Hugh of Remiremont

Hugh of Remiremont

Surnamed CANDIDUS or BLANCUS.

Cardinal, born of a noble family, probably in Lorraine, died soon after 1098. He became a Benedictine at Remiremont, whence he was summoned to Rome by Leo IX and created Cardinal-Priest of San Clemente in 1049. He was a shrewd diplomat, but was loyal to the pope only as long as it was to his own advantage. After the death of Nicholas II in 1061 he adhered to the antipope Cadalous, but submitted to the lawful pope, Alexander II, in 1067. A year later he was sent as legate to Spain. On his way thither he presided over synods at Auch, Toulouse, Gerona, and Barcelona. In Spain he was successful in enforcing celibacy among priests and introducing the Roman in place of the Mozarabic Liturgy, but being accused of simony he was recalled to Rome. In 1072 he was sent as legate to France, where he again committed acts of simony. He succeeded, however, in exculpating himself before Alexander II and his successor Gregory VII. He had wielded great influence upon the election of the latter and was sent by him as legate to France and Spain in 1073. On this embassy he committed new acts of simony, and in consequence was deposed by Gregory VII. From this time on he was a bitter antagonist of Gregory VII. He took a prominent part in the anti-Gregorian synods at Worms in 1076 and at Brixen in 1080 and was repeatedly excommunicated by Gregory VII. The last years of his life are veiled in obscurity.

HOLTKOTTE, Hugo Candidus, ein Freund und Gegner Gregors VII (Münster, 1903); BIHLMEYER in Kirchliches Handlexikon (Munich, 1907), s.v.

MICHAEL OTT