Guillaume Durand facts for kids
Guillaume Durand, also known as William Durand, was an important French leader and writer who lived a long time ago (from about 1230 to 1296). He was a bishop and an expert in church law. Church law is like a rulebook for the Catholic Church. People sometimes called him Durandus.
Contents
Guillaume Durand's Life Story
Guillaume Durand was born in a place called Puimisson, near Béziers, in France. His family was important and well-known. He went to study law in a city called Bologna in Italy. By 1264, he was teaching church law very successfully in Modena.
Working with Popes
A French pope named Pope Clement IV asked Durand to come work for him in the papal court. Durand became a special helper and judge there. In 1274, he traveled with the next pope, Pope Gregory X, to an important meeting called the Second Council of Lyons. Durand helped write some of the rules that came out of this meeting.
He also worked as a special representative for the pope in different areas of Italy. In 1278, he accepted loyalty from cities like Bologna on behalf of the pope. Later, Pope Martin IV made him a spiritual leader and then a governor of regions in Italy called Romagna and the March of Ancona.
Defending Papal Lands
During this time, there were many fights between different groups of people, like the Guelfs and Ghibellines. These groups were often fighting over power and control. Durand was very good at protecting the pope's lands. He used both talking (diplomacy) and fighting (arms) to keep the peace.
Even when Pope Honorius IV became pope, Durand kept his important jobs. He was chosen to be the bishop of Mende in 1286, but he stayed in Italy until 1291. In 1293, he created a special ceremony for people who were joining the Crusades. These were journeys to help the Holy Land.
In 1295, Pope Boniface VIII offered him an even bigger job as an archbishop, but Durand said no. Instead, he agreed to help bring peace back to the areas he had governed before. He moved to Rome in 1296, where he passed away. His tomb, which is where he was buried, is in a church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.
Guillaume Durand's Important Books
Guillaume Durand wrote several important books. His most famous work is called the Speculum iudiciale. He first wrote it in 1271 and then updated it in 1286 and 1291.
The Speculum iudiciale
The Speculum iudiciale was like a huge guide to different kinds of law. It explained how legal cases worked in civil law (rules for everyday life), criminal law (rules about crimes), and church law. It also talked about agreements and contracts.
This book was amazing because it brought together ideas from Roman law and ecclesiastical law (church law). It was very clear, well-organized, and practical. For a long time, judges and students used it as a main reference. Because of this book, people gave Durand the nickname Doctor Speculator. This was a clever play on words using the title of his book.
The Rationale divinorum officiorum
Another very important book by Durand was the Rationale divinorum officiorum. He wrote this book in Italy before 1286. It was about Christian ceremonies and their meaning.
This book described what church services were like in the 1200s in Western Europe. It looked at different types of services, where their traditions came from, and how they related to church buildings and items used in worship. It became a major source of information about medieval Latin church services and was printed many times.
