FITZRALPH', RICHARD (?-1360). An Eng lish prelate, champion of the secular clergy against the mendicant friars. He was born at Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, and educated at Oxford, where he became fellow of Balliol Col lege, and chancellor in 1333. The following year he was made chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, a little later Archdeacon of Chester, in 1337 Dean of Lichfield, and in 1347 Archbishop of Armagh. He seems to have been a frequent and welcome visitor at the Papal Court at Avignon, and met there in 1349 a delegation from the Armenians, who had applied to the Pope for aid against the Mohammedans. The Pope had required as a condition preliminary to giving his help that they abjure the 117 heresies with which they were charged, and the delegation was sent for consultation. Fitzralph took part in the negotia tions and prepared an elaborate treatise, Summa in Qua'stioaibus Armeniorum (printed at Paris, 1511), which was believed to refute all the Armenian heresies. He also presented to the Pope at this time a petition from the secular clergy of England against the mendicant friars, and was appointed to look into the matter. Re
turning to Ireland after 1350, lie came out bold ly against the friars. Between 1350 and 1356 he prepared and published a treatise on the ques tions at issue, Dc Pauperie Salratoris, in seven books. In 1356 he preached so pointedly against the friars in London that they had him cited to defend himself before the Pope. He went to Avignon and preached there, before Innocent VI.. a famous sermon. "Defensio Curatorum" (printed in Goldfast's Monarchial. 11e died at Avignon. November 16, 1360, before the decision of the examiners was announced. In 1370 his bones were removed from Avignon to Dundalk and pil grimages were made to his tomb. Fitzralph was a popular preacher, and many of his sermons exist in manuscript. Consult Poole's edition of Dc Dominic, Divino (Wyclif Society, London, 1890), where the first four books of the De Pauperielvatoris are reprinted.