Jean du Vergier de Hauranne
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
who introduced Jansenism
Jansenism
Jansenism was a Christian theological movement, primarily in France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. The movement originated from the posthumously published work of the Dutch theologian Cornelius Otto Jansen, who died in 1638...
into France.
In the early 17th century, Jean du Vergier de Hauranne studied theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
at the Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
. He formed a friendship with fellow student Cornelius Jansen
Cornelius Jansen
Corneille Janssens, commonly known by the Latinized name Cornelius Jansen or Jansenius, was Catholic bishop of Ypres and the father of a theological movement known as Jansenism.-Biography:...
and, as the wealthier of the two, became Jansen's patron for a number of years, getting Jansen a job as a tutor 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...
in 1606. Two years later, he got Jansen a position teaching at the episcopal (or "bishop's") college in du Vergier’s hometown of Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
. The duo studied the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
together, with a special focus on the thought of Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, until both left Bayonne in 1617.
Du Vergier became the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Saint-Cyran
Saint-Cyran-du-Jambot
Saint-Cyran-du-Jambot is a commune in the Indre department in central France.Saint-Cyran’s origins lie with a monastic foundation first founded by Saint Sigiramnus in the 7th century. The foundation was first known as Saint-Pierre de Longoret but was later named after its founder...
and was thus generally known as the Abbé de Saint-Cyran for the rest of his life. He kept on corresponding with Jansen, urging him to prepare his book Augustinus, the source of the Jansenist teachings. He became spiritual director and confessor
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
of the convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of Port-Royal, which under his leadership from 1633 to 1636 became a center of Jansenism.
After the death of his friend Bérulle, he became the leader of a group of devotees, allied with the Parlement
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
of 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...
, which brought him into conflict with the French prime minister, Cardinal Richelieu. In 1638, Richelieu had him to be imprisoned 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:...
, where he remained until after the Cardinal's death in 1642. Shortly afterwards, Saint-Cyran died.
In conjunction with Jansen, Saint-Cyran insisted that love of God was fundamental, and that only contrition
Perfect contrition
Perfect contrition in Catholic theology is a repentance for sins which is motivated by the love of God...
, and not simple attrition
Imperfect contrition
Imperfect contrition in Catholic theology is a desire not to sin for a reason other than love of God. Imperfect contrition is contrasted with perfect contrition....
, could save a person. The debate between the respective roles of attrition and contrition
Contrition
Contrition or contriteness is sincere and complete remorse for sins one has committed...
was one of the motives of his imprisonment. However, he remained hesitant on this matter, and in prison signed a declaration in favor of attrition.