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 LACORDAIRE

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LACORDAIRE

influence the king and the whole court of Versailles underwent a wholesome cliange.

Tl is not known in how far La Cliaise was conneeted with the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, but it is prol)able that, like most other Catholics of France, he advocated it. The accusation that he advised the use of violence against Protestants is without founda- tion, and does not harmonize with the admitted mild- ness of his character. Saint-Simon (M^moires, IV, 2S.5-7), Voltaire (Siecle de Louis XIV, III, 305), and other enemies of the Jesuits testify to his kindness and hiuiianity. He corresponded with Edward Coleman concerning lawful means for bettering the sad condi- tion of the Catholics in England; but a letter concern- ing the extirpation of Protestantism, alleged to have Ijeen written by La Chaise to Father Petre, the con- fessor of James II of England, has been proved to be a forgery. As a mark of esteem King Louis XIV pre- sented him with Mont-Louis, a beautiful tract of land in the south-eastern part of Paris. In 1804 it was con- verted into a cemetery, and it is still known as Pere Lachaise.

Chahitelarize. Le Pire de la Ckaize, confesseur de Louis XIV (Paris and Lyons. 1S59): Sommervooel, Bibliothique dc la Compagnie de Jesus, II (Brussels, 1S91), 103.5-40.

Michael Ott.

Lacordaire, Jean -Baptiste- Henri -Dominique, the greatest pulpit orator of the nineteenth century, b. near Dijon, 13 May, 1S02; d. at Sordze, 21 Nov.. 1861. When he was only four years old he lost his father, and was thenceforth under the care of his mother, " a brave Christian " but no devote. She came of a family of lawyers, and brought her son up for the bar. AVhile still at school he lost his faith. From Dijon he went to Paris, to complete his legal studies under M. Guillemain. His first efforts at the bar at- tracted the attention of the great Berryer, who pre- dicted for him a successful career as an advocate. Meantime, however, he regained his faith, and re- solved to devote himself entirely to the service of God. He entered the seminary of Issy, 12 May, 1824, and, in spite of the reluctance of the superiors, was ordained by Mgr de Quelen, Archbishop of Paris, 22 Sept., 1S27. His first years in the ministry were spent as chaplain to a convent and at the College Henri IV. This work was little to his taste. Accordingly, when Mgr. Dubois, Bishop of New York, visited Paris in 1829 in search of priests for his diocese, he found a ready volunteer in the young Abb6 Lacordaire. AU arrangements were complete, but before a start could be made the Revolution broke out (July, 1830). The Abb^ de Laraennais, at this time at the height of liis reputation as a defender of the Church, immediately offered him the post of collaborator in "L'Avenir",a newspaper intended to fight for the cause of " God and Freedom ". The story of this famous journal belongs to the article Lamennais. Here it will be enough to mention that Lacordaire gladly accepted the offer, and abandoned his proposed journey to America. He and Montalembert, whom he first met at the office of "L'Avenir", were the principal contributors. Their programme was to renounce all State protection and assistance, and to demand religious freedom, not as a favour, but as a right. They advocated free speech and a free press, and exhorted the Catholics to avail themselves of these weapons in defence of their rights. Their religious teaching was strongly Ultra- montane. In the first sixteen numbers the leading article on seven occasions was from Lacordaire's pen. He did not WTite on abstract subjects; his line was to take some event of the day — some insult to religion, some striking incident in the action of Catholics in other countries, notably Ireland — and make this a text for the demand of religious rights. He possessed in a remarkable degree the qualities of a great journal- ist — clearness, force, brilliancy, the power to discuss the graver topics of the ilay at short notice, in limited

space, and in a manner adapted to the general intelli- gence. Royalists and Liberals alike were assailed with a power and fierceness never before exerted in the cause of religion. Even at this long interval of time it is impossible to read his articles without feeUng keenly their strength and vividness. His contribu- tions, and not those of Lamennais, were the most ag- gressive.

When the paper was condemned by the bishops of France, it was Lacordaire who suggested the appeal to Rome and drew up the memoir to be presented to Gregory XVI. But it was he, also, who was the first to recognize that their cause was lost, and that they must bow to the pontiff's decision. He left Rome at once, 15 March, 1832, though Lamennais antl Monta- lembert remained for some months longer. The three met again at Munich, and there, while at a banquet, they received the formal condemnation of the whole pohcy of " L'Ave- nir" (Encyclical " Mirari Vos", 15 Aug., 1832). On their return to France Lacor- daire went to stay at La Chenaie, in Brittany, where Lamennais had established a house of higher studies for eccle- siastics. He re- mained there for three months. It must be said, however, that the two men were at no time altogether cordial in their re- lations, and less than ever after their defeat. The system of philos- ophy adopted by Lamennais was never accepted by his colleague, who also refused to pay the homage which was expected from the inmates of La Chenaie. But the main cause of the contention which arose was that Lacordaire's submission was sincere, whereas Lam- ennais continued to speak strongly against Rome.

Lacordaire left La Chenaie, 11 Dec, 1832, and re- turned to Paris, where he was admitted to the circle of Madame Swetchine, who exercised a restraining influ- ence over him as long as she Uved. As the press was no longer open to him, he began to give religious lec- tures {conferences) at the College Stanislas (Jan., 1834). These were attended by some of the leading men of the day, but were soon denounced on account of the Liberal views expressed. The archbishop inter- vened, and insisted that the lectures should be sub- mitted beforehand to censors. The correspondence which ensued led to a complete change in the arch- bishop's attitude. He now offered Lacordaire the pulpit of Notre-Dame, and there, in the beginning of Lent, 1835, the first of the famous conferences was delivered . Their success was astonishing from the very outset. The second series in the following year met with even greater favour. At the conclusion of these last conferences Lacordaire announced his intention of retiring from the world for a time, in order to devote himself to study and prayer. During a retreat at the Jesuit house of St. Eusebius in Rome, he resolved to enter the religious state. Even in his seminary days he had thought of becoming a Jesuit, but had been prevented by Mgr de Qu^len. He now decided to enter the Dominican Ortler, wliose name of " Friars Preachers" naturally appealed to him. Meantime he preached a course of conferences at Metz in the

Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire