John of Burgundy also known as Jean de Bourgogne, was appointed Archbishop of Trier, served as Bishop of Cambrai from 1439–1479, Provost of St. Donatian's Cathedral

St. Donatian's Cathedral

The St. Donatian's Cathedral was a Roman Catholic cathedral in Bruges, Belgium. Located on the Burg, one of the main squares in the city, it was the largest church in Bruges...

 and St. Peter's Cathedral at Lille

Lille

Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

, and was the illegitimate son of John II, Duke of Burgundy, through his mistress Agnes de Croy, daughter of Jean I de Croÿ

Jean I de Croÿ

Jean I de Croÿ, Seigneur de Croÿ et d'Araines, Baron de Renty et de Seneghem was the founder of the House of Croÿ .-Biography:His parents were Guillaume, seigneur de Croÿ and Isabeau de Renty....

. He was the great-grandson of King John II of France

John II of France

John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...

.

Church manipulation

Historians have noted that Bishop John was part of the manipulation of the church by the Dukes of Burgundy during this era, with his father being accused of nepotism and cronyism in having his relatives and supporters appointed to bishoprics, abbacies, and chapters to gain more control and influence over church. His father appointed his own chancellor as the Bishop of Tournai, John as the Bishop of Cambrai, and John's brother Philip

Philip III, Duke of Burgundy

Philip the Good KG , also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty . During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts...

 had his son David appointed Bishop of Utrecht. Philip also appointed the church officials at Tournai, Arras, Cologne, Bensancon, Autun, Macon and Auxerre.

Papal appointment

In 1446, Pope Eugenius IV was engaged in an internal church conflict over the validity of his papacy with Felix V. Recognized by the Kings of Castile, France, and England, Eugenius took steps to solidify his support within the church by ex-communicating and deposing supporters of Felix, including the Archbishops at Trier and Cologne. Eugenius appointed John to fill the vacant Archbishopric at Trier, however, the appointment was disputed.

Illegitimate children

John fathered numerous illegitimate children; it is written that he celebrated mass once at Cambrai in the presence of his 36 illegitimate sons or grandsons.