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Louis Billot (1846.1931)
Louis Billot (1846.1931)
Biography.
Louis Billot was born in and studied at the seminaries in Metz, Bordeaux, and
Blois. Ordained a priest on 22 May 1869, he entered the Society of Jesus six
months later, on 25 November, in Angers. Billot did pastoral work in Paris
from 1875 to 1878, and then in Laval until 1879.
He taught at the Catholic University of Angers from 1879 to 1882, and made
his final vows as a Jesuit on 2 February 1883, whilst teaching at the Jesuit
Scholasticate on Jersey. In 1885, Billot became a professor of dogmatic
theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In addition his
academic post, he was named a consultor to the Holy Office on 19 June 1909.
Pius X created him Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in via Lata in the consistory
of 27 November 1911. Billot was one of the cardinal electors in the conclave
of 1914, and later participated in that of 1922 as well. He was also one of the
three Cardinal-Presidents of the Pontifical Academy "S. Tommaso" in Rome,
together with Benedetto Lorenzelli and Michele Lega. He was appointed a
member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on 6 February 1923.
Billot died as a simple priest at the Jesuit Novitiate of Galloro, near Ariccia,
outside Rome, at the age of 85. He is buried in the Jesuit chapel of the Campo
Verano cemetery.
Action Franaise.
Billot's support for the deeply conservative movement Action Franaise
eventually created tension between him and the Holy See. Pope Pius XI
believed that the movement used Catholicism for its own political ends and
placed the movement's newspaper on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum which
meant that it was banned from all Catholic homes. Billot expressed strong
disagreement with the decision, saying that the political activities of
monarchist Catholics ought not to be censured by Rome.[3]
After a stormy meeting with Pope Pius XI Billot submitted his resignation
from the cardinalate on 13 September 1927,[4] and the Pope accepted it eight
days later, on 21 September. Billot's leaving the College of Cardinals was
announced to his former colleagues at the consistory of the following 19
December.
He was the only cardinal to resign that rank during the twentieth century.
However, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, an Austrian monk and at the time
Archbishop of Vienna, was asked by Pope John Paul II to relinquish all the
rights and privileges of the cardinalate. Furthermore, the Scot Keith O'Brien,
at the time Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, agreed with Pope
Francis a similar status. Now said to be living in the north of England, he was
allowed to retain the title of Cardinal and the honorific 'His Eminence').
References.
^ Jump up to: a b Salvador Miranda, "Cardinals who resigned the cardinalate
(1449-1927)"
Jump up ^ McCool, Gerald A. "Nineteenth-century Scholasticism: The Search
for a Unitary Method". Fordham University Press: 1989.
Jump up ^ TIME Magazine. Billot v. Pope October 3, 1927
Jump up ^ Many historians believe that, in fact, the pope demanded that he
offer his resignation
External links[edit]
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
Catholic-Hierarchy
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Accin Franaise.
El apoyo de Billot al movimiento profundamente conservador Action
Franaise acab por crear tensiones entre l y la Santa Sede. El Papa Po XI
crey que el movimiento us el catolicismo para sus propios fines polticos y
coloc el peridico del movimiento en el ndice Librorum Prohibitorum que
signific que fue prohibido de todos los hogares catlicos. Billot expres su
fuerte desacuerdo con la decisin, diciendo que las actividades polticas de los
catlicos monrquicos no deben ser censuradas por Roma [3].
Despus de una tormentosa reunin con el Papa Po XI Billot present su
renuncia al cardenalato el 13 de septiembre de 1927, [4] y el Papa la acept
ocho das despus, el 21 de septiembre. Billot dej el Colegio de Cardenales
fue anunciado a sus antiguos colegas en el consistorio del siguiente 19 de
diciembre.
Fue el nico cardenal que renunci a ese rango durante el siglo XX. Sin
embargo, el Papa Juan Pablo II pidi al cardenal Hans Hermann Groer, monje
austriaco y entonces arzobispo de Viena, que renunciara a todos los derechos y
privilegios del cardenalato. Adems, el escocs Keith O'Brien, entonces
Arzobispo de St. Andrews y Edimburgo, estuvo de acuerdo con el Papa
Francis en un estado similar. Ahora se dice que viva en el norte de Inglaterra,
se le permiti conservar el ttulo de Cardenal y el honorfico 'Su Eminencia').