Lucas, Archbishop of Esztergom

Lucas
Archbishop of Esztergom
Stephen III is crowned king by Lucas (from the Illuminated Chronicle)
Installed	1158
Term ended	1181
Predecessor	Martyrius
Successor	Nicholas
Other post(s)	Bishop of Eger
Orders
Consecration	early 1157 by Pope Adrian IV
Personal details
Born	c. 1120
Died	1181
Nationality	Hungarian
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Alma mater	University of Paris

Lucas (Hungarian: Lukács; c. 1120 – 1181),^[1] also known as Luke,^[2] was a Hungarian prelate and diplomat in the 12th century. He was Bishop of Eger between 1156 and 1158, and Archbishop of Esztergom from 1158 until his death in 1181.

Lucas is believed to have come from a wealthy and influential family, but sources are uncertain of his origin. He was one of the first students of the University of Paris. When he returned to Hungary, his ecclesiastical career ascended quickly into the highest dignities. As a confidant of Géza II in his last years, Lucas had a significant impact on the country's foreign policy and diplomatic processes. Lucas was a staunch supporter of Stephen III during the struggles in the Árpád dynasty following Géza II's death, where Stephen III's reign was contested by his two uncles. The archbishop opposed both the intervention efforts of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. Lucas had an ambivalent relationship with Stephen's brother and successor Béla III. The strict and uncompromising nature of his extremist Gregorianism challenged and weakened his partnership and alliance with the Holy See in the last decade of his archiepiscopal tenure, which coincided with the pontificate of Pope Alexander III.