Claude Le Coz
Encyclopedia
Claude Le Coz was a French Catholic bishop.
He was pupil, then professor, and finally principal of the Collège de Quimper. He took the constitutional oath
in 1791, was elected constitutional bishop
of Ille-et-Vilaine
, and wrote in defence of his election — declared null and void by the pope — "Accord des vrais principes de la morale et de la raison sur la Constitution civile du clergé".
Elected to the Legislative Assembly
, he showed courage and ability in defending against the majority Catholic colleges, the ecclesiastical costume, and even Christian marriage. His moderation drew upon him the severity of the Convention, and he spent fourteen months in the prison of Mont-Saint-Michel. Later, under the Directory, the vigour with which he opposed the substitution of the decadi for the Christian Sunday came near causing his deportation.
Under the Concordat of 1802, Le Coz was one of the Constitutional bishops whom the force of circumstances compelled the Holy See
to recognize, and he became Archbishop of Besançon. Bernier
, the ecclesiastical diplomat who negotiated the rehabilitation of the jurors, thought it best, in order to avoid delay, not to make a clear mention of the manner of retractation required by Pope Pius VII
; as a consequence, Le Coz denied ever having retracted, and the awkwardness of the situation was ended only by a personal interview between Le Coz and Pius VII, in which both were seen weeping but of which neither ever spoke.
As schismatic Bishop of Ille-et-Vilaine, Le Coz failed in his endeavour to organize the new province of which he was the metropolitan; otherwise he proved a zealous administrator and a charitable pastor. The strange mixture in Le Coz's life, is partly explained by his intensely Gallican education, which caused him to adopt and to maintain with obstinacy schismatic views. His Gallicanism, which made him so haughty toward the pope, found him almost cringing before the various political regimes which succeeded one another during his episcopate. Le Coz, even against the all-powerful Abbé Grégoire, defended the cause of religion in the Annales de la Religion, in which he was a collaborator, and in his , part of which has been published.
He was pupil, then professor, and finally principal of the Collège de Quimper. He took the constitutional oath
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....
in 1791, was elected constitutional bishop
Constitutional bishop
During the French Revolution, a constitutional bishop was a Roman Catholic bishop elected from among the clergy who had sworn to uphold the Civil Constitution of the Clergy between 1791 and 1801. Constitutional bishops were often priests with less or more moderate Gallican and partisan ideas, of a...
of Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, and wrote in defence of his election — declared null and void by the pope — "Accord des vrais principes de la morale et de la raison sur la Constitution civile du clergé".
Elected to the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly (France)
During the French Revolution, the Legislative Assembly was the legislature of France from 1 October 1791 to September 1792. It provided the focus of political debate and revolutionary law-making between the periods of the National Constituent Assembly and of the National Convention.The Legislative...
, he showed courage and ability in defending against the majority Catholic colleges, the ecclesiastical costume, and even Christian marriage. His moderation drew upon him the severity of the Convention, and he spent fourteen months in the prison of Mont-Saint-Michel. Later, under the Directory, the vigour with which he opposed the substitution of the decadi for the Christian Sunday came near causing his deportation.
Under the Concordat of 1802, Le Coz was one of the Constitutional bishops whom the force of circumstances compelled the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to recognize, and he became Archbishop of Besançon. Bernier
Bernier
Bernier is a surname and may refer to:* David Bernier or Kike Bernier, Puerto Rican fencer* Étienne-Alexandre Bernier, French religious figure and politician* François Bernier, French physician and traveler* Georges Bernier, French humorist...
, the ecclesiastical diplomat who negotiated the rehabilitation of the jurors, thought it best, in order to avoid delay, not to make a clear mention of the manner of retractation required by 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:...
; as a consequence, Le Coz denied ever having retracted, and the awkwardness of the situation was ended only by a personal interview between Le Coz and Pius VII, in which both were seen weeping but of which neither ever spoke.
As schismatic Bishop of Ille-et-Vilaine, Le Coz failed in his endeavour to organize the new province of which he was the metropolitan; otherwise he proved a zealous administrator and a charitable pastor. The strange mixture in Le Coz's life, is partly explained by his intensely Gallican education, which caused him to adopt and to maintain with obstinacy schismatic views. His Gallicanism, which made him so haughty toward the pope, found him almost cringing before the various political regimes which succeeded one another during his episcopate. Le Coz, even against the all-powerful Abbé Grégoire, defended the cause of religion in the Annales de la Religion, in which he was a collaborator, and in his , part of which has been published.