George Gobat

George Gobat (born at Charmoilles, in the Diocese of Basel, 1 July 1600; died 23 March 1679) was a French Jesuit theologian.

Life

Gobat entered the Society of Jesus, 1 June 1618. After teaching the humanities he was professor of sacred sciences at Fribourg, Switzerland (1631–41), and of moral theology at the Jesuit college in Halle, Belgium (1641–44). He then was at Munich (1644–47), rector at Halle (1647–51), and professor of moral theology at Ratisbon (1651–54). He was rector at Fribourg (1654–56), and professor of moral theology at Constance (1656–60), where he was also canon penitentiary of the cathedral, a post he retained until his death.

Works

Gobat's works include:

• Disputationes in Aristotelem (Fribourg, 1633–34)
• Narratio historica eorum quæ Societatis Jesu in Nova Francia fortiter egit et passa est anno 1648-49, a translation of a French work by Paul Ragueneau
• Alphabetum quadraplex de voto, juramento, blasphemia, superstitione, a collection of practical cases on the Sacraments (republished at Munich in 1669 and Constance in 1670 and 1672 as Experentiæ Theologicæ sive experimentalis theologia)
• a number of smaller works on the Jubilee

These were republished several times in three volumes under the title Opera Moralia, including at Douai in 1701 and Venice in 1749. Following the casuistic method, Gobat applies questions of theology to contemporary conditions in Germany, drawing on his experiences in the confessional and on cases referred to him for settlement.

Several of Gobat's doctrines were later condemned by the Holy See, including by Pope Innocent XI in 1679, the year of Gobat's death. Guy de Sève de Rochechouart, the Bishop of Arras, published thirty-two propositions condemning the 1701 Douai edition of the Opera Moralia. Writers in France, Germany, and Holland criticized the Jesuits based on this condemnation of Gobat's teaching; other Jesuits wrote in his defense. Works defending Gobat include Apologie pour la doctrine des Jésuites (Liege, 1703) by Gabriel Daniel, and Vindiciæ Gobatianæ (Ingolstadt, 1706) by Johann Christoph Raßler.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

George Gobat — Moral theologian; born at Charmoilles, in the Diocese of Basil, now in the Department of the Doubs, France, 1 July, 1600; died 23 March, 1679. He entered the Society of Jesus, 1 June, 1618. After teaching the humanities he was professor of sacred sciences at Fribourg, Switzerland (1631-41), and of moral theology at Halle (1641-44), at Munich (1644-47), rector at Halle (1647-51), professor of moral theology at Ratisbon (1651-54), rector at Fribourg (1654-56), professor of moral theology at Constance (1656-60), where he was also penitentiary of the cathedral, which post he retained until his death. Besides his "Disputationes in Aristotelem" (Fribourg, 1633-34), and the Latin translation, "Narratio historica eorum quæ Societatis Jesu in Nova Francia fortiter egit et passa est anno 1648-49", from the French of Father Raguenau, S.J., there are mentioned smaller works on the Jubilee and on Indulgences, and a collection of practical cases on the Sacraments entitled "Alphabetum". Later these cases were republished under the title "Experentiæ Theologicæ sive experimentalis theologia" (Constance, 1670). The "Alphabetum quadraplex de voto, juramento, blasphemia, superstitione" appeared at Constance in 1672. These works were several times republished in three volumes under the heading "Opera Moralia", for instance, at Douai, 1701, the last edition being published at Venice, 1749.

Gobat follows the casuistic method, treating the different questions in a clear and simple style with solidity and erudition, applying them especially to existing conditions in Germany, conditions well known to him from the confessional and the numerous cases referred to him for settlement. He is, however, inclined to be too lenient. Several of his doctrines were later condemned by the Holy See, notably by Innocent XI in 1679, the year of Gobat's death. The Douai edition (1701) of the "Opera Moralia" drew from Mgr. Gui de Séves de Rochechouart, Bishop of Arras, the censure of thirty-two propositions. The adversaries of the Jesuits in France, Germany, and Holland, eagerly seized the occasion for an attack on the "Jesuit moral", but several apologies were published to refute the malignant exaggerations contained in their attacks; among these defenders of P. Gobat were Father Daniel, S. J., who wrote "Apologie pour la doctrine des Jésuites" (Liege, 1703) and Chr. Rassler, S.J., author of "Vindiciæ Gobatianæ" (Ingolstadt, 1706).

De Backer and Sommervogel, Bibl. des éscrivains de la comp. de Jésus; Döllinger and Reusch. Gesch. der moralstreitigkeiten in der röm.-kath. Kirche (Nördlingen, 18890, I, 292 sqq.; Hurter, Nomenclator, s.v.; Kirchenlexicon, s.v.; Kirchliches handlexicon, s.v.

Bibliography

Attribution

• Augustin de Backer and Carlos Sommervogel, Bibl. des éscrivains de la comp. de Jésus;
• Ignaz von Döllinger and Franz Heinrich Reusch, Gesch. der moralstreitigkeiten in der röm.-kath. Kirche (Nördlingen, 1890, I, 292 sqq;
• Hugo von Hurter, Nomenclator, s.v;
• Kirchenlexicon, s.v;
• Kirchliches handlexicon, s.v.