Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

24-2 ST. RICHARD.
It was to the effect that for seven years every vacant
benefice of the province should make a loan of its
first year's revenue to the See of Canterbury. Moreover,
he urged his right of making a general visitation
d of requiring an offering at the same t B
face had the archiepiscopal debts in view, but his
brethren of the episcopal bench and the laity generally
did not look with favour upon his proceedings
in this respect.1
Kichard Wiche had been chancellor of the archdiocese
under St. Edmund. A saint himself, he had
enjoyed the intimacy of St. Edmund, and followed
him to France. Now, the new Archbishop maintained
him in his office of chancellor, and entrusted
to him the care of the whole diocese. But he could
scarcely have exercised this charge under Boniface,
for the see of Chichester had become vacant in 1244,
d what happened on th
y be t
a fair specimen of the king's mode of proceeding.
He recommended Eobert Passelew, a worthless
court favourite, to be the new bishop, but was opposed
by Archbishop Boniface, who declared Eobert
totally unfitting, and nominated Kichard in his
stead.2 Thereupon the king seized the temporalities
of the see, and for two years persecuted and harassed
the new bishop in every way. St. Kichard was consecrated
by Innocent IV. in 1245, after which he
retired to a lonely place in Sussex, where he was
1 Felten, Robert Grossctcte, Bisclwf von Lincoln, p. 59.
- Alban Butler, 3rd April, vol. i. p. 424.