ILDEBERTO of LAVARDIN (of LE MANS, of TOURS, Hildebertus Cenomanensis). - Bishop and theologian, b. in 1056 at Lavardin (diocese of Le Mans), d. at Tours on 18 Dec. 1133. Educated in the flourishing school of Le Mans and having become its head, he was elected archdeacon (1092) by Bishop Hoel, whom he succeeded in 1097. Having overcome the difficulties raised against his election by Guglielmo, king of England, and Elia, count of Maine, he devoted himself zealously to the care of his diocese. After a journey to Rome and Sicily, where he was warmly received by Ruggero, son of the Guiscardo, he fought against the Henricians and succeeded in completing the construction of the Cathedral. In 1125 he became archbishop of Tours and, with the Pope’s help, was able to resist lay interference in ecclesiastical affairs. A supporter, in good faith, of Pier Leoni (the antipope Anacleto), he was brought back to obedience to the true pope, Innocenzo II, by St. Bernardo.
His numerous works, praised by his contemporaries, were printed in their entirety for the first time by dom Beaugendre, Ven. Hildeberti Thronensis arch. opera tam edita quam inedita (Parigi 1708). This edition was sharply criticized by the Benedictines, authors of the Histoire littéraire de la France, XI (Parigi 1754), by the Augustinian X. Schier, Dissertatio de Hildeberti operibus, eorum geminitate, integritate, editionibus (Vienna 1767), by V. Leclerc, in the observations added to the 2nd ed. of the Histoire littéraire, XI (Parigi 1869), pp. 20-26, and by Hauréau (v. BIBLICA). Nevertheless, Bourassé republished it, with supplements, in PL. 171, 1-1463. The substantial correspondence (177 letters) is valuable for dogmatics, piety, and history (for example, letters 11, 21, and 22 deal with the imprisonment of Pasquale II). Written in good Latin and rich in subtle observations, these letters were greatly appreciated in the Middle Ages and constitute I.’s best work. Hauréau’s criticism was more severe with regard to his oratorical work: of the 141 sermones attributed to him, 54 are by Goffredo Babione, 25 by Pietro Lombardo, 24 by Pietro Comestor, 7 by Maurizio di Sully, 21 by unknown authors, 4 are of doubtful authenticity, and 4 certainly belong to him and confirm his ancient reputation as sonora Christi tuba. His extensive poetic work chiefly concerns the Eucaristia (De mysterio Missae; De sacra Eucharistia). Fr. Hurter separately printed (SS. Patrum opuscula selecta, XXXIX, Innsbruck 1879, pp. 274-84) the concise and well-constructed Tractatus de Sacramento altaris. In hagiography, his Vitae ss. Redegundis et Hugonis cluniacensis are known. Asceticism is treated in the dialogue in prose and verse De quærimonia et conflictu carnis et spiritus. Dogmatics is developed, in a form foreshadowing the scholastic method, in the Tractatus theologicus, whose authenticity is doubtful.
I, cols. 2466-68; I. De Ghellinck, Eucharistie au XIIe siècle en Occident, ibid., V, col. 1251; id., L'essor de la littérature latine au XIIe siècle, I, Bruxelles-Parigi 1946, p. 222 and passim; id., Le mouvement théologique du XIIe siècle, 2nd ed., Bruges-Parigi 1948, p. 254.