Thomas Bouquillon

The Reverend Dr. Thomas Bouquillon
Portrait of Bouquillon
Born	Thomas-Joseph Bouquillon 16 May 1840 Warneton, Belgium
Died	5 November 1902 (aged 62) Brussels, Belgium
Ecclesiastical career
Religion	Christianity (Roman Catholic)
Church	Latin Church
Ordained	1865 (priest)
Academic background
Alma mater	Gregorian University
Influences	Thomas Aquinas Alphonsus Liguori Francisco Suárez
Academic work
Discipline	Theology
Sub-discipline	Moral theology
School or tradition	Liberal Catholicism neoscholasticism
Institutions	Bruges Seminary Institut catholique de Lille Catholic University of America
Influenced	William J. Kerby John A. Ryan

Thomas-Joseph Bouquillon (French pronunciation: [tɔmɑ bukijɔ̃]; 16 May 1840 – 5 November 1902) was a Belgian Catholic theologian, priest and professor. Bouquillon was the first professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of America and introduced social sciences into its curriculum.

Regarded as a prominent Catholic theologian of his time, his contributions focus on theology, the history of theology, ecclesiastical history, canon law and bibliography. He supported the educational views of Edward McGlynn and Archbishop John Ireland Bouquillon was active and influential in the organization of the Catholic universities of Lille and Washington, D.C.

Life

Thomas-Joseph Bouquillon was born on 16 May 1840 in Warneton, Belgium. He was the second son of five children in a family of small landholders long established at Warneton. He received his early education at local schools and at the College of St Louis at Menin. He studied philosophy at the Minor Seminary, Roeselare and theology at the seminary of Bruges.

Having entered the Georgian University in Rome in 1863, he was ordained as a priest in 1865 and became a doctor of theology in 1867. After ten years at the Bruges seminary and eight years at the Catholic University of Lille, France, as professor of moral theology, Bouquillon retired to the Benedictine monastery at Maredsous in 1885 and devoted his energies to the preparation of the second edition of his treatise on fundamental moral theology.

In 1892 he accepted the Chair of Moral Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC, where he remained until his death on November 5, 1902, in Brussels, Belgium.

Works

Though never in robust health, Bouquillon was a tireless student. When he entered the field of moral theology, he found the field had no prestige, as it had become a compilation of conclusions, rather than a study of the principles. Moral theology was out of touch, consequently, with advancing social sciences, and its methods of teaching were far from perfect. In his whole career as a professor and author Bouquillon aimed to revive moral theology from its poor academic condition and to restore proper method and dignity in the field. He emphasized the historical and sociological aspects of principles and problems in his field. Few theologians of his day were more widely consulted in Europe and America than Bouquillon.

He retained the intimate confidence of Pope Leo XIII and other eminent churchmen, and showed devotion to the ideals, teaching, and administration of the Roman Catholic Church throughout his life. He was known for an open-mindedness and a sympathy with real progress.

In 1891, he published a pamphlet on education setting out the abstract principles involved in contemporary moral theology. His views were met with considerable opposition and controversy since he had supported the state's claims in the field. In all of his published replies to critics, he maintained his original positions without any modification and ascribed the opposition to the misunderstanding of his statement of principles.

Publications

Books

• "Theologia Moralis Fundamentalis" (3d ed., Bruges, 1903)
• "De Virtutibus Theologicis" (2d ed. Bruges, 1890)
• "De Virtute Religionis" (2 vols., Bruges, 1880);
• "Education" (Baltimore, 1892)
• "Education, a Rejoinder to Critics" (Baltimore, 1892)
• "Education, a Rejoinder to the 'Civilatà Cattolica'" (Baltimore, 1892); the last three of these were translated into French

Journal articles

He published many critical studies in the Revue des sciences ecclésiastiques, of which he was at one time editor, in the Nouvelle revue théologique, the Revue Bénédictine, The American Catholic Quarterly, and The Catholic University Bulletin. He edited, with notes and comments:

• Stapleton, "De Magnitudine Ecclesiæ Romanæ" (Bruges, 1881)
• 'Leonis XIII Allocutiones, Epistolæ aliaque acta" (2 vols., Bruges, 1887)
• Platelii, "Synopsis cursus Theologiæ" (Bruges)
• "Catechismus ex decreto Concilii Tridentini" (Tournai, 1890)
• "Dies Sacerdotalis" of Dirckinck (Tournai, 1888)
• Louis de Grenade, "L'Excellence de la très sainte Eucharistic" (Lille)
• Coret, "L'Année sainte" (1676) (Bruges, 1889)

See also

• William J. Kerby

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Thomas Bouquillon — Born at Warneton, Belgium, 16 May, 1840; died at Brussels, 5 November, 1902; a Belgian theologian, and at the time of his death professor of moral theology in the Catholic University of America. The second son among five children in a family of small landholders long established at Warneton near Ypres, he received his early education in local schools and in the College of St. Louis at Menin. His course in philosophy was made at Roulers; in theology, at the seminary of Bruges. Having entered the Georgian University in Rome, in 1863, he was ordained priest in 1865 and made doctor of theology in 1867. After ten years in the Bruges seminary (1867-77) and eight years in the Catholic University of Lille, France, as professor of moral theology, Dr. Bouquillon retired to the Benedictine monastery at Maredsous and devoted his energies to the preparation of the second edition of his treatise on fundamental moral theology, a work which fixes him permanently among the great men in the history of that science. He accepted the chair of moral theology in the Catholic University at Washington in 1889, where he remained until his death in 1902. He was one of the most eminent theologians of his time, a man of prodigious erudition in theology, history of theology, church history, canon law, and bibliography. Though never in robust health, he was a tireless student, marked by quiet, simple habits, deep faith, broad sympathies, and great concentration. When he entered the field of moral theology he found the science enjoying no prestige, dwindled to mere compilations of conclusions to the neglect of principles. It was out of touch, consequently, with the closely related dogmatic and advancing social sciences, and the methods employed in teaching it were far from perfect. In his whole career as professor and author he aimed to rescue moral theology from that condition and to restore to it its proper scientific method and dogmatic dignity. He emphasized strongly the historical and sociological aspects of principles and problems in the science, neglecting no results of modern research which contributed to clearness and solidity in his exposition of them. To him is due much credit for the improved methods seen in the recent history of moral theology. Possibly few theologians of his day were more widely consulted in Europe and America than Dr. Bouquillon. He enjoyed and retained the intimate confidence of Leo XIII and of many eminent churchmen, and showed throughout his life unyielding devotion to the ideals, teaching, and administration of the Church. His extraordinary grasp of current thought developed in him an open-mindedness and a sympathy with real progress which, combing with other traits, gave a peculiar fascination to his character. In 1891 he was induced to publish a pamphlet on education setting forth the abstract principles involved. His views met with considerable opposition. In all his published relies to critics he maintained his original positions without any modification whatever and ascribed the opposition to misunderstanding of his point of view and of his statement of principles. Dr. Bouquillon was active and influential in the organization of the Catholic Universities of Lille and Washington. In both he gained a name for great practical wisdom in questions of organization and law and for extraordinary power as a teacher.

He published: "Theologia Moralis Fundamentalis" (3d ed., Bruges, 1903), a masterpiece of erudition, analysis, and exposition; "De Virtutibus Theologicis" (2d ed. Bruges, 1890); "De Virtute Religionis" (2 vols., Bruges, 1880); "Education" (Baltimore, 1892); "Education, a Rejoinder to Critics" (Baltimore, 1892); "Education, a Rejoinder to the 'Civilatà Cattolica'" (Baltimore, 1892); the last three of which were translated into French. He published many critical studies in the "Revue des sciences ecclésiastiques", of which he was at one time editor, in the "Nouvelle revue théologique", the "Revue Bénédictine", "The American Catholic Quarterly", and "The Catholic University Bulletin". He edited, with notes and comments, Stapleton, "De Magnitudine Ecclesiæ Romanæ" (Bruges, 1881); 'Leonis XIII Allocutiones, Epistolæ aliaque acta" (2 vols., Bruges, 1887); Platelii, "Synopsis cursus Theologiæ" (Bruges); "Catechismus ex decreto Concilii Tridentini" (Tournai, 1890); "Dies Sacerdotalis" of Dirckinck (Tournai, 1888); Louis de Grenade, "L'Excellence de la très sainte Eucharistic" (Lille); Coret, "L'Année sainte" (1676) (Bruges, 1889).

ROMMEL, Thomas Bouqillon, Notice bio-bibliographique (Brussels, 1903); The Catholic University Bulletin (1903), IX, 152-163.

Bibliography

• Curran, Charles E. (1997). The Origins of Moral Theology in the United States: Three Different Approaches. Washington: Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-0-585-25277-3. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• ——— (1999). The Catholic Moral Tradition Today: A Synthesis. Washington: Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-0-87840-716-3. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• Haddorff, David W. (1998). "Relying on Aquinas, Prudently". CrossCurrents. 48 (4): 562–564. ISSN 1939-3881. JSTOR 24461030. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• Moynihan, James H. (1976). The Life of Archbishop John Ireland.
• Nuesse, C. Joseph (1986). "Thomas Joseph Bouquillon (1840–1902), Moral Theologian and Precursor of the Social Sciences in the Catholic University of America". The Catholic Historical Review. 72 (4): 601–619. ISSN 1534-0708. JSTOR 25022407.
• Rommel, H. (1903). Thomas Bouquillon: Notice bio-bibliographique (in French). Bruges, Belgium: Louis de Plancke. OCLC 77989686. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• Traviss, Mary Peter (2000). "Preparation of Teachers for the Catholic Schools". In Hunt, Thomas C; Oldenski, Thomas E; Wallace, Theodore J. (eds.). Catholic School Leadership: An Invitation to Lead. London: Falmer Press. pp. 141–156. doi:10.4324/9780203980156. ISBN 978-0-203-98015-6.

Further reading

• Curran, Charles E. (1995). "Thomas Joseph Bouquillon: Americanist, Neo-Scholastic, or Manualist?". Proceedings of the Catholic Theological Society of America. 50: 156–173. ISSN 0069-1267. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• Ryan, E. G. (2003). "Bouquillon Controversy". New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Gale. pp. 564–565. ISBN 978-0-7876-4006-4.
• "Thomas Joseph Bouquillon". The Catholic University Bulletin. 9 (1): 152–163. 1903. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
• Whalen, J. P. (2003). "Thomas Joseph Bouquillon". New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Gale. pp. 563–564. ISBN 978-0-7876-4006-4.

External links

• Biography at The American Catholic History Research Center