Abbot of Clairvaux

The Abbot of Clairvaux was the head of the Abbey of Clairvaux, a prominent Cistercian monastery founded in 1115 in France. As abbot, he was responsible for leading the monastic community, overseeing spiritual life, discipline, and administrative matters. The title also became associated with Bernard of Clairvaux, a highly influential monk and theologian from the 12th century, who significantly shaped Christian thought and the Cistercian order. Overall, the abbot played a key role in guiding religious practice, maintaining the monastery’s operations, and representing its spiritual authority within the wider Church.