Le Camus, Etienne
Le Camus, Etienne
French cardinal, b. at Paris, 1632; d. at Grenoble, 1707. Through the influence of his father, Nicolas le Camus, a state councillor, he was when still very young attached to the court as almoner of the king, and enjoyed the friendship of Bossuet. The Sorbonne made him doctor of theology at the age of eighteen. The fact of his consorting with such men as Benserade, Vivonne, and Bussy drew upon him the severity of Mazarin, and he was for a while exiled to Meaux. Recalled through the influence of Colbert, he retired in 1665 to La Trappe with de Rancé, and passed from his former levity to an asceticism that led him to Port-Royal. The publication of his letters by Ingold shows that Jansenism was with Le Camus more a matter of personal sympathy and spiritual discipline than of doctrinal tenets. Made against his will Bishop of Grenoble in 1671, he proved himself zealous almost to excess in reforming abuses in his diocese. In the affair of the “régale” he acted as intermediary between Rome and Versailles, and showed creditable courage before the omnipotent Louis XIV. Innocent XI, having made him cardinal instead of Harlay, presented by the king, he was not allowed till 1689 to go to Rome to receive the insignia of his dignity. Le Camus founded in the Diocese of Grenoble two seminaries and several charitable institutions. Besides a “Recueil d’ordonnances synodales” we have from him the “Défense de la Virginité perpétuelle de la Mère de Dieu” (Paris, 1680), and numerous letters published by Ingold.
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BELLET, Histoire du Cardinal Le Camus (Paris 1886); SAINTE-BEUVE, Port-Royal, IV (Paris, 1901), 528; ST-SIMON, Mémoires (ed. HACHETTE), IV 59 to be corrected by LALOUETTE, Abrégé de la vie de M. le Cardinal Le Camus (Paris, 1720); INGOLD, Lettres du Card. Le Camus in Bulletin de l’Académie Delphinoise, 2nd series, I.
J.F. SOLLIER Transcribed by Mario Anello
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IXCopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Le Camus, Etienne
a French prelate and theologian, was born at Paris, November 24, 1632, of an ancient family in the magistracy. He became doctor of the Sorbonne in 1650; and almoner of the king, Louis XIV, while still a minor. He was appointed bishop of Grenoble in 1671, and from that time a great change took place in his life. He was indulgent to the faults of others, and gave an example of charity, modesty, and piety. In 1686 Louis XIV demanded the hat of the cardinal for M. de Harlay, archbishop of Paris. Innocent XI not liking this prelate, sent the Roman purple to Le Camus. This irritated Louis XIV, and he called for the new cardinal, wishing to reproach him, but the bishop of Grenoble disarmed him by his pleasantry. Le Camus left-all his goods to the poor of his diocese. He founded two seminaries, one at Grenoble, the other at St. Martin de Misere, and several establishments of charity. He died at Grenoble, September 12, 1707. For mention of his works, see Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.