François de Tournon (1489 in Tournon-sur-Rhône – 1562 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was a French Augustinian friar, an archbishop, diplomat, courtier, and cardinal. From 1536 he was also a military supply officer of French forces operating in Provence, Savoy and Piedmont. In the same year he founded the Collège de Tournon. For a period he was effectively France's foreign minister. He was a prominent leader in the fight against Lutheranism and Calvinism, especially at the French Royal Court, and what he perceived as the growing Huguenot menace to both doctrinal orthodoxy and the social order. He took a prominent role in the Estates General of 1560, the Colloquy of Poissy and the Colloquy of Saint-Germain in 1562. He participated in the papal conclaves of 1534, 1549, and 1559.
Early life
He was the son of Jacques, seigneur de Tournon and Comte de Rousillon, and Jeanne de Polignac, daughter of Guillaume-Armand, Comte de Polignac. Comte Jacques served with the French armies in the Italian wars, where he died. François was their fifth son. The eldest son Christophe assumed the family titles and became a soldier. The elder brother Just died at the Battle of Pavia. Two of his brothers were also in holy orders, Gaspard (who became Bishop of Valence, 1505-1520) and Charles (who became Bishop of Rodez, 1501-1504). He was home-schooled by his mother and tutors. At the age of twelve, François entered the Order of S. Antoine en Viennois, where he came under the tutelage of Abbot Theodore Mitte de S. Chamond (1495-1527). In due course, François de Tournon became Preceptor of the monastery, and then became the 21st Abbot of the Order of S. Antoine in 1542, a position which he continued to hold until 1555. By command of Pope Boniface VIII (1295-1303) the members of the Order of S. Antoine followed the Rule of S. Augustine and were considered Canons Regular of S. Augustine (CRSA).
Archbishop of Embrun
François was Canon of Avignon, when he was elected Archbishop of Embrun in 1518 at the age of twenty-eight. His election was confirmed by Pope Leo X in Consistory on 30 July 1518. He served as archbishop until 1525.
He was appointed the first commendatory abbot of la Chaise-Dieu in 1519 by King Francis I of France. In 1533 he was host to a visit from King Francis. He resigned the abbey in 1541, in favor of Charles de Tournon, his nephew. The abbey was sacked by the Huguenots in the Third War of Religion, on 1 August 1562, three months after the death of François de Tournon.
Following the defeat and capture of King Francis I in the Battle of Pavia on 24 February 1525, Monseigneur de Tournon, Archbishop of Embrun, was summoned to membership in the Council of the King. He joined the Queen-mother, Louise of Savoy, the King's sister Marguerite, Marguerite's husband the Duc d'Alençon, the Constable Montmorency, and the First President of the Parliament of Paris. Their unpleasant task was to negotiate with the Emperor Charles V for the release of their King, who had been taken prisoner to Spain. Queen Louise sent Tournon to Madrid to lead the negotiations. This was finally achieved in the Treaty of Madrid on 14 January 1526.
Archbishop of Bourges
On 8 January 1526, the translation of Archbishop de Tournon from Embrun to Bourges was approved by Pope Paul III in Consistory. At the death of the previous Archbishop of Bourges in 1525, the Canons had gathered to elect his successor. There was a disputed election, some of the electors supporting Canon Jacques de Brolio, and the greater number supporting Archbishop François de Tournon of Embrun. As was usual in such cases, the matter was referred to Rome. Pope Clement VII had the case investigated, and he found in favor of Tournon, though Brolio then appealed to a future general council. The pope had had enough, and he sanctioned the move of Tournon to Bourges, where he was installed by proxy on 16 April 1526. He took solemn possession in person on 19 May. On 21 March 1528 he presided over a council in Bourges, at which the new heresies of Martin Luther were denounced and anathematized.
In 1529, Archbishop de Tournon was sent as Ambassador Extraordinary to the Court of Madrid to obtain the release of the two eldest sons of King Francis, who were hostages of their father's good behavior. Tournon escorted them back to France, along with the sister of the Emperor, Eleanor of Austria, who married King Francis on 4 July 1530.