Benedict (; died late 1319 or early 1320) was a Hungarian Dominican friar and prelate at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, who served as Bishop of Transylvania from 1309 until his death.
Early life
Benedict joined the Dominican Order at his young age, as a result contemporary documents styled him as "frater" throughout his whole life. His parentage is unknown. A papal document emphasizes his skills and literacy in science and theology. It is possible, he is identical with that lector Benedict, who appears in a source in 1295. Later, he elevated into the position of prior of the Dominican monastery in Gyulafehérvár (present-day Alba Iulia, Romania). In this capacity, he was an adviser and confidant ("amicus ac consiliarius") of the influential prelate, Peter Monoszló, who served as Bishop of Transylvania from the 1270s. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Dominican monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Buda Island, where he functioned as prior too.
Episcopate
Controversial election
After a long-standing 37-year of episcopal reign, Peter Monoszló died on 27 November 1307. At the last decade of his life, the elderly bishop maintained a cooperative relationship with the powerful voivode Ladislaus Kán, who ruled the province de facto independently of the central royal authority, and thus he was considered one of the so-called "oligarchs" at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Consequently, the death of Peter Monoszló proved to be a good opportunity for Ladislaus Kán to extend his direct influence over the ecclesiastical affairs and properties in Transylvania. According to the accusations, the powerful lord confiscated the church benefices and filled the number of canons of the cathedral chapter with his loyal laymen. Moreover, Ladislaus Kán also demanded that one of his sons be elected as the new bishop of Transylvania. Several canons were hiding in various Dominican and Augustinian monasteries throughout the province in order to prevent the realization of his intentions. The voivode, however, captured and persuaded them to participate in the election process took place on 7 January 1308, in accordance with the canon law; other elderly canons were imprisoned temporarily. Disrupting the canons' right of free election, Ladislaus Kán appeared and chaired in person at the assembly and prevented the formation of a voting committee. The voivode declared that his son to be postulated formally and read the "new bishop's" inaugural diploma, persuading the intimidated clergymen to confirm the result with their seals.
The cathedral chapter, through their representative Peter of Paris, filed suit in the court of papal legate Gentile Portino da Montefiore regarding the oligarch's methods against the bishopric. The cardinal commissioned auditors general Filip de Sardinea and Johannes de Aretio to investigate the case. In July 1309, Ladislaus Kán – realizing its untenability – declared that he would not maintain his son's claim to the bishopric, but he suggested two new candidates to the canons: Augustinian friar Peter or Dominican friar Benedict, both of them were considered his confidants. The voivode emphasized he is willing to return the occupied church lands to the diocese, if the cathedral chapter elect his nominated candidates either. On 24 July 1309, the threatened canons were yielding to extortion and "unanimously" elected Benedict as the new Bishop of Transylvania on the recommendation of Benedict, archdeacon of Ózd in order to the "immediate elimination of dangerous ordeals". During the second lawsuit, the archdeacon, acted as lawyer of the cathedral chapter, argued that Benedict was a suitable candidate as he enjoyed the support of Ladislaus Kán, while as a former local prior and as a friend and councilor of the late Peter Monoszló, was aware of local conditions.