Arnulf of Chocques

Who was Arnulf of Chocques?

Arnulf Malecorne of Chocques was a leader among the clergy during the First Crusade, and was Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1099 and from 1112 to 1118.

He was the son of a Flemish Priest, and studied under Lanfranc at Caen. In the 1070s Arnulf was a tutor to Cecilia, daughter of William I of England. He also taught Ralph of Caen, one of the later chronicler's of the First Crusade. He was also close to Odo of Bayeux, who he accompanied on the Crusade. He was the chaplain of the Norman crusader army led by Robert of Normandy, Cecilia's brother and William's son. He was most likely appointed a papal legate, under the authority of the overall legate Adhemar of Le Puy, and after Adhemar's death in 1098 he shared control of the clergy with fellow legate Peter of Narbonne. Some of the non-Norman knights in the other crusader armies believed he was corrupt, and they apparently sang vulgar songs about him, but most crusaders respected him as an eloquent preacher.

He was one of the chief skeptics about Peter Bartholomew's claims to have discovered the Holy Lance in Antioch, and because of Arnulf's opposition Peter volunteered to undergo an ordeal by fire.