Jean-Georges Lefranc de Pompignan

Jean -Georges Lefranc de Pompignan ( born February 22, 1715 in Montauban, † December 29, 1790 in Paris) was bishop of Puy, and later Archbishop of Vienne. During the French Revolution he was a member of the National Assembly and for a time its president and minister of the king.

Life

He was a brother of the poet Jean -Jacques Lefranc de Pompignan. He attended the Collège Louis le Grand and the seminary of Saint- Sulpice. He was ordained a priest and was given the function of an archdeacon.

He became in 1743 Bishop of Le Puy. He was also a benefice of Saint- Chaffre. He held the grave speech after the death of the Dauphin. He also held in June 1768 a memorial speech at the Queen Mary Leszczyńska. He published a series of pamphlets against the philosophers of the Enlightenment. In particular, he criticized Voltaire and even published in 1763 a corresponding pastoral letter. He threw this blind faith in science before to doubt his addiction and to be denied before. Voltaire replied with two published writing. With his humor, he took the audience for themselves and denied to be an atheist.

In 1774, he became Archbishop of Vienne. In 1789 he was a member of the clergy of the Dauphine in the States General. He was one of the first clerics who were for a merger of the estates. He became a member of the National Assembly and participated actively in the debates. At times, he was also President of the Assembly. Louis XVI. appointed him a member of the government. He was responsible for the government's relationship to the church. As Minister of State, he renounced his episcopate and was awarded an abbey in return. He spoke out against the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.