Arnulf, Bishop of Lisieux († 1181)

Originally from Sées, Arnulf was the brother of John of Neuville, Bishop of Sées, and nephew of John, his predecessor in the bishopric of Lisieux. He soon became Archdeacon of Sées, and then left to study in Rome. In 1133 he wrote a treatise on the schism between Popes Innocent II and Anacletus II. This work brought him to the attention of the great minds of his time, and his correspondence, which is largely preserved, bears witness to a life devoted to the reform of the church. In 1141 Arnulf was elected bishop by the clergy of Lisieux and consecrated by Hugh of Amiens, Archbishop of Rouen, but was prevented from exercising his authority because of the war waged by Geoffrey Plantagenet in his desire to conquer the Duchy of Normandy. In 1147-1148 Arnulf accompanied the King of France and the other barons of the kingdom on a crusade. On his return to Lisieux he occupied himself with the affairs of his diocese and played a significant role in support of Henry II Plantagenet. Arnulf accepted high office at Henry’s court and intervened in particular in the dispute with Thomas Becket, and again in the negotiations with the Pope to obtain the penitence of the king after the murder of Becket (1172). In 1173, however, he took the side of the rebellious sons against their father and lost the confidence of Henry II, but pursued his reforming initiative within his diocese. A few months before his death he stepped down from his bishopric and retired to the monastery of St Victor in Paris. Alongside his intellectual output, his great work was the reconstruction of the cathedral of Lisieux, in c.1170, the first great Gothic edifice in Normandy.

Bibliography :

- François Neveux. - La Normandie des ducs aux rois, Xe-XIIe s. - Rennes : Ouest-France, 1998.