William de Corbeil

William of Corbeil CanReg (English William de Corbeil, * 1070, † November 21, 1136 in Canterbury ) was Archbishop of Canterbury.

Life

William probably originated in Corbeil on the Seine and was trained in Laon. He went into the service of Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, and, after he had joined the Augustinian Canons Order, prior of the monastery of St. Osyth in Essex.

At the beginning of 1123 he was chosen from several candidates to the Archbishop of Canterbury. When he refused, Thurstan, Archbishop of York, to concede independence from the Archdiocese of Canterbury, refused from this, to consecrate him, after which the ceremony of William's own suffragan bishops was made.

Wilhelm traveled to Rome, where he found that Thurstan had anticipated him and had already made ​​representations to Pope Calixtus II against him. The also by the English King Henry I and Emperor Henry V ( the son of Henry of England was ) represented opposite position, however, prevailed, whereupon the Pope Wilhelm gave the pallium.

William next discussion concerned the papal legate, Cardinal John of Crema, who acted in England in autocratic manner. Wilhelm traveled again to Rome, where he sat, he himself became a papal legate ( legatus natus ) appointed for England and Scotland - a precedent of considerable importance for the further history of the English Church.

Although William of Corbeil had sworn to King Henry I, to support the claim of his daughter Matilda, widow of Emperor Henry IV, to the English throne, but he crowned in December 1135 Stephen of Blois, nephew of Henry. I. king.

In William's tenure, the completion of the Romanesque choir of Canterbury Cathedral, which was consecrated in May 1130 great effort falls.