MABILLON, JEAN

Seventeenth century French Maurist; b. Saint-Pierremont (Ardennes), Nov. 23, 1632; d. Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Dec. 27, 1707. He studied at Reims before becoming a Benedictine monk (1654), was ordained at Corbie (1660), and collaborated with Jean Luc d' Achéry at Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the edition of the works of St. bernard of clairvaux, Sancti Bernardi opera omnia (Paris 1667). Following his master's plan, he collected the documents pertaining to the lives of the saints of the Benedictine Order, which, with T. Ruinart, he published in nine volumes in the Acta Sanctorum ordinis sancti Benedicti (Paris 1668–1701). These lives of the Benedictine saints in chronological order (500–1100) served as a commentary for his Annales ordinis sancti Benedicti, which were continued after his death by R. Massuet and É. Martène (1703–39). Mabillon also organized voyages of investigation in search of manuscripts in Champagne, Lorraine, and Flanders (1672); Bourgogne (1682); Germany and Switzerland (1683); and Italy (1685). He described their results in Itinerarium Burgundicum, Itinerarium Germanicum (1685) and the more famous Musaeum Italicum (2 v. Paris 1687–89). The discovery of a Lectionary at Luxeuil was the origin of his study on the Gallican liturgy, Liturgia gallicana (3 v. Paris 1675). He wrote a Traité des études monastiques (1691) and a monograph, devoted mainly to the study of relics, on the cult of unknown saints (1698). When the authenticity of the Merovingian charters of the monastery of Saint-Germain was questioned by the Bollandist D. Papebroch (1675), Mabillon studied the question for six years and published his famous De re diplomatica libri sex (Paris 1681), an exposition of the principles of documentary criticism that laid the foundation for a scientific approach to this discipline. The work was attacked by B. Germon (1703), and Mabillon supplied a supplement by way of a definitive answer (see diplomatics, ecclesiastical). The treatise on monastic studies was his response to the rigorism of A. J. de rancÉ demonstrating the value of scholarly work for monks. Mabillon also supported the claim of John gerson for authorship of the Imitation of Christ. He displayed true monastic equanimity in all his undertakings and courageously opened a path for the conscientious and realistic study of church history. He was made a member of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and considered one of the most learned men of his age.

Bibliography: h. leclercq, Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, ed. f. cabrol, h. leclercq and h. i. marrou, 15 v. (Paris 1907–53) 10.1:427–724; Mabillon, 2 v. (Paris 1953–57). g. heer, Johannes Mabillon und die Schweizer Benediktiner (St. Gallen 1938); Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 6:1254–55. m. d. knowles, The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 10 (1959) 153–173. a. pratesi, Enciclopedia cattolica, ed. p. paschini et al., 12 v. (Rome 1949–54) 7:1737–38. j. bergkamp, Dom Jean Mabillon (Washington 1928).

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