Jean Cholet (died 2 August 1293) was a French cardinal and Doctor utriusque iure (Doctor of Civil and Canon Law) at the University of Paris.César du Boulay, Historia Universitatis Parisiensis III (Paris 1666), p. 696. His epitaph indicates he was legum professor: Alphonsus Chacon (ed. A. Olduin), Vitae, et res gestae Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, Tomus II (Rome: DeRossi 1677), col. 241. His diplomatic skills helped prevent a duel between the kings of France and Aragon. He served as Papal Legate in France, and was responsible for organizing the Aragonese Crusade of 1283–84. He was then a working member of the Roman Curia.
Early life
Cholet was born in the Chateau of Nointel, in the diocese of Beauvais. In contemporary documents (including those of the Chambre des Comptes in Paris) he is called Joannes de Noentel or Jehan de Noentel.Duchesne, Cardinaux françois Tome II, Preuves, p. 223. He had two brothers, Eudes (Odo, Odon), who became Abbot of S. Lucien de Beauvais,He is granted the right to use a mitre, ring, and pastoral staff by Pope Martin IV, on 13 April 1283: Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 135 no. 316. Pope Martin calls him germanus of Cardinal Jean of S. Cecilia. and Jean, who became Canon of the Cathedral of S. Gervais de Soissons.Duchesne, I, p. 293. He initially followed a military career, like his father, but eventually opted for the religious life. He began his career as a Canon of the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame du Châtel in Beauvais. He was then made a Canon of the Cathedral of S. Pierre in Beauvais, one of twenty-seven Canons, at some moment before 1267. He was named Archdeacon of Caux (Minoris-Caleti) in the diocese of Rouen; documents indicate that he possessed that dignity around the year 1240 (?).Jean François Pommeraye, Histoire de l'église cathédrale de Rouen, métropolitaine et primatiale de Normandie (Rouen: par les imprimeurs ordinaires de l'archevéché, 1686), p. 398. The date of the documents is suspect. Simon de Brion had also been an archdeacon of Rouen. Cholet is mentioned as a former Archdeacon of Rouen in the list of benefactors of the monastery of Corneville: Arthurus du Monstier, Neustria pia, seu de omnibus et singulis abbatiis et prioratibus totius Normanie (Rouen 1663), p. 877. Archbishop Eudes Rigaud of Rouen (1248-1275) made Jean Cholet his Grand Vicar.Jean François Pommeraye, Histoire de l' Eglise de Rouen, metropole et primatiale de Normande (Rouen 1686), pp. 208-209. On 31 March 1267, as Canon of Beauvais, he was a scrutator in the election of a new Bishop of Beauvais, and when the Dean of the Chapter was elected, Jean de Nointel made the formal announcement.Duchesne, Cardinaux françois, I, p. 292; and II, Preuves, p. 222 (Martyrology of the Cathedral of S. Pierre de Beauvais). Charles Delettre, Doyen du Chapitre, Histoire du diocèse de Beauvais II (Beauvais 1823), pp. 328-330. Eugène Müller, "Le cardinal Jean Cholet," Mémoires de la Société académique d'archéologie, sciences et arts du département de l'Oise, XI. 3 (Beauvais: 1882), p. 792. He was never Bishop-elect or Bishop of Beauvais, as some sources assert—but without proof. He was a cleric of the Royal Chapel of King Philip III in 1274.Louis Archon, Histoire De La Chapelle Des Rois De France Tome second (Paris 1711), p. 182.
Cardinal Cholet
In a Consistory that was held at Orvieto on 23 March (or 12 April), 1281, Jean Cholet was one of seven prelates raised to the dignity of cardinal by Pope Martin IV (Simon de Brion). He was assigned the Church of S. Cecilia in Trastevere as his titulus, the same church that his friend Simon de Brion had possessed as a cardinal.Conradus Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii aevi Tomus I, editio altera (Monasterii 1913), p. 10. August Potthast, Regesta Pontificum Romanorum II (Berlin 1875), p. 1758. As a new Cardinal in the Roman Curia, he had his share of arbitration cases. One in particular was the litigation between Prior Adam of the monastery of Saint-Vincent de Senlis and the Prior, Sub-prior, and other members of the community.Müller, pp. 796-797. It may be noted that Martin IV and his Curia never actually visited Rome. The city was in the hands of the Ghibbelines and did not welcome the presence of a pope, even when he begged.
Sicilian Vespers
In 1282 the situation of the Papacy with regard to southern Italy changed dramatically. On 7 May, the famous Sicilian Vespers began in Palermo, resulting in the loss of the island, a papal fief, by King Charles I. The King of Aragon, Pedro I, took advantage of the revolt by invading and occupying the island of Sicily. He began to style himself "King", which infuriated both King Charles and Pope Martin IV. King Charles and King Pedro challenged each other to trial by single combat (duel), which greatly annoyed the Pope, who believed that the decision as to legitimacy was his. On 5 June the Pope appointed a Legate in the Kingdom of Sicily, Cardinal Gerardo Bianchi, and ordered him to get King Charles to abandon the plan of trial by combat.Potthast, no. 21912. Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 101-105, nos. 270-270jj; p. 185 no. 449 (28 March 1283). Bianchi was unsuccessful.Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 126, no. 302: letter of Martin IV to Charles I (6 February 1283). On 18 November 1282, therefore, Pope Martin IV opened proceedings against King Pedro of Aragon, because he had invaded the territory of Sicily and was usurping the crown.Potthast, no. 21947. Cf. no. 21962 (without date) in which Cardinal Jean Cholet is notified of the usurpation of Pedro, once king of Aragon. The proceedings were concluded by 21 March 1283, when Pope Martin publicly deposed King Pedro and released all of his subjects from allegiance to him.Potthast, no. 21998. The duel was still in prospect, however, and the Pope also tried to get the King of France and the King of England to intervene.Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 188-189, no. 452 (5 April 1283). "et nichilominus dilectum filium nostrum Johannem, tituli Sancte Cecilie presbyterum cardinalem, virum utique grandi scientia preditum, prudentia et morum honestate decorum, quem tsue probitatis obtentu grandi affection prosequimur, cujus consiliis te in his acquiescere rogamus et petimus, ad id inter cetera destinamus, ut tam te quam predictos vicarios et officiales tuos per se, si facultas affuerit, suos nuntios vel litteras efficaciter moneat et inducat ad parendum premissis apostolicis monitionibus, inhibitionibus et mandatis...." In his letter to King Edward I, Pope Martin recommended to him the services of Cardinal Joannes of S. Cecilia (Jean Cholet), a statement which is often interpreted as the appointment of Cardinal Cholet to an Embassy to England.See Müller, pp.798-800. The details of the letter itself, however, make it obvious that the Pope expects King Edward and Cholet to work through intermediaries (suos nuntios vel litteras) and the King's agents (vicarios et officiales tuos). In 1283 Cholet already had an all-consuming task—organizing a crusade for the conquest of Aragon. In 1282 and 1283 King Edward, too, was fully engaged in the full-scale conquest and subjugation of Wales; it was not until 11 December 1282 that Llywelyn was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge. Edward did have time, however, to order his agents in Aquitaine not to permit the two combatants to engage in their duel in Bordeaux (which had been the proposed site), or anywhere else in his realm. His decision not to intervene in the dynastic problems of France and Aragon was probably sufficient for the Pope's purposes.See Martin IV's letter to Edward I, Potthast, no. 2205 (5 April 1283); Thomas Rymer, Foedera, Conventiones, Literae et cujusque generis Acta Publica, II (London: Churchill 1705), pp. 242-244; and Edward's letter to King Charles of Sicily, Rymer, pp. 238-240.
On 4 May 1283, Cardinal Cholet, papal Legate to France, was issued a mandate to correct certain statutes enacted by Archbishop Jean de Montsoreau of Tours (1271-1285) in his provincial council of 1282.Potthast, no. 22017.
The Aragonese Crusade
Cardinal Cholet was commissioned by his long-time friend, Pope Martin IV, to preach the Aragonese Crusade in 1283. The date on his commission as Legate in France is 9 April 1283.Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 185-188, no. 451-451s. Each power and privilege is stated in a separate document. On 27 August 1283, he was granted the faculty of transferring the "vacant" throne of Aragon and the County of Barcelona to one of the sons of King Philip of France.Potthast, no. 22061. Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 190, no. 455. On 3 September 1283, Pope Martin ordered all of the ecclesiastical persons in France to give 10% of their income for three years to the King of France for the Crusade against Pedro of Aragon. He ordered Cardinal Cholet to see to it that these contributions were paid, even by the monastic orders, Templars and Hospitallers.Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), pp. 188-190, nos. 457-458. This grant was extended for an additional four years on 13 May 1284: Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 300-301, no. 584-586. On 10 January 1284, the Pope prodded him to get on with the business:Potthast, no. 22092. Prince Charles was finally chosen, after long negotiations with Cardinal Cholet, and Pope Martin IV confirmed his appointment as King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona on 5 May 1284.Potthast, no. 22130-22132. On 4 June 1284, Cardinal Bernard de Languissel, Bishop of Porto, was ordered to preach the crusade against former King Pedro of Aragon throughout his legation in northern Italy, and Cardinal Gerardo Bianchi, Bishop of Sabina, to do the same in south Italy. The Pope even enlisted the Dominicans and Franciscans in Sardinia and Corsica to preach the crusade.Potthast, no. 22149-22150, 22153.
Cardinal Jean Cholet was also given legatine authority over the orders of friars, both generally at his appointment as Legate in the Kingdom of France,Les Registres de Martin IV (Paris 1901), p. 185-188, no. 451d, 451h, 451p, 451q. and as part of his commission to preach the plenary indulgence to all those who fought alongside Charles of Valois for the Crown of Aragon against Peter III.