Etienne François Xavier des Michels de Champorcin – Wikipedia
Etienne François Xavier des Michels de Champorcin , born the , in Champorcin (Auj. La Javie in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), and died , in Gagny (Auj. In Seine-Saint-Denis), is a Provençal ecclesiastics, which was bishop of Senez (1771-1773) as well as the last bishop of Toul, in Lorraine.
The Michels de Champorcin family is a noble family of Provence, originally from the County of Piedmont.
Étienne François Xavier is the second son of Henri des Michels de Champorcin ( -?), Lord of Champorcin, La Javie, Chaudol and Sainte-Colombe, governor of Digne, assessor of Aix and prosecutor of the people of the three states of Provence, and Thérèse de Brouchier (married in 1712).
His siblings have for brothers:
- Pierre Honoré Thomas Michel, Lord of Javie etc.
- Louis Victor, born on , lieutenant of the king’s vessels.
- Henri Jacques, born on , Cornette of dragons in the regiment of the queen.
- Gaspard Chrisostôme, born on , King’s engineer, then lieutenant in the body of artillery and genius.
- Marguerite Anne, born on .
He takes his name from his godfather and uncle, Étienne des Michels, prior of Roquefeuil.
Étienne François Xavier des Michels de Champorcin is born the In the family castle of Champorcin, parish of the Javie, in the diocese of Digne.
In 1732, he inherited the benefit of his uncle, to the priory of Roquefeuil, and became the prior, at the age of 11, until 1748.
In 1743, he obtained his doctorate in theology, at the University of Aix.
From 1732 to 1748, Étienne François Xavier des Michels de Champorcin was the prior of Roquefeuil.
In the 1750s, he was successively ordered underdacon, deacon and priest, and became canon of Saint-Trophime d’Arles.
From 1767 to 1771, he occupied the general vicariate of the diocese of Arles.
From 1771 to 1773, he occupied the episcopal seat of Senez after having been consecrated by Jean-Joseph de Jumilhac the Archbishop of Arles but for which he only worked.
From 1773 to 1802, he occupied the episcopal seat of Toul, and was made count of Toul and Prince of the Holy Empire.
However, he is one of the most unpopular bishops in Toul. Indeed, his appointment is made provided that he does not oppose the dismemberment of the diocese of Toul, operated in 1775, to found the bishoprics of Nancy and Saint-Dié. In compensation, the diocese enjoys the rent of 20,000 pounds from the Saint-Mansuy abbey in Toul. In addition, in 1776 he obtained a decoration for each of the canons of Saint-Etienne de Toul, favorable to the dismemberment of the bishopric, as well as the ennoblement of the cathedral chapter, forcing each pretender to prove three districts of nobility on the paternal side to be able to enter it.
All of these measures arouse strong disputes from the faithful of Toulois, an attempted opposition to the recording of the letters of ennobling of the chapter, in 1777, to the Parliament of Metz, as well as the humiliation of the bishop in public place.
In 1791, Étienne François Xavier des Michels de Champorcin refused to join the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, went into exile in Germany and then in England, however he resigned from his episcopal seat, in November 1801 after the signing of the Concordat of 1801.
The , he receives an amnesty authorizing him to return to France. He moved to Gagny (then in Seine-et-Oise), in the castle of the Countess de Laugier-Villar, his sister, where he resides until his death .
He was first buried in the old cemetery of the village, in a burial without registration, then transferred, in 1839, to the initiative of his grand-nephew, in the tomb of the Laugier-Villar of the new cemetery.
Armorial [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- Hozier de Serigny (d ’) (Antoine Marie), General armorial or registers of the nobility of France , Imprimerie Pierre Prault, Paris, 1752, register 3-2.
Dictionary [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- La Chenaye-desbois (François Alexandre d’Aubert de), Dictionary of nobility , Antoine-Boudet printing house, Paris, 1775 ( 2 It is edition), volume 10.
Works [ modifier | Modifier and code ]
- THIERY (A.D.), History of the city of Toul and its bishops , Printing of the widow Bastien, Toul, 1841.
- Dessolle (Gérard), Étienne François-Xavier des Michels de Champorcin (1721-1807): Provençal priest, bishop of Senez, bishop-comte of Toul, prince of Saint-Empire , Association for the study and safeguarding of the religious heritage of Haute-Provence, worthy Cedex, 2001.
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