Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel

Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel (September 1, 1727 – April 12, 1794) was a French Roman Catholic cleric and politician of the Revolution.

Biography

Clerical career

Gobel was born in Thann (Alsace), and studied theology in the Jesuit German College of Rome, and then became successively a member of the Jesuit chapter of Porrentruy, bishop "in partibus" of Lydda, and finally suffragan of Basel for the section of the diocese that was situated in French territory. His political life began when he was elected deputy to the Estates-General of 1789 by the clergy of the bailiwick of Huningue.

The turning-point of his life was his action in taking the oath of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (January 3, 1791), in favour of which he had declared himself since May 5, 1790. The document gave the appointment of priests to the electoral assemblies, and, after taking the oath, Gobel had become so popular that he was elected bishop in several dioceses. He chose the Archbishopric of Paris, and in spite of the difficulties which he had to encounter before he could enter into possession, was consecrated on March 27, 1791 by eight bishops, including Charles Maurice de Talleyrand.

Politics

On November 8, 1792, Gobel was appointed administrator of Paris. His public display of anti-clericalism was most likely a careful tactic to ensure the sympathy of politicians: among other things, he declared himself opposed to clerical celibacy. On the 17th Brumaire in the year II (November 7, 1793), became before the bar of the National Convention for his activities as civil commissioner in Porrentruy, and, in a famous scene, resigned his episcopal functions, proclaiming that he did so for love of the people, and through respect for their wishes.

The followers of Jacques Hébert, who were then pursuing their anti-Christian policy, claimed Gobel as their representative. At the same time, Hébert's rival Maximilien Robespierre viewed Gobel as an atheist - although he was not accused of apostasy, and never publicly professed atheism.

Robespierre's vision of a deist Cult of the Supreme Being was threatened by the opposition of atheist Hébertists ("see Cult of Reason"), and Gobel shared the fate of the latter. He was sentenced to death with Hébert, Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, and Anacharsis Cloots, and was guillotined.

References

*1911 "In turn, it cites as references:"
** François Victor Alphonse Aulard, "La Culte de la raison" in the review "La Révolution Française" (1891).
** Étienne Charavay, "Assemble electorale de Paris" (Paris, 1890).
** H. Monin, "La Chanson et l'Eglise sous la Révolution" (Paris, 1892).
** "Episcopat de Gobel" in vol. iii. (1900) of Jean Maurice Tourneux, "Bibliographie de l'histoire de Paris pendant la Rév. Fr."