Klöster im Hochmittelalter

112 | Steven Vanderputten
so far as to bring Richard to give away all of his possessions, in order to “follow
Christ naked, and imitate the poor Christ as a poor man.” ²⁴ Accepting the monastic
habit was merely the next step in his imitatio Christi, a physical withdrawal from
the world to a “poor place” (pauper locus) where “the divine honor and the rigor of
the Rule were preserved, and where they (i.e. Richard and his companion, Count
Frederic of Verdun) could exercise themselves as lovers of the new Christian poverty,
and ultimately instruct others in the exercise of spiritual warfare”. ²⁵ “Ultimately”
turned out to be a relative term, though, for just four months into his new monastic
existence, Richard was ordained as Saint-Vanne’s new abbot. Hugh’s account of the
circumstances of this appointment, a turbulent phase in which the senior pars of
the community had opposed the novices and younger members, even suggests that
Richard may have acted as magister of the novices in those short months prior to
his ordination. ²⁶ Upon first inspection, this seems to be in contradiction with the
same author’s reference to the fact that Abbot Fingen had initially refused to accept
Richard, because of his suspicions that the latter was not ready for a life of seclusion
and contemplation. ²⁷ But Richard’s understanding of his own virtuosity may
indeed have been such that he felt entitled to teach verbo et exemplo the principles
of religious virtue without actually undergoing the customary, lengthy training of
ordinary monks, and this may have also caused a certain degree of wariness, or
resentment, among his future colleagues. So Hugh refers to Richard’s intention at
his conversion to instruct others in “the exercise of spiritual warfare”, and quotes a
comment supposedly made by Odilo of Cluny that it was no use Richard entering
his abbey “since no one would benefit from your teachings”. ²⁸ While it is hazardous
to draw any definite conclusions from these references, it is at least worth
remarking that they do confirm the notion that Richard had entered the monastic
24 Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 9 above), p. 369: Cepit igitur larga manu quae circa se erant dispensare
pauperibus, et licet a primis annis conpassionis in eo opera claruerint, tamen quo amplius miseria
seculi et fallax eius gratia contempnebatur, eo magis instabat misericordiae operibus, ut nudus Christum
sequi, et pauper pauperem imitari valeret, qui propter nos minoratus paululum ab angelis de pauperibus
nasci et in praesepio reclinari voluit, ut esset piorum cibaria iumentorum.
25 Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 9 above), p. 370: Decretum est igitur communi voto, et ex sententia
utrimque deliberatum est, ut pauper quilibet locus eligeretur, in quo honor Dei et rigor regulae conservaretur,
ubi novi christianae paupertatis amatores exerceri, et sic demum alios in spiritualis tyrocinii
exercitio instruere possent.
26 Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 9 above), p. 372.
27 Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 9 above), p. 370: Huc sane cum se conferre destinavissent, ad hoc
tamen exploraturi convenerunt, ut opinioni minus creduli oculis attenderent, si eo se coenobio recluderent.
When the archbishop of Reims intervened because Richard had not asked for dispensation, Abbot
Fingen dismissed the latter, only to accept him again when the issue with the archbishop had been
resolved. Hugh suggests having seen Arnulf’s approbatory note; Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 10
above), p. 371.
28 Hugh of Flavigny, Chronicon (note 9 above), pp. 371 f.