Louis-Mathias, Count de Barral
Encyclopedia
Louis-Mathias, Count de Barral (26 April 1746 – 7 June 1816) was a French
church figure.
He was born at Grenoble
and was educated for the priesthood at the seminary of St. Sulpice, in Paris
, and after ordination was made secretary, then coadjutor, and in 1790, successor, to his uncle, the Bishop of Troyes. In 1791, he refused to take the oath to the civil constitution of the clergy, and withdrew from France
to Konstanz
in Switzerland
and later to England
.
In 1801 he returned home, and was appointed, under the new concordat between France and the Holy See
, to govern the Diocese of Meaux
, and in 1805 was promoted to the Archbishopric of Tours. During the long and harassing negotiations which Napoleon carried on with Pope Pius VII
, while the latter was virtually a prisoner at Savona
and Fontainebleau
, Archbishop de Barral acted frequently as the emperor's intermediary. He was afterwards appointed almoner to the Empress Josephine, and he pronounced her funeral oration. Later still he was named a senator and a count of the Empire.
On the downfall of Napoleon, the archbishop took his seat in the Chamber of Peers under Louis XVIII, and in the government of the "Hundred Days
", which followed on the return of Napoleon from Elba
, he still retained his political position. On the second restoration of the Bourbons, however, he was obliged to resign, and from this time till his death, which occurred in the following year, he confined himself entirely to the administration of his archdiocese.
He has left among other works: Fragments relatifs à l'histoire ecclésiastique des premières années du XIXe siècle (Paris, 1814); and a posthumous work, published by his brother: Défense des libertés de l'église gallicane et de l'assemblée du clergé de France tenue en 1682, ou réfutation de plusieurs ouvrages publiés récemment en Angleterre sur l'infaillibilité du Pape (Paris, 1817).
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...
church figure.
He was born at Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
and was educated for the priesthood at the seminary of St. Sulpice, 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...
, and after ordination was made secretary, then coadjutor, and in 1790, successor, to his uncle, the Bishop of Troyes. In 1791, he refused to take the oath to the civil constitution of the clergy, and withdrew from France
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...
to Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and later to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1801 he returned home, and was appointed, under the new concordat between France and 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 govern the Diocese of Meaux
Diocese of Meaux
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Meaux, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese comprises the entire department of Seine-et-Marne...
, and in 1805 was promoted to the Archbishopric of Tours. During the long and harassing negotiations which Napoleon carried on with 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:...
, while the latter was virtually a prisoner at Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
and Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, Archbishop de Barral acted frequently as the emperor's intermediary. He was afterwards appointed almoner to the Empress Josephine, and he pronounced her funeral oration. Later still he was named a senator and a count of the Empire.
On the downfall of Napoleon, the archbishop took his seat in the Chamber of Peers under Louis XVIII, and in the government of the "Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
", which followed on the return of Napoleon from Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
, he still retained his political position. On the second restoration of the Bourbons, however, he was obliged to resign, and from this time till his death, which occurred in the following year, he confined himself entirely to the administration of his archdiocese.
He has left among other works: Fragments relatifs à l'histoire ecclésiastique des premières années du XIXe siècle (Paris, 1814); and a posthumous work, published by his brother: Défense des libertés de l'église gallicane et de l'assemblée du clergé de France tenue en 1682, ou réfutation de plusieurs ouvrages publiés récemment en Angleterre sur l'infaillibilité du Pape (Paris, 1817).