Jacques Paul Migne facts for kids
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Jacques Paul Migne (born October 25, 1800 – died October 24, 1875) was a French priest. He became famous for publishing many religious books. He made these books affordable and easy to find. His goal was to create a huge library of important Christian texts for priests.
His most famous works are the Patrologia Latina and the Patrologia Graeca. These collections are very important for studying early Christian writers and the Middle Ages. Thanks to Migne, many original religious texts became available to priests for the first time.
Contents
About Jacques Paul Migne
Migne was born in Saint-Flour, Cantal, France. He studied to become a priest at the University of Orléans. He became a priest in 1824. He was put in charge of a church in Puiseaux. His strong Catholic and royalist views did not always fit with the local government at the time.
In 1833, he moved to Paris after a disagreement with his bishop. On November 3, he started a newspaper called L'Univers religieux. He wanted this paper to be free from political influence. It quickly became popular. He ran it for three years. Later, it became a newspaper that strongly supported the Pope's authority.
Migne's Publishing House
Migne believed that books and information should be shared widely. In 1836, he opened his big publishing house, the Ateliers catholiques. This means "Catholic Workshops." It was located in Paris. He quickly published many religious books. These books were for priests and were sold at low prices. This made sure many people could buy them. He sold books directly to subscribers, avoiding regular bookstores.
He often copied texts from the best versions he could find. He usually did this without asking for permission. During the Second French Empire, his workshops also had artists. These artists decorated churches. Three of their main artworks can still be seen in the church of Saint John the Baptist in Audresselles, France. The Ateliers also made and sold other religious items.
Over time, the Ateliers catholiques became the largest private printing company in France. But on the night of February 12-13, 1868, a terrible fire broke out. It started in the printing plant and destroyed Migne's entire business. Many printing plates melted. Even though he had insurance, Migne received very little money.
Soon after, the Archbishop of Paris, Georges Darboy, told Migne to stop his business. He even suspended Migne from his duties as a priest. The Franco-Prussian War in 1870 caused even more problems. Then, Pope Pius IX's office issued a rule. It said that money given for special prayers should not be used to buy books. This rule specifically mentioned Migne and his publications.
Migne died in Paris. He never regained his earlier success. His printing company was taken over by Garnier Frères in 1876.
Migne's Famous Collections
Migne's best-known publications are huge collections of religious writings. These include:
- Scripturae sacrae cursus completus: This was a complete guide to the Bible. It had many comments on each book.
- Theologiae cursus: A complete course in theology.
- Collection des auteurs sacrés: A collection of sacred authors.
- Encyclopédie théologique: A theological encyclopedia.
However, his most famous works are the three great series called Patrologiae cursus completus. These are:
- Patrologia Latina: This collection has 221 volumes of Latin writings. It was published from 1844 to 1855.
- Patrologia Graeca: This collection has Greek writings. It was first published with Latin translations (85 volumes, 1856–57). Then, it was published with both the original Greek text and a Latin translation (165 volumes, 1857–58).
Scholars have always found some small errors in these collections. This is because they were put together quickly and cheaply. But these widely available texts were very important. They made many old writings accessible for the first time. The paper used was not strong, so the original books are fragile today. But the sheer size of the Patrologia still makes it special. It is a more complete collection of early Christian writings than almost any other. Migne reprinted the best or latest versions of texts he could find. The Latin translations in the Greek collection were sometimes made before the Greek texts were even printed. So, they might not always match perfectly. The indexes in these books are very helpful for finding information in these old writings.
These collections are now available online through Google Books and archive.org.
Summary of Migne's Publications
Migne's Ateliers catholiques used 5 steam-powered printing presses. By 1854, about 596 people worked there. On average, they published a new book every ten days for thirty years. Here is a summary of his main publications:
- Patrologia Latina, 217 volumes
- Patrologia Graeca, 161 volumes
- Greek Fathers in Latin, 81 volumes
- Scripturae sacrae cursus completus, 25 volumes
- Theologia cursus completus, 25 volumes
- Démonstration évangeliques des plus célèbres défenseurs du Christianisme, 18 volumes
- Orateurs sacrés in two series, 66 and 33 volumes
- Première encyclopédie théologique ou série de dictionnaires sur toutes les parties de la science religieuse, 50 volumes
- Nouvelle encyclopédie théologique, 53 volumes
- Troisième et dernière encylopédie ecclésiastique, 66 volumes
- Summa aurea de laudibus B. Mariae virginis, 13 volumes
See also
In Spanish: Jacques Paul Migne para niños
