The archbishop who ran away

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. Peter of Tarentaise When: c. 1102-74 Where: France and Switzerland What: Monk, abbot, archbishop Feast: May 8

While fame is something many people desire, some find its price too high. That was the case for St. Peter of Tarentaise, who never seemed to want fame.

This 12th century saint was born near Vienne, Dauphiné, France. When he was about 20, Peter, his father and two brothers became Cistercian monks at Bonnevaux, about 25 years after the founding of the order.

Ten years later, in 1132, Peter was elected abbot of a new Cistercian abbey at Taimé in the Tarentaise Mountains. The abbey overlooked the Alpine pass between Geneva and Savoy and Peter built a guest house and hospital there for travelers.

In 1142, despite his protests, Peter was elected Archbishop of Tarentaise, after the previous archbishop had been removed from office for corruption. Peter accepted the appointment mainly because St. Bernard of Clairvaux, also a Cistercian, insisted.

Peter quickly began making changes. He replaced the clergy at the cathedral with canons regular (priests who follow a rule and are attached to a specific church) and insisted that all priests in the diocese be of the highest caliber and follow church rules.

He traveled regularly throughout his mountainous archdiocese, founding schools, hospitals and services for the poor. He reformed the liturgy and worked to restore the church.

Because of all he did for the poor and the sick he developed a reputation for miraculous cures and for multiplication of food. This was not the sort of attention Peter wanted, so one day in 1155, he mysteriously disappeared.

A year passed before he was found living as a lay brother in a Swiss Cistercian abbey. He was pressured into returning to Tarentaise as archbishop, where he began a practice that lasted until the French Revolution - giving out soup and bread to the poor from May until the harvest.

Peter then supported the papacy of Alexander III (1159-81) over the antipope Victor IV (1159-64), who had the backing of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (1152-90). Peter proved both tireless and brave in his support of Alexander, speaking on his behalf in Alsace, Lorraine, Burgundy and Italy - even at councils attended by the emperor.

In 1174, Pope Alexander sent Peter to reconcile differences between King Henry II of England and King Louis VII of France. Although the attempt failed, Peter impressed the English court with his humility, modesty, joy and love of the poor.

Peter became ill on his return home and died at Bellevaux Abbey.

A second Peter of Tarentaise (1225-76) was elected Pope Innocent V (1276) and has been beatified.