Maurice-Jean de Broglie
Encyclopedia
Maurice-Jean Madeleine de Broglie (born in Broglie, Eure
, 5 September 1766; died in Paris
, 20 June 1821) was a French aristocrat and bishop. He was the son of the Field-Marshal, Victor-Francois, Duc de Broglie, created, by Emperor Francis I, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, a title which was to be hereditary in the family.
, when persecution drove both his father and him out of France, they went to Berlin. King Frederick William II of Prussia
received the duke with marked distinction and granted to the young prince a provostship
in the cathedral chapter of Posen
.
Maurice returned to France in 1803, and the steps he took to recover some family property not yet sold brought him to the attention of Napoleon, who invited him to his court and named him his almoner
. De Broglie became a follower of the monarch and eulogized him in a pastoral letter issued on the occasion of the victory at the battle of Austerlitz
. In 1805 Napoleon nominated him to the See of Acqui, Italy, and in 1807 to as Bishop of Ghent
, Belgium.
Later, de Broglie showed determined opposition to Napoleon. In 1809, the minister of worship wrote in a letter that the sovereign was highly displeased with the bishop because of his lack of devotion to the royal person; in 1810, the bishop refused the Cross of the Legion of Honor, sent to him by the emperor, since the reckoned that he could not accept such a distinction at the time when the Papal States
had been seized, and he explained his refusal in a memoir sent to the minister.
By an order of Napoleon, a council was assembled in Paris, on 17 June 1811, under the presidency of Cardinal Fesch, uncle of the emperor and Archbishop of Lyon. The object of Napoleon was to oblige the pope to grant the Bulls of institution to the priests nominated by him to bishoprics, but Pope Pius VII
had firmly refused.
The fathers of the council solemnly assembled in the metropolitan church, there being present six cardinals, nine archbishops, and eighty bishops; this was the first and the last general session. After six preliminary particular sessions, a decree in compliance with the will of Napoleon was proposed to the bishops. At first only two, d'Aviau, Archbishop of Bordeaux, and de Broglie, Bishop of Ghent, rejected it; but subsequently, only four members were for the pure and simple acceptance of the decree. The pope had privately declared that such encroachments on his spiritual power were contrary to the laws of the Church and ecclesiastical discipline.
Napoleon prorogued the council and visited with severe punishments the bishops who had been most prominent in their opposition. Arrested on 12 July, 1811, de Broglie was cast into the dungeon at Vincennes
and kept in close confinement for more than four months, without outside communication, and without books or writing materials. He was next sent as an exile to Beaune
. On the mere suspicion that he had intercourse with his clergy, he was deported to the island of Ste.-Marguerite on the coast of Provence
. De Broglie while in prison signed, under compulsion, his resignation as Bishop of Ghent. Although it was not accepted by the pope and was consequently null, Napoleon named a successor to the see.
After the fall of Napoleon, de Broglie returned to his diocese. The allied sovereigns of Europe after the overthrow of Napoleon had formed Holland and Belgium
, or the Low Countries, into a kingdom and appointed William of Nassau
to rule over them. The plenipotentiaries of the powers, assembled in London, l814, made the Dutch Constitution the fundamental law of Belgium, with a proviso that it should be modified according to circumstances. On 18 July 1815, William proposed the Dutch Constitution to the Belgians, and the representatives summoned to vote upon it rejected it by 796 to 527. The king, disregarding the vote, imposed upon the Belgians a constitution that deprived Catholics of all their rights.
This brought about the secession of Belgium from Holland and its independence in 1830. De Broglie with the Bishop of Namur and Bishop of Tournai and the Vicars-General of Mechlin and Liège took up the defence of the Catholic cause, and issued a pastoral instruction and, later on, a doctrinal judgment on the required oath to the Constitution.
De Broglie also appealed to Pius VII, and the pontiff, on 16 May 1816, sent an official note to the minister of the Low Countries residing in Rome, stating that the Belgian Constitution contained statements contrary to the Catholic Faith, that the opposition of the bishops could not in justice be reproved, and that no oath opposed to conscience should be imposed. New difficulties then arose, first when the bishop refused to offer public prayers for the king, and again, when at the erection of new universities, de Broglie addressed a representation to the king in which he pointed out the introduction of dangerous books into public institutions and strongly expressed his fears for the fate of the episcopal seminaries.
Cited before the tribunal, he took refuge in France, and the court of Brussels by a judgment, 8 November 1817, condemned him to deportation. The sentence was posted by the public executioner between the sentences of two public malefactors. The bishop's health broke down.
In 1819, de Broglie printed a protest concerning the state of religious affairs in Belgium, which was addressed to the Emperors of Austria and Russia and to the King of Prussia.
Broglie, Eure
Broglie is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
, 5 September 1766; died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 20 June 1821) was a French aristocrat and bishop. He was the son of the Field-Marshal, Victor-Francois, Duc de Broglie, created, by Emperor Francis I, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, a title which was to be hereditary in the family.
Life
Called to the ecclesiastical state, Maurice pursued his studies at St.-Sulpice. During the Reign of TerrorReign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
, when persecution drove both his father and him out of France, they went to Berlin. King Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
received the duke with marked distinction and granted to the young prince a provostship
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
in the cathedral chapter of Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
Maurice returned to France in 1803, and the steps he took to recover some family property not yet sold brought him to the attention of Napoleon, who invited him to his court and named him his almoner
Almoner
An almoner is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing cash to the deserving poor.Historically, almoners were Christian religious functionaries whose duty was to distribute alms to the poor. Monasteries were required to spend one tenth of their income in charity to...
. De Broglie became a follower of the monarch and eulogized him in a pastoral letter issued on the occasion of the victory at the battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
. In 1805 Napoleon nominated him to the See of Acqui, Italy, and in 1807 to as Bishop of Ghent
Bishop of Ghent
The Bishop of Ghent is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gent, which comprises the entire province of East Flanders as well as the Antwerp municipalities of Zwijndrecht and Burcht. The current Bishop of Ghent is Mgr...
, Belgium.
Later, de Broglie showed determined opposition to Napoleon. In 1809, the minister of worship wrote in a letter that the sovereign was highly displeased with the bishop because of his lack of devotion to the royal person; in 1810, the bishop refused the Cross of the Legion of Honor, sent to him by the emperor, since the reckoned that he could not accept such a distinction at the time when the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
had been seized, and he explained his refusal in a memoir sent to the minister.
By an order of Napoleon, a council was assembled in Paris, on 17 June 1811, under the presidency of Cardinal Fesch, uncle of the emperor and Archbishop of Lyon. The object of Napoleon was to oblige the pope to grant the Bulls of institution to the priests nominated by him to bishoprics, but Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
had firmly refused.
The fathers of the council solemnly assembled in the metropolitan church, there being present six cardinals, nine archbishops, and eighty bishops; this was the first and the last general session. After six preliminary particular sessions, a decree in compliance with the will of Napoleon was proposed to the bishops. At first only two, d'Aviau, Archbishop of Bordeaux, and de Broglie, Bishop of Ghent, rejected it; but subsequently, only four members were for the pure and simple acceptance of the decree. The pope had privately declared that such encroachments on his spiritual power were contrary to the laws of the Church and ecclesiastical discipline.
Napoleon prorogued the council and visited with severe punishments the bishops who had been most prominent in their opposition. Arrested on 12 July, 1811, de Broglie was cast into the dungeon at Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
and kept in close confinement for more than four months, without outside communication, and without books or writing materials. He was next sent as an exile to Beaune
Beaune
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
. On the mere suspicion that he had intercourse with his clergy, he was deported to the island of Ste.-Marguerite on the coast of Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. De Broglie while in prison signed, under compulsion, his resignation as Bishop of Ghent. Although it was not accepted by the pope and was consequently null, Napoleon named a successor to the see.
After the fall of Napoleon, de Broglie returned to his diocese. The allied sovereigns of Europe after the overthrow of Napoleon had formed Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, or the Low Countries, into a kingdom and appointed William of Nassau
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
to rule over them. The plenipotentiaries of the powers, assembled in London, l814, made the Dutch Constitution the fundamental law of Belgium, with a proviso that it should be modified according to circumstances. On 18 July 1815, William proposed the Dutch Constitution to the Belgians, and the representatives summoned to vote upon it rejected it by 796 to 527. The king, disregarding the vote, imposed upon the Belgians a constitution that deprived Catholics of all their rights.
This brought about the secession of Belgium from Holland and its independence in 1830. De Broglie with the Bishop of Namur and Bishop of Tournai and the Vicars-General of Mechlin and Liège took up the defence of the Catholic cause, and issued a pastoral instruction and, later on, a doctrinal judgment on the required oath to the Constitution.
De Broglie also appealed to Pius VII, and the pontiff, on 16 May 1816, sent an official note to the minister of the Low Countries residing in Rome, stating that the Belgian Constitution contained statements contrary to the Catholic Faith, that the opposition of the bishops could not in justice be reproved, and that no oath opposed to conscience should be imposed. New difficulties then arose, first when the bishop refused to offer public prayers for the king, and again, when at the erection of new universities, de Broglie addressed a representation to the king in which he pointed out the introduction of dangerous books into public institutions and strongly expressed his fears for the fate of the episcopal seminaries.
Cited before the tribunal, he took refuge in France, and the court of Brussels by a judgment, 8 November 1817, condemned him to deportation. The sentence was posted by the public executioner between the sentences of two public malefactors. The bishop's health broke down.
In 1819, de Broglie printed a protest concerning the state of religious affairs in Belgium, which was addressed to the Emperors of Austria and Russia and to the King of Prussia.