Pierre de La Broue



Pierre de La Broue (8 February 1644, Toulouse - 20 September 1720, Mirepoix was a French bishop. He was part of the 'Apellant' movement within Jansenism, which called for the summoning of a church council to discuss the anti-Jansenist papal bull Unigenitus.

Life
From a family of magistrates from Moissac, he chose a career in the church and around 24 went to study in Paris, where he became a doctor of theology. He was also a favourite preacher at the French royal court (according to Madame de Sévigné, he "preached once before the King", at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 2 February 1679 ) and heavily linked to Bossuet. He preached the funerary oration for Marie Anne Christine of Bavaria, wife of the dauphin.

In 1679 he was made bishop of Mirepoix and founded a large seminary at Mazères as well as smaller ones at Fanjeaux and Belpech. Whilst bishop he set up a confraternity of pity at Mirepoix and carried out several charitable works. He also aimed to be made deputy to the estates of Languedoc, a request which was never granted. In 1694 he was elected 'mainteneur' of the Acadèmia dels Jòcs Florals, where as a young man he had been praised for a work entitled Adieu aux muses profanes.

With the bishops of Senez (Jean Soanen), Montpellier (Charles-Joachim Colbert de Croissy) and Boulogne (Pierre de Langle), he opposed the bull Unigenitus. According to his wishes, La Broue was buried at the seminary in Mazères.

Works

 * Oraison funèbre de très haute, très puissante et excellente princesse Marie-Anne-Christine de Bavière, dauphine de France, prononcée à Saint-Denis, le 5 juin 1690, par messire Pierre de La Broüe (1690)
 * Catéchisme du diocèse de Mirepoix. Par le commandement de monseigneur l'illustrissime & révérendissime Pierre de La Broüe évêque de Mirepoix, conseiller du Roy en ses conseils (1699)
 * Première Lettre pastorale de Mgr La Broüe aux nouveaux réunis de son diocèse (1702)
 * Projet de mandement et d'instruction pastorale de M. l'évêque de Mirepoix au sujet de la constitution de N. S. P. le Pape, du 8 septembre 1713 (1714)
 * Défense de la grâce efficace par elle-mesme, par feu Mre Pierre de La Brouë (1721)