Robrecht van Croy, bisschop van Kamerijk (1519-1556), tussen adellijke traditie, Leuvense theologie en tridentijnse kerkhervorming
This article sheds light upon the figure of Robert de Croy, Bishop of Cambrai from 1519 to 1556. He belonged to the so-called 'inbetween' generation of noble bishops who received their appointment before the Council of Trent, but experienced the conciliar breakthrough of Catholic reform. W...
| Published in: | Trajecta |
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| Authors: | ; ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | Dutch |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Amsterdam University Press
[2018]
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| In: |
Trajecta
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| RelBib Classification: | KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance KBD Benelux countries KBG France KDB Roman Catholic Church RB Church office; congregation |
| Further subjects: | B
Council of Trent (1545-1563)
B Theology; History B Church renewal B Bishops B Tridentine Mass |
| Summary: | This article sheds light upon the figure of Robert de Croy, Bishop of Cambrai from 1519 to 1556. He belonged to the so-called 'inbetween' generation of noble bishops who received their appointment before the Council of Trent, but experienced the conciliar breakthrough of Catholic reform. Whereas scholars of a former generation often dismissed such figures as unworthy holders of the episcopal office or, inversely, only had attention for bishops who zealously anticipated the reforms postulated by the Council of Trent, this article argues for a nuancing of such a rigid dichotomy. The 1519 appointment of Robert de Croy was admittedly a strategic move, aimed at increasing the political influence (and the financial income) of his family, on the other hand the prelate did not fail to take needed measures that gave a boost to Catholic reform in his diocese. In Leuven the young prelate was educated by the humanist Juan Luis Vives and, subsequently, the 'traditionalist' Jacobus Latomus. Latomus was quite outspoken in his view that prelates should be dedicated pastors who could nourish their flock through education and preaching and that they should reside at the place where they 'enjoyed' their benefice. Though it is impossible to prove irrefutably the influence of a preceptor as Latomus on Croy, we nevertheless might see how the latter propagated, in his pastoral work Universis et Singulis Christifidelibus (1524), the value of confession and penance among the faithful of his diocese - for it was a topic on which Latomus also profiled himself. Furthermore, Robert de Croy appointed Latomus as a canon of the Cambrai cathedral chapter in 1526, which not only gives proof of his appreciation, but possibly also of his sustained desire to consult his former preceptor's advice. When the Council of Trent eventually got underway (1545/46), Robert de Croy belonged to the first group of bishops who travelled to the town. Since it is uncertain whether Charles II of Croy, his brother and Bishop of Tournai, belonged to the delegation from the Low Countries, there is more chance that Robert de Croy was the actual leader of the group of (Louvain) theologians and clerics. The address on the doctrine of justification that he held before the Council fathers shows how he had grown in his role as a bishop and ventured himself on a doctrinal terrain. After the untimely end of Trent's first session period (1548/49), Robert de Croy acted upon the imperial reform initiatives included in the Formula Reformationis, and in 1550 he gathered a diocesan synod. With the publication of the Acta & Decreta Synodi Diocesanae Cameracensis Robert codified the decisions of the synod with an aim to apply them as widely as possible. The resumption of the French-Habsburg war prevented, however, the Cambrai Bishop from further extending Catholic reform in his diocese. In short, with a constant view to the interests of his noble family, Robert de Croy was obviously authentic while showing concern for the cause of the Catholic reform (albeit without scorning the pleasures of his mansion Montplaisir). Robert's execution of the episcopal office shows a stratification which exceeds the classical historiographical dichotomy between 'unworthy noble bishops' and 'precursors of the Catholic reform' and situates itself within the fascinating dynamics which manifested themselves in the sixteenth century in the politico-religious realm. |
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| ISSN: | 2665-9484 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Trajecta
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