Jean Lemoine

Jean Lemoine, Johannes Monachus (born 1250 at Crécy-en-Ponthieu, died 22 August 1313 at Avignon) was a French canon lawyer, Cardinal, bishop of Arras and papal legate. He served Boniface VIII as representative to Philip IV of France, and founded the Collège du cardinal Lemoine, in Paris.

Early life

He was awarded degrees in canon law and theology by the University of Paris. He then became a canon of the cathedral chapters at Amiens and then in Paris. A royal adviser, he travelled to Rome, and was made Auditor of the Rota in 1282.

Between France and Rome

He was dean of Bayeux Cathedral, from 1288 to 1292. He was then elected as bishop of Arras at the end of 1293.[1] At the same period he was papal Vice-Chancellor, signing the papal bulls (1288 to 1294).[2] Pope Celestine V created him cardinal, with the title of Saints Marcellin and Peter, at the consistory of 18 September 1294.[3]

Foundations in Paris

As patron, he contracted at Rome (15 March 1302), to buy from the Grands-Augustins the Maison du Chardonnet and adjoining land to found a college. Initially, la Maison du Cardinal, after his death it was called Collège du cardinal Lemoine. Initially it was to take 60 theology students and 40 in the arts. It received approval from Boniface VIII on 12 May 1302.

He subsequently had built, in the nave of Notre-Dame de Paris, the chapel called the "altar of the lazy".

Legate

On 24 November 1302, Boniface VIII sent him to France as legate to Philippe le Bel. Philippe stood up to papal demands, and the Cardinal laid an interdict on the kingdom, requiring Nicolas de Fréauville, the king's confessor, to attend Rome with an explanation.

The pope modified the interdict to an excommunication of the king. Phillipe intercepted the messengers with the bull, at Troyes, and placed the legate Jean under surveillance. The king then called together the États Généraux (1303). The Cardinal left Paris by night, and returned to Rome.

Clément V (cameo)

Camerlengo in Avignon

Because of illness, he was absent from the papal conclave in Perugia that elected Clement V; but he attended the new pope in France. He became cardinal-protopriest at the death of Cardinal Robert Pontigny in October 1305. On 6 November 1305, he was elected Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals. He stayed with Clement through all his wanderings, through to Avignon where the pope stationed himself in 1309.

Cardinal Lemoine died in Avignon. His will, dated 21 July 1313, asks that he should be buried in the chapel of his College in Paris, in rue Saint-Victor. These wishes were carried out on 1 October 1314.

His brother André Lemoine, bishop of Noyon, was a benefactor of the College; he died in 1315. The brothers were buried in the same tomb, and a joint epitaph could be seen there up to the end of the eighteenth century.

Works

His Glossa aurea Joannis Monachi cardinalis in Sextum Decretalium, a commentary on the sixth book of the Decretals, was printed in Paris in 1515.

He formulated presumption of innocence in words item quilbet presumitur innocens nisi probetur nocens (a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty)[4]

Placenames

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ↑ The Dictionnaire of Moréri erroneously makes him bishop of Meaux.
  2. ↑ His Monachus appears on bulls from 3 September 1288 to 22 September 1291.
  3. ↑ He signed bulls in this title, from 21 June 1295 to 16 February 1302, and then on 14 March 1304.
  4. ↑ http://faculty.cua.edu/Pennington/Law508/InnocentGuilty.htm

External links