Robert Morel (1653 – 19 August 1731) was a French
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
.
Morel was born in 1653 in
La Chaise Dieu,
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; or ) is a cultural region in central France.
As of 2016 Auvergne is no longer an administrative division of France. It is generally regarded as conterminous with the land area of the historical Province of Auvergne, which was dis ...
. He took holy orders at the abbey of Saint Faron de Meaux in 1671; was sent to the abbey of
Saint Germain des Pres to finish his studies, and in 1680 became its librarian. He was afterwards appointed superior (prior) of a convent at
Meulan
Meulan-en-Yvelines (, before 2010: ''Meulan'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It hosted part of the Sailing at the 1900 Su ...
, and at Saint Crespin de Soissons, and secretary to the visiting officer of France. Deafness, with which he became afflicted, obliged him to resign these offices, and he retired in 1699 to
Saint Denis, near Paris, where he divided the rest of his life between pious religious exercises and the editing of several ascetic works. He died on 19 August 1731 in the odor of sanctity.
He was a man of a clear, well-balanced, fertile mind; his words breathed charity and righteousness; but great modesty, joined to simplicity, served to conceal his talents. His publications are: ''Effussions de coeur, ou entretiens spirituels et affectifs d'une ame avec Dieu sur chaque verset des Psaumes et des Cantiques de l'Eglise'' (Paris, 1716): — ''Meditations sur la regle de Saint-Benoit'' (Paris, 1717): ''— Entretiens spiritueels sur les Evangiles'' (Paris, 1720): — ''Entretiens spirituels pour servir de preparation a la mort'' (Paris, 1721): — ''Imitation de Jesus-Christ,'' a translation, with additional pieces (Paris, 1723): — ''Meditations Chretiennes sur les Evangiles'' (Paris, 1726): ''— Du bonheur d'un simple Religieux et d'une simple Religieuse, qui aiment leur etat leurs devoirs'' (Paris, 1728): — ''De l'esperance Chretienne'' (Paris, 1728): — ''Effusion de ceur sur le Cantique des Cantiques'' (Paris, 1730).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morel, Robert
1653 births
1731 deaths
French librarians