Raymond de Canillac
Raymond de Canillac (c.1300–1373) was a French lawyer who became a bishop and a cardinal. He was born at the family castle of Roche de Canilhac in Gevaudan, central France. He joined the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine and studied law at the University of Montpellier, earning a doctorate in civil and canon law.
He held several church positions, including Provost of Maguelone Cathedral and Abbot of Sainte-Foi de Conques. In 1345, Pope Clement VI made him Archbishop of Toulouse. In 1350, during Clement VI’s papacy, Raymond was made Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, earning him the nickname “the Cardinal of Jerusalem.” He resigned the Archdiocese of Toulouse as he took on his new role as cardinal.
As a cardinal, he received numerous benefices across France and beyond to support his status. He helped with important tasks, such as overseeing financial matters for the ransom of King John II after the Battle of Poitiers, and in 1361 he was made the See of Palestrina, a position he held until his death.
Cardinal Raymond de Canillac participated in major papal elections, including the 1362 election of Urban V and the 1370–1371 election of Gregory XI. Urban V even asked him to reform the law faculty at Montpellier, where he had earlier studied.
He died in Avignon on 20 June 1373 and was initially buried in the Franciscan church there; his remains were later moved to Maguelone Cathedral.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:42 (CET).