Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau
Encyclopedia
Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, OP
(April 6, 1866 – May 30, 1931) was a Canadian
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Quebec
from 1926 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1927.
, to Felix Rouleau and Luce Irvine. His father was a farmer
and his mother was of Scottish
descent. He attended the seminary
of Rimouski from 1879 to 1885, and joined the Order of Preachers
(more commonly known as the Dominicans) in Saint-Hyacinthe
on December 8, 1886.
Taking the name
Raymond-Marie, Rouleau made his final vows
on August 3, 1888. He studied theology
under Antonin Sertillanges
at the Dominican monastery
in Corbara
, on the island of Corsica
. He made his final vows on August 4, 1891.
to the priesthood
by Bishop Paul-Matthieu de La Foata on July 31, 1892. Upon his return to Canada
in 1894, he served as professor
and master of novices
at the Dominican novitiate
in Saint-Hyacinthe until 1897. He was also director of studies (1897–1898) and regent of studies (1898–1900) at the novitiate.
From 1900 to 1909, Rouleau was prior
of the Dominican convent in Ottawa
, where he also served as regent of studies, director of spiritual retreats, and professor
of moral
and pastoral theology
, Sacred Scripture, and canon law
. He attended the Plenary Council
of Quebec in 1909, and was a counselor in the Apostolic Delegation to Canada
. Rouleau was also an advocate on behalf of the Franco-Ontarian
community in the dispute over Regulation 17
, which forbade French
instruction in Ontario
schools. He served as provincial superior
of the Dominicans in Canada from 1919 to 1923.
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following May 22 from Archbishop Pietro di Maria, with Bishops Félix Couturier, OP, and Georges Gauthier
serving as co-consecrators
.
Rouleau was later named the seventh Archbishop of Quebec
on July 9, 1926. Pius XI created him Cardinal Priest
of San Pietro in Montorio
in the consistory
of December 19, 1927. He was the third Canadian raised to the College of Cardinals
, after Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau
and Louis Nazaire Bégin
. In 1930, he was dangerously bruised and cut when a blowout crashed his motor into a ditch near Levis
; he received Extreme Unction
but later convalesced.
Rouleau died from angina pectoris in his episcopal residence, at age 65. He is buried at Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(April 6, 1866 – May 30, 1931) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Quebec
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec
The Archdiocese of Québec is the oldest Catholic see in the New World north of Mexico. The archdiocese was founded as the Apostolic Vicariate of New France in 1658 and was elevated to a Diocese in 1674 and an Archdiocese in 1819...
from 1926 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1927.
Early life
One of eleven children, Felix Rouleau was born in L'Isle-Verte, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, to Felix Rouleau and Luce Irvine. His father was a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and his mother was of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
descent. He attended the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Rimouski from 1879 to 1885, and joined the Order of Preachers
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(more commonly known as the Dominicans) in Saint-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
on December 8, 1886.
Taking the name
Religious Name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purpose, and which is generally used in religious contexts. Different types of religious names may be in use among the clergy of a religion, as well in some cases among the laity....
Raymond-Marie, Rouleau made his final vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
on August 3, 1888. He studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
under Antonin Sertillanges
Antonin Sertillanges
Antonin-Gilbert Sertillanges , O.P., was a French Catholic philosopher and spiritual writer. Born Antonin-Dalmace, he took the name Antonin-Gilbert when he entered the Dominican order. His scholarly work was concerned with the moral theory of Thomas Aquinas. In the English-speaking world, he is...
at the Dominican monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Corbara
Corbara, Haute-Corse
Corbara is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
, on the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. He made his final vows on August 4, 1891.
Priesthood
Rouleau was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Paul-Matthieu de La Foata on July 31, 1892. Upon his return to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1894, he served as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and master of novices
Master of novices
The master of novices or novice master is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer those religious to whom is committed the training of the novices and the government of the novitiate of a religious order or congregation...
at the Dominican novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in Saint-Hyacinthe until 1897. He was also director of studies (1897–1898) and regent of studies (1898–1900) at the novitiate.
From 1900 to 1909, Rouleau was prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the Dominican convent in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where he also served as regent of studies, director of spiritual retreats, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of moral
Ethics in religion
Most religions have an ethical component, often derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance. "For many people, ethics is not only tied up with religion, but is completely settled by it...
and pastoral theology
Pastoral theology
Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology...
, Sacred Scripture, and canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
. He attended the Plenary Council
Plenary council (Catholicism)
A plenary council, in the Roman Catholic Church, is a term applied to various kinds of ecclesiastical synods, used when those summoned represent the whole number of bishops of some given territory...
of Quebec in 1909, and was a counselor in the Apostolic Delegation to Canada
Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa
The Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa is the home of the Papal Nuncio to Canada. Also known as Rockcliffe Manor House, it is one of Ottawa's most expensive homes, appraised at $5.3 million in 2000...
. Rouleau was also an advocate on behalf of the Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
community in the dispute over Regulation 17
Regulation 17
Regulation 17 was a regulation of the Ontario Ministry of Education, issued in July 1912 by the Conservative government of premier Sir James P. Whitney. It restricted the use of French as a language of instruction to the first two years of schooling. It was amended in 1913, and it is that version...
, which forbade French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
instruction in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
schools. He served as provincial superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of the Dominicans in Canada from 1919 to 1923.
Episcopal career
On March 9, 1923, Rouleau was appointed the second Bishop of ValleyfieldRoman Catholic Diocese of Valleyfield
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Valleyfield is a Catholic diocese in Quebec and a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Montreal. It was erected in 1892.-Ordinaries:*Joseph-Médard Émard *Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau O.P...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following May 22 from Archbishop Pietro di Maria, with Bishops Félix Couturier, OP, and Georges Gauthier
Georges Gauthier
Georges Gauthier was a French Canadian Archbishop of Montreal and the first rector of the Université de Montréal....
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
.
Rouleau was later named the seventh Archbishop of Quebec
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec
The Archdiocese of Québec is the oldest Catholic see in the New World north of Mexico. The archdiocese was founded as the Apostolic Vicariate of New France in 1658 and was elevated to a Diocese in 1674 and an Archdiocese in 1819...
on July 9, 1926. Pius XI created him Cardinal Priest
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of San Pietro in Montorio
San Pietro in Montorio
San Pietro in Montorio is a church in Rome, Italy, which includes in its courtyard The Tempietto built by Donato Bramante.-History:...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of December 19, 1927. He was the third Canadian raised to the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
, after Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau
Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau
Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau was a Canadian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Quebec from 1871 until his death in 1898...
and Louis Nazaire Bégin
Louis Nazaire Bégin
Louis-Nazaire Bégin was a Canadian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Quebec from 1898 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1914.-Biography:...
. In 1930, he was dangerously bruised and cut when a blowout crashed his motor into a ditch near Levis
Lévis, Quebec
Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...
; he received Extreme Unction
Anointing of the Sick (Catholic Church)
Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of the Catholic Church that is administered to Catholics who because of sickness or old age are in danger of death, even if the danger is not proximate...
but later convalesced.
Rouleau died from angina pectoris in his episcopal residence, at age 65. He is buried at Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
The Cathedral-minor basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec , located at 20, rue de Buade, Quebec City, Quebec, is the primate church of Canada and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, the oldest see in the New World north of Mexico.It is also the parish church of the oldest parish in North...
.