St. Bernard Was Created by Hugh of Champagne

Bernard de Fontaine came from the family that belonged to the highest nobility of Burgundy. Aged nine, he was sent to a school at Ch;tillon-sur-Seine run by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles. During his education with priests, he often thought of becoming one. When his mother died in 1107 (Bernard was 16 or 17 at that time) he decided that that’s what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

He chose C;teaux Abbey founded 15 years prior by a group led by Robert of Molesme (later canonized by the Church) with the purpose of living according to a literal interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict.

In 1113 Bernard and 30 other young noblemen of Burgundy, many of whom were his relatives, sought and gained admission to the abbey. Bernard’s example was so convincing that scores (among them his own father) followed him into the monastic life. As a result, he is considered the patron of religious vocations.

Most likely, he would have remained an obscure monk for the rest of his life… but in 1115 his relative – a very rich, noble and influential Hugh, Count of Champagne and of Troyes granted lands specifically to Bernard in order to found Clairvaux Abbey, a Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux (“Valley of Light”).

Hugh’s charter made over to the new foundation “Clairvaux and its dependencies, fields, meadows, vineyards, woods and water”. After such a generous gift, there was never any dispute about who would become the Abbot of newly minted monastery.

Bernard was made abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Ch;lons-sur-Marne. From then on, a strong friendship grew between the abbot and the bishop, who was professor of theology at Notre Dame of Paris.

Which essentially launched a stellar career of Bernard as a theologian. Bernard was made abbot at 25 despite the rules that required the candidate to be at least 30… but money talks – and big money talks loud enough to silence any rule.

Becoming an abbot radically increased Bernard’s power and visibility – and became a springboard for his outstanding career in the Church. He earned the reputation of “consciousness of Christendom” which made Kings, Popes and everyone else listen when he talked – and made him the most influential Church leader of his times. In 1830, he was officially named Doctor of the Church and in 1953 declared (by no other than Pope Pius XII) “the last of the Fathers”.

This generous gift of 1115 made Bernard and Hugh close friends – and later partners in a venture project that got them Ark of the Covenant and founded the order of Knights Templar.