Dominique Marie Varlet
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Dominique-Marie Varlet (15 March 1678 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
– 14 May 1742 in
Rijswijk Rijswijk (), formerly known as Ryswick ( ) in English, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Its population was in , and it has an area of , of which is water. The municipality also includes t ...
) was a French prelate and missionary of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
who served as
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
of the Diocese of Quebec. Later, as the
Roman Catholic Bishop In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the Ch ...
of Babylon, he caused a schism within the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
by consecrating four men successively as
Archbishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...
.


Early life

Varlet was born in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
on March 15, 1678 to Achille Varlet and Marie Vallée. His father was an actor known by the name Sieur de Verneuil, and his uncle, Charles Varlet de La Grange, was a famous collaborator and friend of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
. Little is known of his mother, except that she was the daughter of a Parisian hatter, was much younger than her husband, and that she, too, had been involved in theater. Varlet's parents had seven children, of which three survived to adulthood, including Varlet and his younger siblings Jean-Achille (1681-1720) and Marie-Anne.


Seminary formation and education

As a young man, Varlet was enrolled in the Séminaire de Saint-Magloire, an Oratorian school in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, where he met two well-known
Jansenists Jansenism was an Early modern period, early modern Christian theology, theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human Total depravity, depravity, the necessity of divine g ...
with whom he would become fast friends:
Jacques Jubé Jacques Jubé sometimes called Jubé de la Cour, (26 March 1674 in Vanves – 19 December 1745 in Paris) was a French priest, teacher and memoirist. He became known initially in his youth, during the Regency, by his liturgical reforms in the pari ...
, who would become a renowned liturgist, and Jean Baptiste Paulin d’Aguesseau, the brother of Henri François d’Aguesseau, the chancellor of
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Varlet's family owned a home near
Mont Valérien Mont may refer to: Places * Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state * Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium * Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France * Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France * Mont, ...
, a famous pilgrimage site, where Varlet came into contact with the Congrégation des prêtres du Calvaire (Congregation of the Priests of Calvary), which he joined in 1699. The strong Jansenist influence of this group would stay with Varlet throughout the remainder of his life. In 1701, Varlet earned his baccalaureate from the
Collège de Navarre The College of Navarre (french: Collège de Navarre) was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris, rivaling the Sorbonne and renowned for its library. History It was founded by Queen Joan I of Navarre in 1305, who provided for th ...
, which was part of the
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
. He later earned his licentiate, then his doctorate in theology from the
Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...
in 1706.


Priestly ministry

In 1706, Varlet was ordained a priest and was assigned to serve various parishes in the Paris suburbs, including
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Conflans-Sainte-Honorine () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The commune was originally named for its ge ...
, where he was serving in 1708.


Missionary priest in North America

In 1711, Varlet became part of the missionary society at the Séminaire des Missions Étrangères, the Foreign Missions of Paris, and he resigned as a parish priest in 1712. He was chosen to travel to the French territory of Louisiana and revive the Sainte-Famille mission for the
Tamaroa tribe The Tamaroa were a Native American people in the central Mississippi River valley of North America, and a member of the ''Illiniwek'' or Illinois Confederation of 12 or 13 tribes. The name "Tamaroa" is a derivative of the word ''tamarowa'' mea ...
in
Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
(now East St Louis, Illinois), which had been without a priest since Father Marc Bergier's death in 1707. In January 1713, Varlet sailed from
Port-Louis Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's e ...
(in the department of
Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastl ...
) and arrived on June 6 at
Mobile Bay, Alabama Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The ...
, where he suffered from
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
and spent time recovering with fellow religious Albert Davion and François Le Maire. His experience in the New World was not entirely positive, and he wrote that, far from being "one of the marvels of the world,"
French Louisiana The term French Louisiana refers to two distinct regions: * first, to colonial French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France during the 17th and 18th centuries; and, * second, to modern French Louisi ...
was "wild, uncultivated" country where the missionaries were few and the tribes were rough. In 1715, Varlet joined an expedition organized by Louisiana governor Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and finally reached the mission of Sainte-Famille in
Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
. The same year, he was appointed
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
for the Mississippi and Illinois region of the Diocese of Quebec. He traveled to
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
for the first time in 1717, leaving
Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
on March 24 and arriving in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
on September 11. He had hoped to recruit other priests to join him in
Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
. On May 10, 1718, Goulven Calvarin, Dominique-Antoine-René Thaumur de La Source, and Jean-Paul Mercier departed for
Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...
, but Varlet would never return there.


Episcopal career

After 13 months in Quebec, Varlet received orders dated September 17, 1718 that he had been appointed
titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...
of Ascalon and coadjutor bishop to Louis-Marie Pidou de Saint-Olon, Bishop of the Diocese of Babylon in
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. On November 13, he departed from
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...
, the Canadian port of the Kingdom of France, and arrived in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
two weeks later. On February 19, 1719, Varlet was consecrated titular bishop of Ascalon in the chapel of the Seminary of the Foreign Missions in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
by Jacques de Goyon Matignon,
bishop emeritus In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the Chu ...
of Condom, assisted by Louis-François Duplessis de Mornay, coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Quebec, and the bishop of Clermont. On the same day, he received news of Saint-Olon's death, was appointed his successor, and was urged to leave as soon as possible for his see in Persia.


Difficulties with the Catholic Church

Varlet left
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
on March 18, 1718 without signing his consent to the papal bull ''
Unigenitus Dei Filius ''Unigenitus'' (named for its Latin opening words ''Unigenitus dei filius'', or "Only-begotten son of God") is an apostolic constitution in the form of a papal bull promulgated by Pope Clement XI in 1713. It opened the final phase of the Jansenis ...
'', which had previously condemned 101
Jansenist Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by th ...
propositions by
Pasquier Quesnel Pasquier Quesnel, CO (14 July 1634 – 2 December 1719) was a French Jansenist theologian. Life Quesnel was born in Paris, and, after graduating from the Sorbonne with distinction in 1653, he joined the French Oratory in 1657. There he soon ...
. One night, Varlet stopped through
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, where he failed to call on the
internuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international o ...
, as was the custom. Upon arriving in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
on April 2, Varlet agreed to
confirm In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an wikt:affirmation, affirma ...
604 orphans and other poor people there, since they could not afford to travel to other countries to receive the sacrament and no bishop had celebrated the sacrament there since Archbishop Petrus Codde's death 18 years prior. Varlet then left for his see in Babylon, arriving in Persia on October 9, 1718. Varlet later moved to Shamaké (now in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
). On 26 March 1720, he learned that Rome had suspended him from his episcopal duties on May 7, 1719, following confirmation that he had failed to call upon the
papal nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
at Paris and give his adherence to the papal bull ''Unigenitus'', that he had failed to call upon the internuncio at Brussels, and that he failed to obtain permission to perform episcopal functions in the Netherlands. Varlet insisted that, coming from Canada, he knew nothing of ''Unigenitus'', that he was ordered to travel as privately as possible, and that the Chapter of Utrecht, which had jurisdiction during the vacancy of the see, had invited him to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation there. He also noted that his suspension was highly irregular, since it seemed he was arbitrarily suspended without a trial or opportunity for defense. Obliged to retrace his steps to Paris to lift the
interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits persons, certain active Church individuals or groups from participating in certain rites, or that the rites and services of the church are banished from ...
, Varlet returned to Europe, stopping through
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
where he sympathized with the plight of the Dutch Jansenists. After Pope Clement XI, the author of ''Unigenitus'', died in 1721, Varlet returned to Paris, where he stayed with Bishop Charles de Caylus of the
Diocese of Auxerre The diocese of Auxerre ( la, dioecesis Antissiodorensis) is a former French Roman Catholic diocese. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, now part of eastern France. Currently the non-metropolitan Archbishop of Sens ...
. Varlet obtained an opinion on his case from noted French canonist
Jean-Pierre Gibert Jean-Pierre Gibert (1660–1736) was a French canon lawyer. Biography Gibert was born at Aix-en-Provence. He became a cleric at an early age, receiving the tonsure only; he studied in Aix, and became doctor of theology and canon law. He taug ...
, who suggested that Varlet's suspension was null and void; several theologians at Paris and
Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
supported this conclusion. In Rome, François de Montigny,
procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
of the Société des Missions Étrangères, attempted to regularize Varlet's situation. Varlet returned to the Netherlands, where he began to elaborate a defense of his action and of the nullity of his suspension.


Consecration of other bishops

In 1723, Varlet became an appellant against the papal bull ''Unigenitus'' and allied himself with Dutch clergy who also refused to affirm the bull. Beginning in 1724, Varlet consecrated, against the orders of the pope, a succession of priests as
Archbishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...
. In the first instance of this, Pope
Innocent XIII Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...
and his successor Benedict XIII had refused to confirm the election of canon Cornelius van Steenoven, who was elected archbishop by the Cathedral Chapter of Utrecht but was suspected of Jansenism. The Chapter of Utrecht had obtained an opinion from
Zeger Bernhard van Espen Zeger Bernhard van Espen (Espenius) (born at Leuven, 9 July 1646; died at Amersfoort, Netherlands, 2 October 1728) was a Belgian canonist, who supported Gallican theories and was an ardent upholder of secular power against religious authority. Van ...
and two other doctors at
Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
, noting that they had the right, in special circumstances, to elect their archbishop and have him consecrated without the consent of the pope, and that, in the case of necessity, one bishop alone might consecrate another. Nineteen doctors of the theological faculties at Paris, Nantes, Rheims and Padua approved of this opinion. Varlet consented to consecrate van Steenoven as seventh Archbishop of Utrecht and did so on October 15, 1724, in the private chapel of the place where Varlet was staying in Amsterdam. Archbishop Steenoven died in 1725, within six months of his consecration, and the Chapter of Utrecht asked Varlet to consecrate the successor they had elected. On September 30, 1725, in the Church of St. James and St. Augustine in The Hague, Varlet consecrated Cornelius Johannes Barchman Wuytiers as the eighth Archbishop of Utrecht. Archbishop Barchman Wuytiers died in 1733, and the Chapter of Utrecht again appealed to Varlet to consecrate the successor they had elected. On October 28, 1734, Varlet consecrated Theodorus van der Croon as ninth Archbishop of Utrecht. Archbishop van der Croon died in 1739, and the Chapter of Utrecht appealed to Varlet again to consecrate the successor they had elected. On October 18, 1739, Varlet consecrated Petrus Johannes Meindaerts as tenth Archbishop of Utrecht. Varlet was excommunicated as a schismatic, along with the elected archbishops consecrated by him, as well as their followers. This act is often identified as the source of the
Old Catholic Church The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
, formulated later in the 19th century. The Dutch diocese, headed by Varlet's ordained bishops, collected many opponents to ''Unigenitus''.


End of life

By the time he consecrated van der Croon in 1739, Varlet was suffering from poor health and had already suffered a stroke. In 1740, he suffered several more strokes, and after a serious stroke on Christmas Day, his "health and mind seemed to be seriously impaired and he entered into a long decline." Varlet died on May 14, 1742, having consecrated and shared valid lines of apostolic succession with four archbishops of Utrecht, the last of whom would become the source of apostolic succession for all
Old Catholic The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the Great Chu ...
bishops.Moss, p. 131.


References


Further reading

* * * Thériault, Serge A. "La Sainte Trinité dans la théologie de Dominique Varlet, aux origines du vieux-catholicisme", ''Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift'', Jahr 73, Heft 4 (Okt.-Dez. 1983), p. 234-245.


External links


Biography - VARLET, DOMINIQUE-MARIE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varlet, Dominique Marie 1678 births 1742 deaths French Roman Catholic bishops in North America Clergy from Paris 18th-century French Roman Catholic priests Old Catholic theologians People excommunicated by the Catholic Church Old Catholic bishops French Roman Catholic missionaries Paris Foreign Missions Society missionaries University of Paris alumni Roman Catholic missionaries in New France French expatriates in Iran 18th-century Christian theologians