Fulk of Neuilly (also appearing in the forms "Fulke," "Foulque," "Foulques," "Fulco," "Folco," etc., and as "de Neuilly") (died 1201) was a French preacher of the twelfth century, and priest of Neuilly-sur-Marne. His preaching encouraged the Fourth Crusade. He is a beatus of the Roman Catholic Church; his feast is celebrated on March 2.[1]
A priest at Neuilly from 1191, he attended the lectures of Peter the Chanter in Paris. He began to preach from 1195, and gained a reputation for piety and eloquence.[2] His preaching focused on reforming people's morality and many of his denunciations were upon the sins of usury and lustfulness.[3] Clerical concubinage was a common target of his and he would often point out priests and concubines that were guilty of this sin in the crowd when he was preaching.[4] It was reported that he rebuked King Richard I of England by advising him to marry off his three evil daughters, his Pride, Greed, and Lechery; and that the king replied that he would marry them appropriately to the Templars, the Cistercians, and to the bishops and abbots of the Church.[5]
An invitation for Fulk to preach a crusade came from Pope Innocent III in 1199. His preaching influenced both Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, and Alix de Montmorency.[6]
Fulk's assiduous enthusiasm in carrying out his mission led to rumours concerning the usage made of the monetary sums it produced. He died shortly afterwards.