- Lambert le Bègue
Lambert le Bègue (English: "Lambert the Stutterer") was a priest and reformer, who lived in
Liège ,Belgium , in the middle of the 12th century. The son of poor people, he was ordained priest, and was probably parish priest ofSt. Christopher at Liège. He began preaching against the abuses and the vices of the clergy, protesting againstsimony , the ordination of sons of priests, and certain customs in the administration of the Sacrament ofBaptism and the celebration of Mass. In time he gathered about him a popular following, for whom he translated into thevernacular (French) the Life of theBlessed Virgin , theActs of the Apostles , and theEpistles of St. Paul , with commentaries; these translations unfortunately have not been preserved. Probably at this period he organized the religious association known asBéguines , whose name cannot be derivedphilological ly from "to beg" (i.e. to pray), but is probably derived from the name "bègue" (stutterer) given to Lambert, to whom several contemporary and trustworthy authorities attribute the foundation. But he also had adversaries, especially among the clergy, and it was to refute them that he wrote a defense of his theories, entitled "Antigraphum Petri". His writings reveal him a man very learned for his time; they abound with quotations, not only from the Bible, but also from theFathers of the Church (e.g. St. Gregory, St. Augustine and St. Bernard), and even from profane authors likeOvid ,Virgil andCicero . Accused ofheresy , he was condemned and imprisoned notwithstanding his appeal to theHoly See . He escaped and went over to theantipope Callistus III , who had been recognized byRaoul of Zahringen ,Prince-Bishop (i.e. bishop and secular ruler) of Liège. He wrote to the pope several letters in justification of his doctrines and conduct, but the result of these endeavors is not known. In all probability he returned to Liège where he died in 1177.ource
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