CHAPT DE RASTIGNAC, ARMAND, BL.

Theologian; b. the Périgord, France, Oct. 2, 1729; d. Paris Sept. 3–15, 1792. He received his doctorate at the Sorbonne, was appointed pastor at Saint-Mesmin d'Orléans, and eventually took the post of vicar-general of the Diocese of Arles. He was a deputy at the assembly of the French clergy in 1755 and 1760. He participated in the meetings of the Estates General in 1789 and tried to forestall action against ecclesiastical property. Because of the weakness of his voice, he wrote out and published two of his most important statements: Question sur la propriété des biens ecclésiastiques (Paris 1789) and Accord de la révélation contre le divorce (Paris 1791). In addition he translated and published with notes the famous synodal letter of Patriarch Nicholas III (d. 1111) of Constantinople to the Emperor Alexius I Comnenus (d.1118) regarding the authority of emperors with relation to the erection of ecclesiastical sees, Lettre synodale de Nicolas (Paris 1790). He signed protests against the arbitrary anticlerical laws of the Constituent Assembly. He fell sick and was bedridden for many months; when finally arrested for his views, he could scarcely walk. After a short imprisonment, he was killed in the September massacres. His beatification took place on Oct. 17, 1926.

Feast: Sept. 2.

Bibliography: c. toussaint, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant, 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 2.2:2215–16. g.jacquemet, Catholicisme 2:949. h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 5 v. in 6 (3d ed. Innsbruck 1903–1913); v.1 (4th ed. 1926)³ 5:306.

[c. meyer]