BERNARD, beenard, ber-nard', or (Fr.) bar-nar, Saint, of Clairyaux, French eccle siastic: b. Fontaines, Burgundy, 1091; d. 1153. In 1113 he became a monk at Citeaux; in 1115 1st abbot of Clairvaux, near Langres. An austere manner of living, solitary studies, an inspiring eloquence, boldness of language and the reputation of a prophet, rendered him an oracle to all Christian Europe. In 1128 he drew up the rules for the new order of Knights Templars and was instrumental in securing its recognition. He was the founder of 70 mon asteries. Such was the spell of his oratory that it is said mothers hid their sons, wives their husbands, companions their friends, that they might escape the contagion of his spiritual en thusiasm. He promoted the Crusade of 1146, with almost fatal success, as of the many thou sands who gave up home and kindred to join that adventure, few returned. Its failure, in the face of his glowing prophecies, was a cruel disappointment to him. He succeeded, how ever, in quieting the fermentation caused about that time by a party of monks against the Jews in Germany. He declined all promotion and in the rank of abbot of his °beloved Jerusa lem" (as he used to call Clairvaux), he con tinued with all humility, but with great bold ness, his censures of the laxity of the clergy and his counsels to the Popes. Innocent II
owed to him the possession of the right of in vestiture in Germany and Eugenius III his education. He was, at the same time, the um pire of princes and bishops and his voice in the synods was regarded as divine. By his rigid orthodoxy and his remarkable eloquence, which was always directed to the promotion of practical Christianity, he did much to confirm the power and influence of the Church in the Middle Ages. His sermons were preached in Latin, he was honored with the title of the "Mellifluous Doctor,• and he is esteemed by the Catholic Church as the last of the Fathers. He was a strong opponent of Abelard and Gil bert of For& in their philosophical teachings. He is the author of two well-known hymns, °Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee," and Sacred Head, Now Wounded." He was canon ized by Alexander III in 1174. The monks of the reformed order of Cistercians, which he founded, are named in his honor. The best edition of his works is that of Mabillon (Paris 1690, 2 vols.; reprinted Paris 1839-40). Con sult the works bearing his name by Eales, S. J. (1890) ; Morrison, J. C. (1863); Ratisbonne (1841; English trans., 1878); Sparrow-Simp son (1895) ; Storrs (1893) ; and Vacandard (1895).