LE père joseph

Capuchin, one of the great figures of the French School of Spirituality, Père Joseph is best known for his role as a diplomatic advisor to Richelieu: for him was invented the title, now common in everyday language, of Grey Eminence.

François Leclerc du Tremblay, better known by his religious name Père Joseph, was born in Paris in 1577 into a family of robe nobility. After studying in Italy and participating in the siege of Amiens, he met, through Madame Acarie’s circle, Benoît de Canfield, and placed himself under his guidance.

He joined the Capuchins in 1599, taking the name Joseph de Paris. With Antoinette d’Orléans, coadjutrix abbess of the Abbey of Fontevrault, he developed plans for monastic reform: the abbess and some nuns left in 1611 to found a new institute, strongly inspired by Père Joseph’s ideas: the Benedictines of Calvary.

From 1612 onwards, Père Joseph’s life was marked by significant involvement in political and diplomatic affairs, in the shadow of Richelieu’s growing power. He became his “grey eminence,” his friend, confidant, and trusted man. Through his network of Capuchin monks, he created, for the Cardinal, an extensive intelligence network.
Père Joseph continued to support Richelieu until his death on December 17, 1638, in Rueil, either as a negotiator of certain treaties or as an advisor.