When, in 1162, Achard was raised to the vacant See of Avranches, Henry made no objection to his consecration, and that same year Bishop Achard stood godfather to his daughter Eleanor born at Domfront. But the French king, Louis VII
, was by no means pleased to see such a shining light of the Parisian church pass over into Norman territory, as is evident from a letter he then addressed to the prior of St. Victor's. In 1163 Achard was in England assisting at the solemn translation of Edward the Confessor
in Westminster Abbey
.
The chief monument of his ten years' episcopate was the Premonstratensian
La Lucerne Abbey
, the foundation stone of which he laid (1164) and where at his own request he was buried, with this simple inscription: Hic jacet Achardus episcopus cujus caritate ditata est paupertas nostra. His brethren of St. Victor's celebrated his memory in the following lines:
Not the least gem in Achard's crown is the memory of his unwavering friendship for Thomas Becket
through the years. In the chronicles of St. Victor's, Achard is termed "Blessed".
One treatise (Latin original and eighteenth-century French translation) of Achard's is extant in the Bibliothèque Nationale. It is a long commentary or sermon on the Temptation of Christ
in the wilderness, and in it Achard discusses seven degrees of self-renunciation, which he calls the seven deserts of the soul. Hauréau in his Histoire literaire du Maine, I, quotes several passages.
By some authorities he is said to have been of English extraction, by others to be of the noble Norman family of de Pertins, of Domfront
Domfront
Domfront may refer to one of several communes in France:* Domfront, Oise* Domfront, Orne* Domfront-en-Champagne, Sarthe...
. He completed his studies at the School of St. Victor, and entered the cloister there. On the death (1155) of the first abbot, Gilduin, he was elected to fill the vacant post, at a time when the royal abbey was almost at the zenith of its glory and power.
Two years later the cathedral chapter of Séez
Sées Cathedral
Sées Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and national monument of France, in Sées in Normandy.It is the seat of the Bishop of Sées....
, composed of canons regular, elected Achard for their bishop, and the choice was duly confirmed by Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only Englishman who has occupied the papal chair...
. But Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
intervened and intruded his chaplain Frogier, or Roger. However, subsequent relations between Achard and the Plantagenet were quite cordial, and the abbot used his influence at the English Court to compel the royal treasurer, Richard of Ely, to disemburse for the benefit of the poor some moneys which he was unjustly detaining; his letter to Henry II on the matter is still extant.
When, in 1162, Achard was raised to the vacant See of Avranches, Henry made no objection to his consecration, and that same year Bishop Achard stood godfather to his daughter Eleanor born at Domfront. But the French king, Louis VII
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
, was by no means pleased to see such a shining light of the Parisian church pass over into Norman territory, as is evident from a letter he then addressed to the prior of St. Victor's. In 1163 Achard was in England assisting at the solemn translation of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.
The chief monument of his ten years' episcopate was the Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
La Lucerne Abbey
La Lucerne Abbey
-History:La Lucerne Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery situated in the forests of the Thar valley in the Manche department, near the commune of La Lucerne-d'Outremer, in France....
, the foundation stone of which he laid (1164) and where at his own request he was buried, with this simple inscription: Hic jacet Achardus episcopus cujus caritate ditata est paupertas nostra. His brethren of St. Victor's celebrated his memory in the following lines:
-
- Hujus oliva domus, Anglorum gloria cleri
- Jam dignus celesti luce foveri
- Felix Achardus florens etate senile
- Presul Abrincensis ex hoc signature ovili.
Not the least gem in Achard's crown is the memory of his unwavering friendship for Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
through the years. In the chronicles of St. Victor's, Achard is termed "Blessed".
One treatise (Latin original and eighteenth-century French translation) of Achard's is extant in the Bibliothèque Nationale. It is a long commentary or sermon on the Temptation of Christ
Temptation of Christ
The temptation of Christ is detailed in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. According to these texts, after being baptized, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the Judean desert. During this time, the devil appeared to Jesus and tempted him...
in the wilderness, and in it Achard discusses seven degrees of self-renunciation, which he calls the seven deserts of the soul. Hauréau in his Histoire literaire du Maine, I, quotes several passages.