Louis-Nazaire Bégin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Louis-Nazaire Bégin |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop of Quebec | |
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Quebec |
| Enthroned | April 12, 1898 |
| Reign ended | July 18, 1925 |
| Predecessor | Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau |
| Successor | Paul-Eugène Roy |
| Orders | |
| Created Cardinal | May 25, 1914 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 10, 1840 Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévis (Lévis), Canada East |
| Died | July 18, 1925 Quebec, Canada |
| Previous post | Coadjutor Archbishop of Quebec |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Louis-Nazaire Bégin |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Quebec |
Louis-Nazaire Bégin (born January 10, 1840 – died July 18, 1925) was an important Canadian cardinal in the Catholic Church. He earned a special degree in theology from a university in Rome. Later, he became the Archbishop of Quebec in 1898, appointed by Pope Leo XIII. In 1914, Pope Pius X made him a cardinal.
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Early Life and Education
Louis-Nazaire Bégin was born on January 10, 1840, in a place called Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévis, which is now part of Lévis, Quebec. His family were farmers, and their ancestors had come to Canada from Normandy, France, in 1655.
He went to École modèle in Lévis for his first studies. After that, he attended collège commercial in Bellechasse. From 1862 to 1863, Bégin studied classic subjects and theology at the seminary in Quebec.
Studies in Rome and Europe
Bégin attended Université Laval before traveling to Rome. There, he studied at the Pontifical French Seminary from September 1863 to 1867. He became a priest on June 10, 1865, in the Lateran Basilica.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a doctorate in theology in 1866. He also learned several languages, including Hebrew and Arabic. From 1867 to 1868, he studied in Germany at the University of Innsbruck. During this time, Bégin also visited Palestine and spent five months in the Holy Land.
Teaching and Administration
When he returned to Canada in July 1868, Bégin became a professor at the Seminary of Quebec. He taught dogmatic theology and church history until 1884. In 1869, he passed a special exam called agrégation, which allowed him to teach at universities.
From 1870 to 1875, Bégin was a Professor of Religious Culture at his old university, Université Laval. He also held many administrative jobs from 1876 to 1883. These included being a director for students and a prefect of studies.
In 1884, he took a break for his health. He then worked as a private secretary for Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau during a trip to Europe. From 1885 to 1888, Bégin was the Principal of the Normal School of Laval.
Bishop and Archbishop
On October 1, 1888, Pope Leo XIII chose Bégin to be the Bishop of Chicoutimi. He officially became a bishop on October 28, 1888. Cardinal Taschereau led the ceremony in Quebec's main cathedral.
Bégin was later made Titular Archbishop of Cyrene on December 18, 1891. A few days later, he became the Coadjutor Archbishop of Quebec. This meant he would help the current Archbishop.
Cardinal Taschereau became ill, so Bégin took over his duties as the Apostolic Administrator of Quebec in September 1894. On April 12, 1898, Bégin became the Archbishop of Quebec after Cardinal Taschereau passed away.
Cardinal and Later Years
Pope Pius X made Archbishop Bégin a cardinal priest on May 25, 1914. He was given the title for the church of Ss. Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio in Rome.
Cardinal Bégin arrived too late to take part in the elections for new popes in both 1914 and 1922. As archbishop, he strongly spoke out against things he saw as harmful. He warned against modernism, certain types of music, dancing, and cinemas. He believed these could lead to serious problems.
Cardinal Bégin became ill in June 1925 and passed away on July 18, 1925, at the age of 85. His body was placed in the chapel of his home, guarded by soldiers. He was buried in the crypt of the Cathedral-Basilica of Quebec on July 25.
See also
