Born in 1342 in the hamlet of Brogny in the commune ofAnnecy-le-Vieux
Died February16 , 1426 in Rome
Churchman, jurist, vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church, papal legate, president of the Council of Constance.
Appointed cardinal in 1385 by Pope Clement VII.
Episcopal offices:
Bishop of Viviers (1380-1394)
Bishop of Ostia-Velletri (1394-1410)
Archbishop of Arles (1410-1423)
Youth
He was born in 1342 in the hamlet of Brogny, in the commune ofAnnecy-le-Vieux (Haute-Savoie ). His biographers are still unsure of his ancestry and real name. For some, he belongs to a Brogny family called Allarmet. Others claim he descends from the Alouziers, a noble family from Comtat Venaissin.
Noticed for his precocious talents by two monks, he was sent to Geneva for training; he then completed his education at the University ofAvignon. He then retired to the Chartreuse de Dijon until Robert de Genève was elected pope in 1378, under the name of Clement VII (1378-1394), by the clan hostile to Urban VI. He then joined the Bishop of Geneva in Avignon, at the latter's request or that of the Count of Burgundy.
First episcopal functions
In Avignon, he quickly received numerous honors from Clement VII:
- the bishopric of Viviers in 1380,
- the dignity of cardinal in 1385,
- and shortly afterwards the office of Apostolic Chancellor.
Initial support from anti-popes
In 1394, Robert's successor, Pierre de Luna , better known as antipope Benedict XIII, confirmed all his appointments and promoted him to the bishopric ofOstia-Velletri. At this time, Jean Mermet was a supporter of the Avignon popes. However, as early as 1398, he left the papal city to protest against the non-apostolic spirit of the court.
In 1408, he abandoned Benedict XIII, who deposed him (stripping him of his cardinalcy) on October 20 of the same year.
After the Council of Pisa (1409) and the election ofantipope Alexander V, the new pontiff confirmed Jean Mermet as Bishop ofOstia (i.e. Dean of the College of Cardinals) and Chancellor of the Church.
A year later, in 1410, in the latter capacity, he presided over the funeral of Alexander, who had died on May 3, and a few days later, on May 17, the conclave that appointed antipope John XXIII.
Political episcopacy in Arles
In 1410 , as the Archbishopric ofArles became vacant, Jean, who held Cardinal de Brogny in the highest esteem, refused the candidate proposed by the Chapter of Arles, and appointed de Brogny in his place. In his mind, this appointment was intended to recover the rights of the Church of Arles usurped by the Counts of Provence at the start of the Great Schism (1378-1418).
Role in the final resolution of the Great Schism
After restoring his diocese, Cardinal de Brogny left Arles to take on a more delicate mission, concerning the particular situation of the Church, which following the Council of Pisa had three popes instead of one.
Between 1414 and 1418, he presided over the Council of Constance, convened for this purpose, which recorded the resignation of John XXIII, the dismissal of the three popes and, in November 1417, the election of the new Pope Martin V, for whom he had campaigned. It was he who consecrated Martin V Pope on November 21, 1417.
Throughout his life, he maintained close links with his native region.The Notre-Damechapel in Geneva, known as the Maccabees Chapel, was completed in 1405 under his direction, and in 1422 he founded a Dominican convent in Annecy.
He died in Rome on February 16 , 1426.
Trivia
Since 1450, CambraiMetropolitan Cathedral has been fortunate enough to house the famous icon of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
It is thought that Cardinal de Brogny, vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church and papal legate, came into contact with certain Greek patriarchs and Eastern Christians through his various offices. It was probably through this channel that he received this icon.
Later, in 1426, Fursy de Bruille, titular canon of Cambrai Cathedral and secretary to Cardinal de Brogny, received the icon as a bequest. The canon brought it back from Rome in 1440 and, on his death in 1450, donated it to Cambrai Cathedral.