Pierre Brugière
Encyclopedia
Pierre Brugière was a French priest and Jansenist, who supported the French Revolution
and the reforms it sought to bring to bear on the Catholic Church.
Brugière was born at Thiers
. He was chaplain
of the Ursulines
and Canon
in his home town when his refusal to sign the formula of the acceptation of the Papal Bull
Unigenitus
forced him to leave. He went to Paris where for twelve years he remained with the community of St. Roch. A strongly Jansenistic book which he wrote, Instructions catholiques sur la dévotion au Sacre-Coeur (Paris, 1777), brought this connection to an end. When the Revolution broke out he welcomed it with enthusiasm. He wrote two books strongly calling for reform: Doléances des églisiers and Relation sommaire et véritable de ce qui s'est passé dans l'Assemblée du clergé (1789).
Brugière gladly took the Constitutional Oath on the day fixed, 9 Jan., 1791, as required by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
. Elected curé of St. Paul's he defended the civil constitution against episcopal and papal censures in his Discours patriotique au sujet des brefs du pape and La lanterne sourde (aimed at François de Bonal
, Bishop of Clermont). However, that he condemned the marriage of priests which the Constitution was trying to allow. Against this practice he wrote his Réflexions d'un curé, and Lettre d'un curé (1791), and together with several other constitutionals he denounced its advocates without mercy in Le nouveau disciple de Luther (1792). This brochure was aimed at Aubert, a married priest appointed by Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel
curé of St. Augustin.
Brugière's preaching placed him in the hands of the revolutionary tribunal, and it was while he was imprisoned he wrote to his followers the Lettre d'un cure du fond de sa prison à ses paroissiens (1793). Set at liberty, he continued his pastoral ministrations in spite of the charge of treasonable conduct, a dangerous thing in those days. But his ministrations were of a novel kind. Mass was said and the sacraments were administered by him in French, and in support of that singularity an appeal was made to the people, Appel au peuple francais (1798)
Brugière had rebuked the bishops who condemned the oath. He had likewise rebuked the priests who married. Now he was no less violent against the "Jurors" (those who had signed the oath) who began to retract. He attended the two councils of 1797 and 1801 which were trying hard to sustain the faltering Constitutional Church, and he founded a society for its protection: Société de philosophie chrétienne. Even after the promulgation of the Concordat of 1801
he clung to the then dead Constitutional Church. He died in Paris
.
Besides the works already mentioned, Brugière wrote a number of pamphlets and left many sermons which were published after his death: Instructions choisies (Paris,1804). Two contemporaries, the Abbé Massy and the Christian Brother Renaud, wrote his life under the title Mémoire apologétique de Pierre Brugière (Paris, 1804).
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the reforms it sought to bring to bear on the Catholic Church.
Brugière was born at Thiers
Thiers
Thiers is a French surname. Notable persons with the surname include:*Adolphe Thiers , French statesman and historian*Louisa Thiers , American supercentenarian*Harry D...
. He was chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of the Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
and Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
in his home town when his refusal to sign the formula of the acceptation of the Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
Unigenitus
Unigenitus
Unigenitus , an apostolic constitution in the form of a papal bull promulgated by Pope Clement XI in 1713, opened the final phase of the Jansenist controversy in France...
forced him to leave. He went to Paris where for twelve years he remained with the community of St. Roch. A strongly Jansenistic book which he wrote, Instructions catholiques sur la dévotion au Sacre-Coeur (Paris, 1777), brought this connection to an end. When the Revolution broke out he welcomed it with enthusiasm. He wrote two books strongly calling for reform: Doléances des églisiers and Relation sommaire et véritable de ce qui s'est passé dans l'Assemblée du clergé (1789).
Brugière gladly took the Constitutional Oath on the day fixed, 9 Jan., 1791, as required by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church in France to the French government....
. Elected curé of St. Paul's he defended the civil constitution against episcopal and papal censures in his Discours patriotique au sujet des brefs du pape and La lanterne sourde (aimed at François de Bonal
François de Bonal
François de Bonal was Bishop of Clermont.He had been Vicar-General of the diocese of Agen and Director of the Carmelite Nuns in France when he was made Bishop of Clermont, in 1776...
, Bishop of Clermont). However, that he condemned the marriage of priests which the Constitution was trying to allow. Against this practice he wrote his Réflexions d'un curé, and Lettre d'un curé (1791), and together with several other constitutionals he denounced its advocates without mercy in Le nouveau disciple de Luther (1792). This brochure was aimed at Aubert, a married priest appointed by Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel
Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel
Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel was a French Roman Catholic cleric and politician of the Revolution.-Clerical career:...
curé of St. Augustin.
Brugière's preaching placed him in the hands of the revolutionary tribunal, and it was while he was imprisoned he wrote to his followers the Lettre d'un cure du fond de sa prison à ses paroissiens (1793). Set at liberty, he continued his pastoral ministrations in spite of the charge of treasonable conduct, a dangerous thing in those days. But his ministrations were of a novel kind. Mass was said and the sacraments were administered by him in French, and in support of that singularity an appeal was made to the people, Appel au peuple francais (1798)
Brugière had rebuked the bishops who condemned the oath. He had likewise rebuked the priests who married. Now he was no less violent against the "Jurors" (those who had signed the oath) who began to retract. He attended the two councils of 1797 and 1801 which were trying hard to sustain the faltering Constitutional Church, and he founded a society for its protection: Société de philosophie chrétienne. Even after the promulgation of the Concordat of 1801
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
he clung to the then dead Constitutional Church. He 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...
.
Besides the works already mentioned, Brugière wrote a number of pamphlets and left many sermons which were published after his death: Instructions choisies (Paris,1804). Two contemporaries, the Abbé Massy and the Christian Brother Renaud, wrote his life under the title Mémoire apologétique de Pierre Brugière (Paris, 1804).