Bourginig, Francois

Bourginig, Francois, a celebrated French theologian, was born in Paris, March 18, 1585. From his brilliant scholarship he was made doctor of the Sorbonne, and then rector of Clichy, near Paris. In 1611 he resigned this position in order to ally himself with the cardinal of Berulle, who at this time founded the order of the Oratorio, and he was actively engaged in establishing a new congregation at Nantes, Dieppe, Rouen, and. especially in the Netherlands. In 1641 he was elected superior-general in place of Condren. In this high position he showed great zeal, and faithfully worked for the good of the order, yet by this very means gained for himself numerous enemies, against whom he was obliged to defend himself in very lively contradictions with the friars. Fatigued with the course of affairs, and weighed down by years and infirmities, he resigned in 1661, and died the following year. He had been for a long time confessor to Gaston, duke of Orleans. His funeral oration was pronounced by Bossuet, and in the seventeenth volume of the works of this great bishop it may be found. Bourgoing was the author of a number of works of a religious character, also of ecclesiastical discipline, of which the following are some of the titles: Lignum Crucis (Paris, 1630): — Directoire des Missions (ibid. 1646): — Veritates et Sublime's Excellentice Verbi Incarnati (Antwerp, 1630): — Homelies Chretiennes sur les Evangiles des Dimanches et Fetes Principales (Paris, 1642); and several other works. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.