François de la Chaise (August 25, 1624 - January 20, 1709), father confessor of King Louis XIV of France, was born at the château of Aix (Aix-la-Fayette, Puy-de-Dôme), being the son of Georges d'Aix, seigneur de la Chaise, and of Renée de Rochefort. August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Puy-de-Dôme is a département in the center of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme. ...

On his mother's side he was a grandnephew of Père Coton, the confessor of Henry IV. He became a novice of the Society of Jesus before completing his studies at Lyons, where, after taking the final vows, he lectured on philosophy to students attracted by his fame from all parts of France. Henry IV (French: Henri IV) (December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610), called the Great (French: le Grand), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until 1610. ... The Society of Jesus — also known by its Latin name Societas Iesu or its English variant Jesuit Order — is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope. ... Lyons), see Lyons (disambiguation). ...

Through the influence of Camille de Villeroy, archbishop of Lyons, Père de la Chaise was in 1674 nominated confessor of Louis XIV, who intrusted him during the lifetime of Harlay de Champvallon, archbishop of Paris, with the administration of the ecclesiastical patronage of the crown. The confessor united his influence with that of Madame de Maintenon to induce the king to abandon his liaison with Madame de Montespan. More than once at Easter he is said to have had a convenient illness which dispensed him from granting absolution to Louis XIV. François de Harlay de Champvallon (August 14, 1625 - August 6, 1695), 5th archbishop of Paris, was born in that city. ... Françoise dAubigné, marquise de Maintenon Françoise dAubigné, marquise de Maintenon (November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719), the second wife of Louis XIV, was born in a prison at Niort. ... Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Mme de Montespan Françoise-Athénaïs of Rochechouart, marquise of Montespan (October 5, 1641 - May 27, 1707) was a mistress of Louis XIV. Born at the chateau of Tonnay-Charente, in todays Charente-Maritime, France, the daughter of Gabriel de... Easter is the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed in March, April, or May each year to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his death by crucifixion (see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year around AD 30-33. ...

With the fall of Madame de Montespan and the ascendancy of Madame de Maintenon his influence vastly increased. The marriage between Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon was celebrated in his presence at Versailles, but there is no reason for supposing that the subsequent coolness between him and Madame de Maintenon arose from his insistence on secrecy in this matter. During the long strife over the temporalities of the Gallican Church between Louis XIV and Innocent XI, Père de la Chaise supported the royal prerogative, though he used his influence at Rome to conciliate the papal authorities. He must be held largely responsible for the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, but not for the brutal measures applied against the Protestants. Versailles, formerly the capital city of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. ... The term Gallican Church usually refers to the Roman Catholic Church in France from the time of the Declaration of the Clergy of France (1682) to that of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) during the French Revolution. ... The Blessed Innocent XI, né Benedetto Odescalchi (May 16, 1611 - August 12, 1689) was pope from 1676 to 1689. ... The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant French Protestants (also known as Huguenots) substantial rights in a Catholic nation. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

He exercised a moderating influence on Louis XIV's zeal against the Jansenists, and Saint-Simon, who was opposed to him in most matters, does full justice to his humane and honorable character. Père de la Chaise had a lasting and unalterable affection for Fénelon, which remained unchanged by the papal condemnation of the Maximes. Jansenism was a branch of Christian philosophy founded by Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638), a Flemish theologian. ... Claude Henri de Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (October 17, 1760 – May 19, 1825), the founder of French socialism, was born in Paris. ... François de Salignac de la Mothe, more commonly known as François Fénelon (1651 - 1715), was a French Roman Catholic theologian, poet and writer. ...

In spite of failing faculties he continued his duties as confessor to Louis XIV to the end of his long life. The cemetery of Père-la-Chaise in Paris stands on property acquired by the Jesuits in 1826, and not, as is often stated, on property personally granted to him. The Cimetière du Père Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris, and one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. ...

See R Chantelauze, Le Père de la Chaize. Etudes d'histoire religieuse (Paris and Lyons, 1859).

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.