Council of Clermont

The Council of Clermont was a meeting of church leaders and other important people in the Catholic Church. It happened from November 17 to 27 in the year 1095 in a place called Clermont, which was part of Auvergne and the Duchy of Aquitaine. The meeting was called by Pope Urban II.

During this council, the church leaders talked about many important rules and changes. They focused on making the church stronger and better, which is called the Cluniac reforms. They also made decisions about local problems and issues. One big decision was to continue the Truce of God, which was an attempt to stop fighting among noble families.

On the last day, Pope Urban gave a very important speech. In this speech, he asked people to go on a special journey to help protect the Holy Land. This call to help led to what is known as the First Crusade. Many people answered this call, and later they succeeded in capturing Jerusalem and setting up a new kingdom there called the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The pope decided to call for help after receiving a request from the Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus, who wanted support against the Seljuk Turks.

Participants

The council had around 300 French church leaders. We do not have a complete list of everyone who attended or signed the decrees. However, we can make a partial list of some of the people who were there.

• Joannes, Cardinal Bishop of Porto
• Dagobert, Archbishop of Pisa
• Saint Bruno, Bishop of Segni
• Gualterius, Cardinal Bishop of Albano
• Rangerius, O.S.B., Archbishop of Reggio Calabria
• Richard, Cardinal Priest and Abbot of S. Victor in Marseille
• Teuzo, Cardinal Priest of SS. Joannis et Pauli
• Albertus, O.S.B., Cardinal Priest of Santa Sabina
• Joannes Gattellus, the Pope's Chancellor
• Gregory Papiensis, deacon
• Hugo of Verdun, deacon
• Hugues de Die, Archbishop of Lyon and Papal Legate
• Amatus, Archbishop of Bordeaux and Papal Legate
• Rainaldus, Archbishop of Reims
• Richerius, Archbishop of Sens
• Rollandus, Bishop of Dol
• Dalmatius, Archbishop of Narbonne
• Bernard of Sédirac, Archbishop of Toledo and Legate in Spain
• Hoellus (Hoël,) Bishop of Le Mans
• Geoffrey of Vendôme, Cardinal Priest of the titular church of Santa Prisca on the Aventine
• Benedict, Bishop of Nantes
• Petrus, Bishop of Poitiers
• Ivo, Bishop of Chartres
• Lambert, bishop of Arras
• Joannes, Bishop of Orléans
• Roger, Bishop of Beauvais
• Radulfus (Raoul), Archbishop of Tours
• Hilgot, former Bishop of Soissons, monk of Marmoutiers

Speech

There are six main sources that tell us about this part of the council:

1. A letter written by Pope Urban II himself in December 1095 about the council;
2. The Gesta Francorum ("The Deeds of the Franks") written around 1100/1101 by an unknown author;
3. Fulcher of Chartres, who was at the council, in his Gesta Francorum Iherusalem peregrinantium written between 1100 and 1105;
4. Robert the Monk, who may have been at the council, in Historia Hierosolymitana from 1107;
5. Baldric, archbishop of Dol, writing around 1105;
6. Guibert de Nogent, in Dei gesta per Francos from 1107/8.

The different versions of the speech vary a lot in details. Fulcher's account is often seen as the most reliable because he was actually there.

Urban's letter

Urban's own letter, written in December 1095 to people in Flanders, talks about troubles facing churches in faraway places. He mentioned Jerusalem and called on leaders to help free these churches. He chose Adhemar of Le Puy to lead the group and told them to leave on the day of the Assumption of Mary (15 August 1096).

Gesta Francorum

The Gesta Francorum does not give a long account of the speech. It just says Urban asked people to follow the Lord's path and be ready for hard times, promising rewards in heaven. It describes how Urban's call spread quickly, with many people showing their support.

Fulcher

Fulcher of Chartres was at the speech and wrote about it later. He wrote that Urban reminded church leaders to be careful and follow church laws. Urban talked about problems in their own lands and asked for peace. He then urged Christians to help those in the East who were under attack, calling it a just and holy war. Urban promised forgiveness for those who died fighting and asked people to prepare for the journey.

Robert

Some historians like Robert the Monk's version from 1107. His account is more dramatic and includes a strong call to action. Robert's version focuses more on taking back the Holy Land and includes vivid descriptions of the attacks on Christians. He also advises that only knights should go, not the old, weak, or women without guardians.

Baldric

Baldric, archbishop of Dol, also based his account on the Gesta Francorum. He focused on the need to defend the Holy Land and compared fighting to defending a mother. Baldric says Urban appointed the bishop of Puy to lead the crusade.

Guibert

Guibert, abbot of Nogent in his writing also focused on the importance of the Holy Land. He suggested this emphasis might be because of the successful reconquest of Jerusalem, which happened later.