Wednesday, February 25, 2009

16th Century French Jesuit Theologian Etienne Bauny

Etienne Bauny (b. in 1564 at Mouzon, Ardennes, France; d. 3 December 1649, at Saint Pol de Léon) was a French Jesuit theologian.

Life

He was admitted into the Society of Jesus, 20 July, 1593, and after teaching humanities and rhetoric he was promoted to the chair of moral theology which he occupied for sixteen years.[1] He was for a time superior of the Jesuit residence at Pontoise. He had the confidence of the most distinguished prelates of his age, especially of François Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld, who chose him as his spiritual director, and of René de Rieux, Bishop of Léon, who entrusted to him the settlement of the most delicate affairs of his episcopate.

Bauny’s knowledge of moral theology was profound, but he was in many points too lenient. His indulgence excited the indignation of the Jansenists, and it was to him that Blaise Pascal, Arnauld and others turned, when they accused the Society of Jesus of teaching lax morality.

He was a man of extraordinary severity towards himself, a skilful guide of souls, full of charity towards sinners, prudent in the management of affairs. He died in the odour of sanctity, almost in the very exercise of his apostolic ministry, at the advanced age of eighty-five.

Link (here)

1 comment:

www.albacete-3d.com said...

Of course, the writer is totally fair.