Denis Largentier

Denis Largentier (also: Denis l'Argentier; born September 14, 1557 in Troyes ; † October 25, 1624 in Orval ) was a Cistercian and from 1596 to 1624 abbot of Clairvaux . He campaigned for the spread of strict observance in the Cistercian order.

biography

Life

Largentier was born in Troyes in north-eastern France in 1557 into a noble family. At the age of 16 he entered the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux. He studied at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris theology and was subsequently used as Procurator General of the Order of the Holy See in Rome operates. In 1596 he was elected Abbot of Clairvaux. In this capacity he is described as particularly humble and conscientious, especially when it comes to obeying the rules of the order . Largentier died in 1624 during a visitation to Orval, a daughter monastery of Clairvaux. His body is buried on the monastery grounds there, and the heart was brought to Clairvaux.

Promotion of Strict Observance

During his abbate, Largentier stood up for the reform efforts to renew the Cistercian order that had arisen in the wake of the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and wanted to encourage stricter observance of the Benedictine rule and monastic customs. In 1615, inspired by the example of the monasteries Chatillon and La Charmoye , he introduced the reform in Clairvaux as the first primary abbey . With a skilful personnel policy and by assigning important offices to monks who were sympathetic to the reform, he endeavored to extend the new movement to the branch monasteries . Above all, he tried to win over the younger generation to the Strict Observance. As early as 1617, a total of eight abbeys had adopted the reform, partly on his initiative.

The initial enthusiasm for the reform movement in Clairvaux did not last for long, however: after Largentier's death, tensions arose between supporters and opponents of the Strict Observance, when his nephew Claude Largentier - a staunch opponent of his predecessor's reforms - became abbot of the Klosters was chosen.

literature

Florian Mayrhofer: The Origins of Strict Observance. Bellum omnium pater. The observance dispute of the 17th and 18th centuries and the founding of the order of the observantia strictior in 1892. Heiligenkreuz 2013, pp. 8-10. On: Order History Blog . Retrieved November 2, 2014.
Bertrand Marceau: Anciens moines contre nouveaux abstinents. L'abbaye de Clairvaux en 1624. In: Antoine Roullet, Olivier Spina, Nathalie Szczech (eds.): Trouver sa place. Individus et communautés dans l'Europe modern. Casa de Velázquez, Madrid 2011, ISBN 8496820653 , pp. 87-100.
Ferdinand von Biedenfeld: origin, revival, size, rule, decay and current conditions of all monastic and monastery orders in the Orient and Occident (= Volume 2). Verlag Bernhard Friedrich Voigt, Weimar 1837, p. 57.
Louis J. Lekai: The Abbatial Election at Citeaux in 1625. In: Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture. Vol. 39 (1), 1970, ISSN 0009-6407 , pp. 30-35.
Markus Stark: The separation of the "Observantia Strictior" from the Cistercian order (1880-1892). History and documents. In: Analecta Cisterciensia 48 (1992), pp. 105-310, here: 112-114.
S. Marie-Paule: The origin of the "Precise Observance" . Site of the "famille cistercienne". Retrieved November 2, 2014.
Dom Denis Largentier, réformateur et abbé de Clairvaux . Portal of the "Vie Monastique". Retrieved November 2, 2014.

Individual evidence

↑ Cf. Marceau: Anciens moines contre nouveaux abstinents. L'abbaye de Clairvaux en 1624. 2011, p. 87 (footnote 4).
↑ In the "Vita" of Dom Hieronymus Petit, the spiritual companion of Largentier, it says: "Dom Dionys Largentier, Abbot of Clairvaux, welcomed by kings and princes, respected by the lords, took as he put his conscience in order and wanted to live in the exact observance of the rule, our good father Dom Hieronymus as his master and guide and proved so humble and obedient to his orders and instructions that he set an example to all the other novices and professed in the house. He made the ten days Exercises under his Master with so much zeal and courage, so much humility and submission, so much self-denial and severity, that he encouraged even the lukest and dryest to virtue; he came to accuse himself of his faults before our good father and asked him to repent in a word, he did everything a little novice could do to advance in virtue. " - quoted by: S. Marie-Paule: The emergence of the "Exact observance" . Site of the "famille cistercienne". Retrieved November 2, 2014.
↑ See Dom Denis Largentier, réformateur et abbé de Clairvaux . Portal of the "Vie Monastique". Retrieved November 2, 2014.
↑ Cf. Mayrhofer: The Origins of Strict Observance. Bellum omnium pater. The observance dispute of the 17th and 18th centuries and the founding of the order of the observantia strictior in 1892. 2013, p. 8.
↑ Cf. Marceau: Anciens moines contre nouveaux abstinents. L'abbaye de Clairvaux en 1624. 2011, pp. 88f.
↑ Ferdinand von Biedenfeld mentions the Abbeys Longpont, Cheminon, Châtillon de Baucler, La Charmoye, Priére, La Blanche and Vaux-de-Cernay in addition to Clairvaux. - Cf. Biedenfeld: origin, revival, size, rule, decay and current conditions of all monastic and monastery orders in the Orient and Occident. 1837, p. 57.
↑ Cf. Mayrhofer: The Origins of Strict Observance. Bellum omnium pater. The observance dispute of the 17th and 18th centuries and the founding of the order of the observantia strictior in 1892. 2013, p. 9f.

predecessor	Office	successor
Lupine Le Mire	Abbot of Clairvaux 1596–1624	Claude Largentier

personal data
SURNAME	Largentier, Denis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Cistercian and Abbot of Clairvaux (1596–1624)
DATE OF BIRTH	September 14, 1557
PLACE OF BIRTH	Troyes
DATE OF DEATH	October 25, 1624
Place of death	Orval

[1] Cf. Marceau: Anciens moines contre nouveaux abstinents. L'abbaye de Clairvaux en 1624. 2011, p. 87 (footnote 4).

[2] In the "Vita" of Dom Hieronymus Petit, the spiritual companion of Largentier, it says: "Dom Dionys Largentier, Abbot of Clairvaux, welcomed by kings and princes, respected by the lords, took as he put his conscience in order and wanted to live in the exact observance of the rule, our good father Dom Hieronymus as his master and guide and proved so humble and obedient to his orders and instructions that he set an example to all the other novices and professed in the house. He made the ten days Exercises under his Master with so much zeal and courage, so much humility and submission, so much self-denial and severity, that he encouraged even the lukest and dryest to virtue; he came to accuse himself of his faults before our good father and asked him to repent in a word, he did everything a little novice could do to advance in virtue. " - quoted by: S. Marie-Paule: The emergence of the "Exact observance" . Site of the "famille cistercienne". Retrieved November 2, 2014.

[3] See Dom Denis Largentier, réformateur et abbé de Clairvaux . Portal of the "Vie Monastique". Retrieved November 2, 2014.

[4] Cf. Mayrhofer: The Origins of Strict Observance. Bellum omnium pater. The observance dispute of the 17th and 18th centuries and the founding of the order of the observantia strictior in 1892. 2013, p. 8.

[5] Cf. Marceau: Anciens moines contre nouveaux abstinents. L'abbaye de Clairvaux en 1624. 2011, pp. 88f.

[6] Ferdinand von Biedenfeld mentions the Abbeys Longpont, Cheminon, Châtillon de Baucler, La Charmoye, Priére, La Blanche and Vaux-de-Cernay in addition to Clairvaux. - Cf. Biedenfeld: origin, revival, size, rule, decay and current conditions of all monastic and monastery orders in the Orient and Occident. 1837, p. 57.

[7] Cf. Mayrhofer: The Origins of Strict Observance. Bellum omnium pater. The observance dispute of the 17th and 18th centuries and the founding of the order of the observantia strictior in 1892. 2013, p. 9f.