In his youth, Imar became a
monk at the
Priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs in
Paris, a community belonging to the
Cluniac Order, later being sent to the
motherhouse of the Order, where he professed his
solemn vows. Some time after that, he was elected as Abbot of the Abbey of Sainte-Marie la Neuve near
Poitiers. He later served as the superior of the
Priory of La Charité-sur-Loire, located near
Nevers. He was a friend of St.
Bernard of Clairvaux, who mentioned him in his letters.
Pope Innocent II appointed Imar the
Cardinal-Bishop of Tusculum (whose seat was later moved to Frascati) in the consistory celebrated in March 1142, and he received the
episcopal consecration from that pope in the
Lateran Basilica later that month. He participated in the
papal elections of
September 1143,
March 1144,
July 1153 and
December 1154, and signed as witness the
papal bulls issued between 19 April 1142 and 18 February 1159. He served as
papal legate to England during the pontificate of
Pope Lucius II (1144–1145). He became
Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1153. After the double
papal election of 1159, Imar became a supporter of the
Antipope Victor IV and consecrated him to the episcopate in the
Abbey of Farfa on 4 October 1159, with the assistance of the Bishops Ubaldo of Ferentino and Riccardo of Melfi. Due to this, he was
excommunicated and deposed from his titles by
Pope Alexander III, historically considered to be the legitimate pope. Imar then participated in the schismatic
Council of Pavia of February 1160, which anathematized Alexander. Soon after this, he submitted to Alexander and retired to the Abbey of Cluny, where he died in 1161. ==Further reading==