DuPont, Jacques
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The Rumors
Most Kindred in Atlanta know, have met, or at least heard about Bishop Jacques DuPont. He's one of those guys that's just been around...well, a damn long time. And he was pretty old when he came to town.
Not a lot of people know about Jack's (as he goes by casually) past, but there's the usual flurry of rumors. Some of the more likely ones are that he was a soldier in Napoleon's Army, and that he was a nomad for about 50 years or so in Europe, before coming to the US during Reconstruction and settling into Atlanta. Some of the less confirmed rumors are that he's killed a werewolf, traveled to the Far East, torn a neonate in half once in his anger, is richer then Bill Gates, works as a modern agent of the Inquisition, is a virtuoso pianist and organ player, and knows mystical secrets that would make the Ordo Dracul wet themselves. Of course, he doesn't talk about any of that much...
The Man
What people DO know for sure is that some time in the mid 1870s he showed up in town and begin aggressively helping out the Lancea Sanctum in town. He was charismatic and strong of both body and conviction, quickly finding a place as a Priest, and in 1883 declaring himself Bishop, to the mocking sneers of the Crones and a few others. After almost 125 years, he's still the Bishop, and he can count on one hand the number of people still walking and talking that jeered at him so long ago. There are rumors of his involvement in the disappearance of a good number of them over the years, but in typical "Jack DuPont" fashion, there's nothing to back them up.
His opinion of the Circle of the Crone is certainly well-known, though. He makes his extreme dislike of them relatively public knowledge, but under the rule of others in the city, he unfailingly plays nice to their faces and does what he's supposed to to keep the peace (with the notable exception of one incident in 1911...). Though he has expressed interest in the past toward ruling the city, his experiences have led him to the conclusion that he would not do well leading the city - it would drain too much of his time and energy to split his attention between the spiritual and political needs of the city. He would much rather put a trusted ally on the throne and be an adviser then take it for himself.
Despite being quite old, DuPont tries to keep up on the better part of modern culture, and a few of the technological trappings that go with it. He spends a good amount of time keeping up on all the cinema he can get his hands on, from the dawn of motion pictures to the present day, and has a propensity for horror movies, especially older ones. He has a well-known macabre streak that surfaces from time to time, and will indulge in his dark fascinations with death and pain, usually on hapless victims, mortal or Kindred. A rather confirmed rumor is that DuPont never fails an interrogation, and his mastery of the Lance's Dark Miracles leaves most shaken at best, and wholly unhinged at worst.
One particularly ironic facet of the Bishop is his views of Kindred death. He believes that under NO circumstances should a Kindred take the life of another, no matter how much they may wish to, for such is a sin in the eyes of God. He's much more liberal with torpor, and probably has staked and buried several enemies in his time. He is devout in his ideological views, and leads the Sanctified on a path of strict interpretations of his dogmatic principles. He is able to choose which ones need to be bent and which ones need to be rigid, but he ultimately can be relied on to fall back on his faith when the chips are down.
Lancea Sanctum Philosophy
DuPont is a member of the Monachal Creed, and though for many years he considered himself in the Hardliner faction of the covenant, his time as Bishop has influenced him to the point that he is a part of the Unifier faction now. He is not nearly as hidebound as one might expect for a powerful religious leader, especially an elder at that, and he enjoys lighthearted conversation and jokes as much as onerous philosophical treatises on the facets of his religion. He is more of a political leader then a spiritual one, and though he performs all the necessary functions of the Church, he prefers to run their political affairs, rather then the many ritae. He is willing to compromise small matters in the short-term to provide for the long-term survival of the Sanctified, but he prefers to keep this as minimal as he can - though he is not a hardliner first and foremost, the preservation of his doctrinal integrity is not a matter he takes lightly.
The Chapel
In the late 1950s, with his own considerable resources and the backing of several Invictus (Most notably Catherine Jung, Linus Walker, and Bridget Connelly), DuPont opened the current chapel for the Lance, replacing the small church they rented out for their nightly meetings, and which was named "The Sacred Chapel of the Visions of Saint Amoniel" upon completion. The Sanctified have met there for their sermons, Masses, meetings, and everything else they do ever since, and it seems to be up to the job for a good long time to come.
Achievements
Though he has done many things, of note is his discovery of the Theban Sorcery Ritual Serenity of St. Adira.