César-Guillaume de La Luzerne

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César-Guillaume Cardinal de la Luzerne (painting after 1817)

César-Guillaume de La Luzerne (born July 8, 1738 in Paris , † June 21, 1821 there ) was a French clergyman and bishop of Langres . He was also politically active at the beginning of the French Revolution and was temporarily President of the Constituent Assembly . He emigrated because of the dispute over the civil constitution of the clergy . He lost his bishopric in connection with the Concordat of 1801 and was promoted to cardinal in 1817 .

Life

He came from a noble family in Normandy . His father was César-Antoine de La Luzerne, Marquis de Beuzeville. The mother was Marie-Elisabeth (nee de Lamoignon de Malesherbes).

He embarked on a spiritual career and was ordained a priest on March 27, 1762 . He acquired some preambles such as an honorary canon at Notre Dame de Paris in 1754 . Between 1756 and 1782 he was Commendatabot of the Mortemer Monastery . In 1765 he was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Narbonne . In 1765 he became agent général du clergé of the province of Vienne in the assembly of clergymen. Lucerne was elected Bishop of Langres in 1770 and was ordained episcopate on September 30, 1770 by Christophe de Beaumont du Repaire , Archbishop of Paris . In 1773 he gave the funeral oration on Karl-Emmanuel III. of Sardinia in Notre Dame de Paris. A year later he did the same after the death of Louis XV. In doing so, he indicated a certain criticism of the king's government.

In 1787 and 1788, alfalfa was a member of the assemblies of notables who searched in vain for solutions to the state's financial crisis. In the ensuing debate about the convening of the Estates-General , he was not one of the conservatives who took the form of the assembly from the 17th century as a model, but published a pamphlet in which he outlined a bicameral parliament . The first chamber should consist of representatives of the clergy and the nobility. The second chamber should be reserved for the third estate. Voting should take place in the chambers by heads and not by status.

In 1789, in the run-up to the General Estates of 1789, Lucerne wrote the Cahier de Doléances for his constituency and was elected a member of the assembly. He also became a member of the Constituent Assembly and was temporarily its president. In December 1789 he gave back his mandate.

In the dispute over the civil constitution of the clergy in 1791 he was prepared to make certain compromises, finally refused them and emigrated first to Constance , then to Vienna and finally to Venice . From abroad he continued to influence the faithful in his diocese. He did not go on a confrontational course, but allowed the believers to recognize the constitution of the directorate in 1795 and that of the consulate in 1800 . On the other hand, he rejected the oath of hatred of monarchy and anarchy required in 1797. In connection with the reorganization of the church in France agreed between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pius VII and the Concordat of 1801, he lost his office as bishop.

Lucerne returned to France in 1814. In 1817 he was promoted to cardinal and was reinstated as Bishop of Langres without being able to take possession of his diocese. Lucerne was appointed commander of the Order of the Holy Spirit in 1820 .

He was the author of numerous theological writings.

literature

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Commons : César Guillaume de La Luzerne  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME La Lucerne, César-Guillaume de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French clergyman and bishop of Langres
DATE OF BIRTH July 8, 1738
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH June 21, 1821
Place of death Paris