Pierre of Jean Olivi (in Latin Petrus Joannis Olivi ) (born v. 1248 with Sérignan, Herault - died the March 14th 1298, with Narbonne) was a monk franciscan and a Théologien French of the Moyen-âge which exerted a considerable influence on Franciscains of the Languedoc and on the Fancies which surrounded them. It is one of the most outstanding figures, as well of the Western intellectual history as of the religious history of Languedoc in second half of the 13th century.

Biography

Born with Sérignan in 1248 or 49, entered at the 12 years age at Franciscains of Béziers, Pierre of Jean Olivi studied with the Université of Paris in the years 1267 - 72, at the time of the intellectual effervescence caused by the redécouverte of the whole of works of Aristote and the presence of Thomas d' Aquin and Bonaventure de Bagnorea. Of return in Languedoc, Olivi teaches like “reader” in various convents: it is undoubtedly with Narbonne in 1278-79 and with Montpellier in 1283, it is there that it is reached by the Censure of a score of erroneous theses that one charges to him: this judgment, more political than doctrinal, initially aims at putting at the step a too independent spirit, and ruins its hopes of university career in Paris. After being suspended of teaching during four years (and undoubtedly assigned with the convent of Nimes), he is rehabilitated in 1287 and is named “reader” in the prestigious convent of Florence (a little later Dante followed there the courses of a disciple of Olivi). He returns to Montpellier in 1289, then is again named in Narbonne (undoubtedly as of 1292), where he teaches until his death, Friday March 14th 1298.

Of sound alive, Olivi has exerted influence considerable on Franciscains of Languedoc and of groups of Laic ( the Fancies ) which surrounded them, and caused inimitable the quite as strong ones. As of the year which followed its death, the reading of its works was again prohibited (certain brothers are deaths in prison to have refused to return its books) and the archbishop of Narbonne, Gilles Aycelin, took measures against the Fancies.

However, the worship of Olivi developed: its tomb, in the convent franciscain of Narbonne attracted in Pèlerinage important crowd, Miracle S occurred there (famous the Dame Prous Boneta accepted an illumination there) and on March 14th was celebrated in all the area. Thanks to the intervention of the famous doctor Arnaud of Villeneuve (which was undoubtedly friendly of Olivi) near the Pope, a compromise was found in 1312, the convents of “spiritual” Narbonne and Béziers being left in Franciscains which were claimed of Olivi. But in 1317, the Pope Jean XXII intervened more violently. The spiritual ones were quoted with Avignon, in spite of a call of the consuls of Narbonne who tried to delay the expiry, and four of them were burned with Marseilles. To put an end to the popular Worship, the body of Olivi was exhumed in secrecy (one still does not know what it is occurred) and the enquiry attacked the Fancies (of which the proper niece of Olivi which lived with Sauvian) which protected the spiritual ones in escape.

Work

The work of Olivi, currently into full redécouverte, constitutes a contribution of first order to large the Scolastique. From the philosophical point of view, it is about the one of the first methodical discussions of the theses of Thomas d' Aquin, who has ends to often original positions. Olivienne reformulation of the traditional questionings of the school franciscaine was of a decisive importance in the following decades, in spite of the heavy interdict on the reading of its works (in particular for Jean Duns Scot, Guillaume d' Occam, Pierre Auriol, Guillaume Durand de Saint-Pourçain) but one also finds some of his specific topics among Spanish Jesuits and until Descartes. One within the competences paradoxical of its step, aims at defending the truth revealed against the errors of the philosophers, by tackling the latter on their own ground, and by claiming, in this field, a very broad freedom of investigation.

Its " Treaty of the contrats" which analyzes the morality of the commercial acts by in particular establishing a distinction between “money” and “capital” constitutes the most outstanding work in this field of all Middle Ages.

But the two aspects of its work which caused enthusiasm and the attacks relate to Franciscaine poverty and the interpretation of the Apocalypse.

On the first point, Olivi supports that the franciscains, in addition to the abandonment of any property, are bound by their wish to a “poor use” of the goods they have. This concept aimed more one certain spirit that determined regulations, but the spiritual ones interpreted it in a way much more rigid, and fought not to have, for example, neither attic with provisions, nor additional coat for the winter.

On the second point, taking as a starting point Joachim de Flore, Olivi is one of the first to be considered, after a first combat against the Antéchrist, one period of peace and 600 years spiritual comprehension. Certain of this overall diagram and persecutions and temptations which would have to overcome Franciscains, Olivi was retained to identify with precision the contemporary events, and maintained like principles obedience with the Pope and the unit of the order franciscain. On the contrary, the spiritual ones saw the hand of the Antichrist at their adversaries, and tragically interpreted persecutions which they underwent like signs of their election.

Isaac de Larrey, historiographer of the General states, after having taken knowledge of the file of Censure of the Lectura super Apocalypsim , considers that Olivi is equipped with a “prophetic spirit”: it is “a Prophet who prèche highly restoration of the Évangile. ”

If one does not know almost anything the family of Olivi and his medium of origin, the importance of its local anchoring is not any doubt. It is in the context of an area marked by the repression of the Catharisme, hostile with Dominican but accessible in Franciscains, which should be included/understood this character as attractive as complex Bernard Delicieux, which was undoubtedly the pupil of Olivi, then his successor like reader with Narbonne, confronted with a renewal of catharism to Carcassonne, Albi and Castres, was opposed to the Inquisition Dominicaine, while seeking to reinstate in the church, in a more flexible way, the deviating local elites. In low Languedoc, it is the current one of demanding spirituality in which Olivi fits, which undoubtedly prevented the emergence of this “second catharism” by providing an expression to these diffuse aspirations. And, had not been the bloody repression of the movement which was claimed of him, one needed of them little which it does not become one of the saints most intensely venerated of Languedoc.

The conference, organized with Narbonne and Sérignan in 1998 around the exact date of the seventh centenary of its death, proposed to examine the whole of the aspects of its work, and of surprising popular reception which was reserved to him, and to seek to seize coherence of it. More than of a simple celebration, it was a question of giving a progress report on the works in progress and of coordinating a plentiful research, around a character whose importance and originality do not cease continuing. Note: only the Latin form of its name is attested: Petrus Joannis Olivi. Various reconstitutions of its French name were proposed: Pierre of Jean Olieu, Déjean Olieu, Janolieu, etc… the international dimension of the Colloque has incited us to preserve the Latin form, adopted for one century by the community of the researchers.

External bonds

• Pierre of Jean Olivi

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