Le prêtre by Eugène-Louis Julien
Le prêtre by Eugène-Louis Julien is a nonfiction character study written in the early 20th century. Drawing on the author’s vantage as a bishop, it aims not at panegyric but at a clear, impartial portrait of the French Catholic priest as shaped by vocation, Church discipline, and national history. The work explores attire and customs, seminary formation, the contrasting lives of country and city curés, the rise of the “priest of works,”
and the practice of preaching. Its focus is the everyday curé and how he anchors and animates community life. The opening of the work declares its method: to show the priest plainly, then begins with his visible signs—the soutane and tonsure, reserved carriage, and small evolutions (from rabat to Roman collar, from walking and horses to bicycles and motors). It next treats vocation and training: most candidates come from humble, often rural families; the small and major seminaries form both the inner life and the mind, balancing ascetic discipline with study, later complemented by university learning for some. A brief history (Trent, Saint Vincent de Paul, Olier) and a stress on politesse underline how formation also shapes outward manners. Turning to the country curé, the text highlights his long role in forging the French conscience, his rootedness in parish and presbytery, lean finances after Separation, and his bonds with garden, land, and local solidarities. It shows his concrete social service among farmers, sailors, and workers—blessings of fields, rural syndicates, and Christian social action that cools class conflict. The city curé, by contrast, wrestles with dispersed flocks, fundraising, and founding new parishes; a case study follows a “priest of works” who maps households, circulates a bulletin, forms lay groups, offers legal and job help, and centers renewal on Eucharistic devotion and personal contact. Finally, a chapter on preaching weighs memory versus improvisation, genre constraints shaped by sacred space, and the pull of tradition from Bossuet and Massillon to Lacordaire. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Julien, Eugène-Louis, 1856-1930 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 25018400 |
| Title | Le prêtre |
| Original Publication | Paris: Hachette, 1925. |
| Series Title | Les caractères de ce temps |
| Credits | Laurent Vogel (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.) |
| Language | French |
| LoC Class | BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements |
| Subject | Clergy -- France |
| Subject | Catholic Church -- Clergy |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77245 |
| Release Date | Nov 16, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 229 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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