FOIX, PIERRE de. - Born in Béarn (Basses-Pyrénées) in 1386. He studied at Toulouse and took the Franciscan habit. At the age of 19, in 1405, he became bishop of Lescar; at 23, in 1409, he was made cardinal by the antipope Benedict XIII.
He took part in the Council of Constance, where he worked for reconciliation, even taking a stand against Benedict XIII himself, and was among the electors of Martin V, who some time later sent him as legate to Spain (1425) in order to induce the king of Aragon to cease supporting the schism, which continued even after the death of Benedict XIII. In 1429 he destroyed the last remnants of the schism in Spain, and at the Synod of Tortosa (1429) he received the abdication of Clement VIII. In 1432 Eugenius IV appointed him bishop of Albano and later legate of Avignon. He always remained faithful to the legitimate Pope. Nicholas V conferred upon him the archbishopric of Arles. During the period of his Avignonese legation, he governed with prudence and integrity; he founded a college at Toulouse, churches and chapels at Arles and Avignon, and established monasteries. He died at Avignon on 13 Dec. 1464.