Henry of Marcy, or Henry de Marsiac,Also called Henry of Clairvaux, Henry of Albano, Henry of Hautecombe, Henry of Marsiac, Henri de Gaule, Henricus Albanensis, Henricus de Altacumba, Henricus de Marsiaco, Henricus Gallus, Henricus Claraevallensis, Henricus de Castro Marsiaco, Henricus de Marsiaco Claraevallensis, Henricus Cisterciensis. (c. 1136 – 1 January 1189) gives the date 1 January 1189, from the "Chronicon Clarevallense". Bruni, (1932), "ENRICO di Marcy, vescovo di Albano." Other data suggest the summer of 1188. was a Cistercian abbot, first of Hautecombe in Savoy (1160–1177), and then of Clairvaux, from 1177 until 1179. He was created Cardinal Bishop of Albano by Pope Alexander III at the Third Lateran Council in 1179.Graham-Leigh, The Southern French Nobility, 105 n117.
Henry was an important figure in the fight against the late-12th-century movements of Catharism and Waldensianism and was prominent at the Third Lateran Council.Robinson, 181. He supported the use of force to suppress heresy and a strong alliance between secular and ecclesiastic authority in the use of force.
Early life Henry, the son of noble but by no means royal parents,Histoire litteraire de la France XIV (1817), pp. 451–452, refuting the claimed royal descent, pointing out the confusion with Henry of Pisa, cardinal of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo, who was also a Cistercian. The work cites the Cistercian Exordium Magnum Book II, chapter 30; J. P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Tomus CLXXXV (Paris 1855), p. 1040. was named after his birthplace, Castro Marsiaco, or the Château de Marcy, near Cluny in Burgundy.Dictionnaire. He joined the Cistercian order in 1155 or 1156, becoming a monk at Clairvaux, under Abbot Robert, the second abbot of Clairvaux (August 1153 to April 1157). Four years after his profession as a monk, he was sent as the first abbot of the daughter house of Hautecombe in Savoy.Histoire litteraire de la France XIV (1817), p. 452. As abbot, he signed a charter in 1161. Kartusch, p. 190.
Following the murder of Abbot Gerard of Clairvaux by one of his own monks, Henry was elected seventh Abbot of Clairvaux in 1177.The older sources, Detutsch (1909), p. 227; Brixius (1912), p. 61; and Kartusch (1948), p, 190; give the date 1176. Shortly thereafter, in the same or the next year, having been ordered to preach the crusade,"...cura, quam nobis apostolica delegavit auctoritas..." Abbot Henry was able to persuade the abbey's principal patron, Henry I, Count of Champagne, to take the crusader's cross, which he did around Christmas (1177?). He announced his achievement with great pleasure to Pope Alexander III, who had for many years been at odds with Count Henry.J.P. Mighe (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Cursus Completus Tomus CCIV (Paris 1855), pp. 215–216, epistle I.
In September 1177, Count Raymond V of Toulouse sent a letter to the Cistercian General Chapter, which was meeting at Citeux under the presidency of Abbot Alexander, for a mission to help him deal with the heresy of Catharism which was rampant in his domains and growing bolder."Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France Tome XIV, p. 453. He remarks that he had already asked the king of France to take part in his action. He was wielding the temporal sword, since the spiritual sword had no effect. He asked for their advice and their prayers.The text of his letter is quoted in: William Stubbs (ed.), The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury: The chronicle of the reigns of Stephen, Henry II, and Richard I Volume 1 (London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans & Roberts, 1879), pp. 270–271: "...Nunc igitur ad vestrum confugiens subsidium, humili cordis imploro affectu, quatinus ad extirpandum tantum infidelitatis malum manum consilii vestri et auxilii cum virtute orationis porrigatis... Quoniam igitur spiritualis gladii virtutem nil perficere posse cognoscimus ad tantam haeresis pravitatem extirpandam, oportet ut corporalis gladii animadversione compellatur."
Dismayed at the advance of the Albigensian (Cathar) heresy in Aquitaine and Languedoc, King Henry II of England and King Louis VII of France decided to organize a mission to preach the true faith to the heretics. The leaders, who were expected to preach personally, were Cardinal Peter of S. Crisogono, the papal legate, the archbishop of Bourges, Archbishop Pons d'Arsac of Narbonne, Bishop Reginald of Bath and Wells, Bishop Jean des Bellesmains of Poitiers, Abbot Henry of Clairvaux, and many other ecclesiastics. The two kings also appointed Raymond V of Toulouse, the vicount of Turenne, and Raymond of Castro Novo to assist the cardinal and his associates.Roger of Hoveden, in: W. Stubbs (ed.), Chronica Magistri Rogeri de Houedene Vol. II (London: Longmans 1869), p. 151; reported under the year 1178: "...quod cum ad aures regis Franciae et regis Angliae perveniret, zerlo Christianae fidei accensi statuerunt, quod illuc irent in propriis personis, ut praedictos haereticos prorsus a finibus illis eliminarent. Elapso deinde aniquantulo temporis spatio, videbatur eis plus posse proficere, si viros sapientes illuc misissent, qui haereticos illos praedicatione et doctrina ad fidem Christianam converterent, quam si ipsi in propriis personis illuc ire properassent....Miserunt ergo illuc Petrum tituli Sancti Chrysogoni...." Also, "Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France. Tome XIV, p. 453-454 In a decree condemning certain heretics, Cardinal Petrus, the papal legate, remarked that the noblemen had been sent to rescue the bishop of Albi who was being held in the territory of Vicount Roger of Béziers on his order."Roger of Hoveden, p. 156: "...qui de nostro consilio in terram Rogeri de Bediers pro liberatione venerabilis fratris nostri Albanensis (sic! Albiensis) episcopi venerant...." They were accompanied by Bishop Reginald fitz Jocelin of Bath and Wells and Abbot Henry of Marcy, whose mission, as assigned by the papal legate, was, according to Henry himself, to get Vicount Roger to release the bishop of Albi and eliminate heretical opinions in the entire territory. The party arrived at Castres, the residence of the vicount's family, and, when Roger refused to comply, they excommunicated him. The mission, however, did not succeed in liberating the bishop of Albi, controlling Vicount Roger, or converting the schismatics of Béziers or Castres.Roger de Hoveden, pp. 165–166. "Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France. Tome XIV, p. 454.
After his return from Toulouse, Henry attended the general synod of the Cistercian Order, and then hastened to Clairvaux.Angelo Manrique (1649), Annales Cisterciensium Tomus III, p. 65, column 1.
Abbot Henry presided over the transfer of the remains of Bernard of Clairvaux from his tomb to a newly constructed monument, erected at the orders of Henry.Angelo Manrique (1649), Annales Cisterciensium Tomus III (Lyon: L. Anisson), p. 60. "Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France. Tome XIV, p. 454. Bernard had died on 20 August 1153, and had been made a saint by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174.
In 1178, on the death of Bishop Bertrand, Henry was elected bishop of Toulouse, but he wrote to Pope Alexander, begging to be released from the honor. He remarked that he was looking forward to seeing the pope face to face at the coming general council. Patrologiae Latinae Cursus Completus Tomus CCIV (Paris 1855), pp. 217–218, epistle III. Peter of Celle also wrote the pope a letter, stating more forthrightly the reasons why Henry wished to decline the bishopric.Petri abbatis Cellensis Opera omnia. Collecta in vnum (Paris: L. Billaine 1671), "Epistolarum Libri", pp. 158–160. "Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France. Tome XIV, p. 454
Through the influence of Abbot Henry, King Henry II of England presented the abbey of Clairvaux with a new lead roof for the abbey church.Angelo Manrique (1649), Annales Cisterciensium Tomus III, p. 71, column 1.
Cardinal and papal legate Abbot Henry attended Pope Alexander's Third Lateran Council, whose first session took place in the Lateran Basilica on 5 March 1179.C. J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles second edition (tr. H. Leclerc) Tome V, part 2 (Paris: Letouzey 1913), pp. 1086–1087. On 11 March, Henry was appointed Bishop of Albano. He was consecrated a bishop by Alexander III personally on the Sunday after Easter, 6 May 1179, in the church of S. Maria called Narcissae.J. Stevenson (ed.), "Chronica de Mailros" (Edinburgh 1835), p. 89: "Concilium magnum a domino Alexandro iij Romae celebratum est... v. idus Martii... Henricus abbas Clarevallis in eodem concilio electus est episcopus Albanensis ecclesiae, et a domino papa... consecratus est." His earliest subscription as a cardinal to a papal document, a privilege granted to the canons of the cathedral of Concordia, came on 4 May 1179. His latest subscription for Pope Alexander took place on 8 December 1179. From 1180 to the Fall of 1182, he was in France, serving as papal legate against the Albigensian heretics.Kartusch, p. 190 with note 7. "Henri, Abbé de Haute-Combe, puis de Clairvaux, et enfin Cardinal Evêque d'Albano." Histoire litteraire de la France. Tome XIV, p. 455.
In 1180, the legate Cardinal Henry of Marcy presided over a synod held at Limoges, dealing with a conflict between two churches in the diocese of Bordeaux, which had persisted through much of the 12th century.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXII (Venice: A. Zatta 1767), pp. 467–472. He held another synod at Nôtre Dame de Puy on 15 September 1181.Hefele, p. 1112, note 2. Since Pope Alexander died in Rome on 30 August 1181, Cardinal Henry did not attend the election of his successor, Pope Lucius III (Ubaldo Allucingoli), on 1 September 1181.
In 1181, the legate Henry, in association with Jean de Montlaur, the bishop of Maguelonne (later Montpellier), and Bernard, the bishop of Béziers (Biterrensis), deposed Pons d'Arsac, the bishop of Narbonne, as well as three archdeacons and the sacristan of the cathedral chapter.P. Jaffé, Regesta pontificum Romanorum II, second edition (Berlin: Weidmann 1888), p. 448, no. 14775. The reasons for the deposition are unknown. The action was appealed to Rome, but, on 16 May 1183, Pope Lucius affirmed the decision of the bishops, evidently considering their reasons sufficient, and ordered the cathedral chapter of Narbonne to obey Henry's injunctions.J.P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Cursus Completus Tomus CCI, p. 1170. The papal letter states that the cardinal was already back in Rome.
At Bazas, he held a synod on 24 November 1181.Hefele, p. 1112, note 3. He held a synod at Limoges on 28 February 1182.Hefele, p. 1112, note 4. He was in Poitiers on 1 April 1182, where he signed a document.
On 19 May 1182, Cardinal Henry, the Papal legate, was in Paris, and, with Bishop Maurice de Sully, consecrated the high altar of the newly completed choir of Notre-Dame de Paris.Victor Mortet (1889), Maurice de Sully, évêque de Paris (1160–1196): Étude sur l'administration épiscopale pendant la seconde moitié du XIIe siècle (Paris 1889), pp. 101–102: "Feria quarta Pentecostes, Henricus legatus altare S. Mariae Parisius consecrat una cum Mauricio praesule."
He was back in Italy by 23 November 1182, when he began subscribing documents for Pope Lucius at Velletri, where the papal court was living in exile from Rome.Kartusch, p. 191. Jaffé II, p. 444.
Suppression of the Cathars