Ivo of Chartres

He was an important authority in Catholic canon law during the Investiture Crisis of that era. He is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church. Three extensive canonical works, namely Tripartita, Decretum, and Panormia, are attributed to him. He corresponded extensively. His liturgical feast is observed on 23 December.

Ivo of Chartres studied at School of Chartres. Training under Lanfranc is recorded. Anselm of Canterbury is recorded as having studied under Ivo of Chartres. The recorded working language is medieval Latin and Old French. Positions recorded include diocesan bishop and provost. Works named in the authority record are De ecclesiasticis sacramentis et officiis.

Ivo was born in or near Chartres circa 1040 to a family of relatively low social status. He is claimed to have studied first in Paris, then at the Abbey of Bec in Normandy, where, according to Robert of Torigni, he studied under Lanfranc along with Anselm of Canterbury. Not much is known of Ivo until some time after he was admitted to the clergy. His first benefice was at Nesle in Picardy. In 1067 his bishop, Gui of Beauvais, asked him to become the provost (termed abbot) of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Quentin. Under his leadership and program of reform, the community of secular canons established there accepted religious life under the Rule of St. Augustine, thereby becoming canons regular. As superior, he was skeptical of religious excess and always stressed moderation in practice. Ivo remained at the abbey for twenty years and established himself as one of the best teachers in France. His abbey came to be known as a great school of theology. Lambert of Guines and John of Warneton both studied canon law under Ivo.

In 1090 Ivo's knowledge of canon law, both as a lawyer and cleric, most probably earned him the office of Bishop of Chartres. His predecessor, Geoffrey, had been removed from office by Pope Urban II. Geoffrey's relatives and supporters initially opposed Ivo's appointment, but with the backing of Pope Urban II, King Philip, and the influential Countess Adela of Blois, Ivo was eventually grudgingly accepted. In light of the events preceding his appointment to the office, his strong opposition to the practice of simony may have been the impetus to his episcopal elevation. During his twenty-five year episcopacy at Chartres, Ivo was involved in conflicts with many magnates including King Philip I of France, Archbishop Richer of Sens, the papal legate Hugh of Die, and several local nobles. The most famous case concerned the marriage of King Philip, who in the early 1090s tried to repudiate his wife Bertha of Holland in order to marry Bertrade of Anjou. Local baron Hugh Le Puiset took advantage of the situation to seize episcopal lands and imprison the bishop for a short time. Ivo was an acquaintance of Countess Adele of Normandy, who helped him reform the Abbey of St. Jean-en-Vallée. In addition, on several occasions he defended her decisions, most notably during the events regarding Rotrou III of Perche, when he refused to assert ecclesiastical sanctions against him. Around 1114, Ivo granted to Bernard of Abbeville land in Thiron-Gardais, where Bernard established the monastery that would become the Abbey of the Holy Trinity of Tiron. During his episcopacy Ivo wrote the majority of his extant works, for which he later became famous and considered among the greatest scholars of the mediaeval era.

Ivo was a prolific writer but is most known for his canonical works: the Decretum of seventeen books; the Tripartita, of very substantial material, divided in three parts, and attributed to him; and the Panormia of eight books attributed to him. All three are primarily works of canon law. The Prologue to the Decretum deals with the interpretation of canon law, and specifically argues that caritas was the solution for sin, and not harsh punishment without contrition. "He was called to teach. His lesson was love. It was all that mattered." Ivo is also famous for his 288 letters of correspondence. These letters often dealt with liturgical, canonical, and dogmatic questions and, much like his major works, are from the perspective of caritas. Several of his extant sermons, totaling 25, treat of the same topics as his other writings and letters. It has also been suggested that his doctrines influenced the final agreement of the Concordat of Worms in 1122.