John of Rupescissa

John Of Rupescissa or ROQUETAILLADE, a French Franciscan, who flourished near the middle of the 14th century, at Aurillac, in Auvergne, is noted for his severe denunciations of the gross immoralities of the clergy of the Roman Church in his day. He was especially opposed to the court at Avignon, and hesitated not to brand the whole papal court as the seat of a great whoredom. Popes Clement VI and Innocent VI imprisoned him on account of his continued remonstrances and prophesying, but even while in prison he wrote much against the papal court and the clergy. He died while in prison, but the cause of his death is not known. His works of interest are,

(1) Vademecum in tribulatione (in Ed. Brown's addition to Orturii Gratii fascic. rer. expectandar. et fugientdar. London, 1690), wherein he handles the French clergy without gloves, and prophesies much trouble to their native land on account of their sins: —

(2) A Commentary on the prophecies of the hermit Cyril of Mount Carmel and of abbot Joachim (q.v.). See Trithemius, De script. Eccles. 100, 611 (in Fabricius, Bib. Eccl. pt. 2, p. 145); Wolfius, Lectt. memorab. cent. 14, p. 623 sq.; Fuhrmann, Handw. der Kirchengesch. 2, 482; Aschbach, Kirch.-Lex. 3, 565. (J.H.W.)