Pierre Desprès
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Cardinal Pierre Desprès |
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| Cardinal-Bishop | |
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| Church | Santa Pudenziana (1321-1323) |
| Diocese | Palestrina (1323-1361) |
| Orders | |
| Created Cardinal | 20 December 1320 by Pope John XXII |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1288 Montpezat-de-Quercy FR |
| Died | 16 May 1361 Avignon FR |
| Buried | Montpezat FR |
| Nationality | French |
| Parents | Raymond II Desprès, seigneur of Montpezat Aspasie de Montaigut |
| Occupation | lawyer, teacher |
| Education | Doctorate in Civil Law |
| Alma mater | Toulouse |
Pierre Desprès (or Des Près, or Des Prés; Lat. de Pratis) (born 1288, at Montpezat-de-Quercy — died 1361, in Avignon) was a French Cardinal during the period of Avignon Papacy. He was son of Raymond II Desprès, seigneur of Montpezat, and Aspasie de Montaigut, the heiress of Bertrand, seigneur de Montaigut. He had a brother, Raymond, who was ennobled in 1325. Pesserat points out that Montpezat was an important town, being the seat of the Archdeacon of Montpezat in the diocese of Cahors, who was also Sacristan of the Cathedral. Not at all coincidentally, Pope John XXII was a native of Cahors, and his father had been Sieur de Saint-Félix en Quercy. With his expertise in the law as a teacher and practitioner, and with his experience as a judge in the Roman Curia, Pierre Desprès was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Church by John XXII, where he served from 1325 to 1361. He was thus head of the Papal Secretariat, in charge of the drafting of papal bulls and letters, and a principal papal advisor. The post was also one of the most lucrative in the Roman Curia, since a fee was charged for every document and the Vice-Chancellor received a share of every fee.
By 8 January 1308 Pierre Desprès was Canon of the church of Batilhaco in the diocese of Clermont. In 1314 he is named as being present as Doctor legum when the Faculty of Law at the University of Toulouse was granted its charter. On 22 September 1316 he was appointed Canon in the Church of Tournai.
On 9 April 1317, Pierre Desprès, Canon of Saintes, was appointed along with Bishop Galhard de Saumade of Riez to collect and administer the property of the condemned and deposed Bishop of Cahors, Hugues Géraud. Hugues and others had conspired to attack and murder Pope John XXII. Magic and poison were involved. On 7 May 1317, he is addressed as Canon of Tournai, when Pope John XXII appointed him, along with Bishop Galhard de Saumade of Riez to collect evidence as to the crimes of Master Bernard de Artigia, papal Chaplain and Cantor of Poitiers, who was one of the conspirators, and draw up an indictment.
By 1 September 1317 Pierre was a Chaplain of Pope John XXII, and Provost of the church of Clermont, as well as Auditor causarum Sacri Palatii (judge). Pierre was named Bishop of Riez on 31 March 1318 by Pope John XXII, after the incumbent Galhard Saumate was transferred to Maguelonne. Pierre was not the first choice; Galhard de Pressac, Bishop of Toulouse refused the transfer. He received the episcopal consecration from Cardinal Nicolò Albertini, Bishop of Ostia, before 7 May 1318. Pierre Desprès held the diocese until 11 September 1318. On 11 September 1318 he was appointed archbishop of Aix, a position he held for an equally brief time, until 20 December 1320.
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