Antoine-Joseph Mège (1625 at Clermont – 15 April 1691, at the monastery of St. Germain-des-Prés near Paris) was a French

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

of the

Congregation of St. Maur The Congregation of St. Maur, often known as the Maurists, were a congregation of French Benedictines, established in 1621, and known for their high level of scholarship. The congregation and its members were named after Saint Maurus (died 565), ...

. He is known for his commentary on the

Rule of St. Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

Life

On 17 March 1643, he became a Benedictine at the monastery of Vendôme. In 1659 he taught theology at the

Abbey of St. Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

and afterwards devoted himself to preaching. In 1681 he was made prior of the monastery at

Rethel Rethel () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of Champagne and 37 ...

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

. Towards the end of his life, he withdrew to St. Germain-des-Prés, where he divided his time between prayer and study.

Works

His most important literary production is "Commentaire sur la règle de S. Benoît" and a manuscript history of the congregation of St. Maur from 1610 till 1653 (Paris, 1687). This commentary is an attack upon the rigoristic interpretation of the rule by Abbot

Rancé Rancé () is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. It is about 20 km north of Lyon. Population See also *Communes of the Ain department The following is a list of the 393 communes of the Ain department of France. ...

of La Trappe, and was forbidden in 1689 by a chapter of the Maurist superiors at the instance of

Bossuet Bossuet is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704), French bishop and theologian, uncle of Louis * Louis Bossuet Louis Bossuet (22 February 1663 – 15 January 1742) was a French parle ...

. His other works are a translation of

St. Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promot ...

's treatise "On Virginity" (Paris, 1655), "La Morale chrétienne" (Paris, 1661) a few ascetical writings and translations.

References

;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mege, Antoine-Joseph 1625 births 1691 deaths French Benedictines French Christian monks Benedictine theologians