Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord
Encyclopedia
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, from an aristocratic family in Périgord
Périgord
The Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir , the Périgord Blanc , the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre...
, south-west France. He was born at Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, son of Elias VII, Count of Périgord.
He was Bishop of Limoges (1324), then Bishop of Auxerre (1329), Cardinal-Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli (1331), Cardinal-Bishop of Albano (1348) and dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals (1361). He was a major figure in the Avignon papacy, and also a diplomat engaged in the negotiations of the Hundred Years War.
He was also a literary patron, promoting the writing of the 1336 travels of William of Bodensele, and corresponding with Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
.