He was born between the years 1115 and 1120, at
Auxerre. At an early age he entered the ranks of the clergy, and followed for some time the course of lectures given by
Abelard. In 1140 Bernard of Clairvaux came to Paris, and before the assembled scholars preached a sermon "De conversione ad clericos", in which he dwelt on the vanities of a life in the world, on the necessity of a sincere conversion, and on the peace to be found in the monastic profession. Geoffrey, with several others, followed St. Bernard and joined the monastic community of
Clairvaux. Soon he became his
notarius, or secretary, and his permanent companion. In 1145 he accompanied him to
Toulouse and other cities of Southern France, where the saint preached against the
Albigensian heresy of a certain Henry and his partisans. During the years 1146-47 he travelled with Bernard through France and Germany, where the saint aroused people for a crusade to the Holy Land. At the
council of Reims in 1148 he took an active part in the discussion concerning the errors of
Gilbert de la Porrée. In 1159 he was made abbot of the
''Abbaye Notre-Dame du Val d'Igny'' in the
Diocese of Reims, and in 1162 he became the fourth Abbot of Clairvaux. Owing to difficulties with the monks, he was forced to resign in 1165; but in 1170 he was appointed to the
Abbey of Fossa Nuova in the
diocese of Terracina, Italy, and in 1176 to that of Haute Combe, Savoy. In the political events of the time he had only a small share; thus, in 1167 and 1168, he took part in the negotiations tending towards the reconciliation of
Pope Alexander III (1159–81) with the Emperor
Frederic Barbarossa and King
Henry II of England. Geoffrey died some time after the year 1188, probably at the
Hautecombe Abbey,
Savoy. ==Works==