(1732-1804) Cardinal, born Rennes, France. He became Bishop of Lavaur in 1765, and in 1769 was transferred to Aix. In 1789 he represented the clergy of his province at the States-General, where he defended the rights of the Church, advocated the claim of every citizen to have a voice in the government, and spoke in favor of abolishing the traces of feudalism. When the majority adopted its anti-religious legislation, he wrote the famous protest against the civilconstitution of the clergy. Subsequently he proposed that his fellow bishops place their resignations in the hands of the pope. When exiled he went to England, and after religious peace was restored under Napoleon, returned to France, where he was promoted to the Archbishopric of Tours and made a cardinal. He possessed remarkable literary and oratorical gifts, and was chosen a member of the French Academy, 1776.
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