CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Thomas Bouquillon</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02715b.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Belgian theologian and professor of moral theology in the Catholic University of America (1840-1902)"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="02715b.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/b.htm">B</a> > Thomas Bouquillon</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Thomas Bouquillon</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <p>Born at Warneton, <a href="../cathen/02395a.htm">Belgium</a>, 16 May, 1840; died at <a href="../cathen/03021a.htm">Brussels</a>, 5 November, 1902; a <a href="../cathen/02395a.htm">Belgian</a> <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theologian</a>, and at the time of his death professor of <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a> in the <a href="../cathen/03455a.htm">Catholic University of America</a>. The second son among five children in a <a href="../cathen/05782a.htm">family</a> of small landholders long established at Warneton near Ypres, he received his early <a href="../cathen/05295b.htm">education</a> in local <a href="../cathen/13554b.htm">schools</a> and in the College of St. Louis at Menin. His course in <a href="../cathen/12025c.htm">philosophy</a> was made at Roulers; in <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theology</a>, at the <a href="../cathen/13694a.htm">seminary</a> of <a href="../cathen/03005a.htm">Bruges</a>. Having entered the Georgian University in <a href="../cathen/13164a.htm">Rome</a>, in 1863, he was <a href="../cathen/11279a.htm">ordained</a> <a href="../cathen/12406a.htm">priest</a> in 1865 and made doctor of <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theology</a> in 1867. After ten years in the <a href="../cathen/03005a.htm">Bruges</a> <a href="../cathen/13694a.htm">seminary</a> (1867-77) and eight years in the Catholic University of <a href="../cathen/09251a.htm">Lille</a>, <a href="../cathen/06166a.htm">France</a>, as professor of <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a>, Dr. Bouquillon retired to the <a href="../cathen/02443a.htm">Benedictine</a> <a href="../cathen/04340c.htm">monastery</a> at Maredsous and devoted his energies to the preparation of the second edition of his treatise on fundamental <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a>, a work which fixes him permanently among the great men in the history of that <a href="../cathen/13598b.htm">science</a>. He accepted the chair of <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a> in the Catholic University at Washington in 1889, where he remained until his death in 1902. He was one of the most eminent <a href="../cathen/14580a.htm">theologians</a> of his time, a man of prodigious erudition in <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theology</a>, history of <a href="../cathen/14580x.htm">theology</a>, <a href="../cathen/07365a.htm">church history</a>, canon law, and bibliography. Though never in robust health, he was a tireless student, marked by quiet, simple habits, deep <a href="../cathen/05752c.htm">faith</a>, broad sympathies, and great concentration. When he entered the field of <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a> he found the <a href="../cathen/13598b.htm">science</a> enjoying no prestige, dwindled to mere compilations of conclusions to the neglect of principles. It was out of touch, consequently, with the closely related dogmatic and advancing social <a href="../cathen/13598b.htm">sciences</a>, and the methods employed in teaching it were far from perfect. In his whole career as professor and author he aimed to rescue <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a> from that condition and to restore to it its proper scientific method and dogmatic dignity. He emphasized strongly the historical and <a href="../cathen/14115a.htm">sociological</a> aspects of principles and problems in the <a href="../cathen/13598b.htm">science</a>, neglecting no results of modern research which contributed to clearness and solidity in his exposition of them. To him is due much credit for the improved methods seen in the recent history of <a href="../cathen/14601a.htm">moral theology</a>. Possibly few <a href="../cathen/14580a.htm">theologians</a> of his day were more widely consulted in <a href="../cathen/05607b.htm">Europe</a> and America than Dr. Bouquillon. He enjoyed and retained the intimate confidence of <a href="../cathen/09169a.htm">Leo XIII</a> and of many eminent <a href="../cathen/04049b.htm">churchmen</a>, and showed throughout his life unyielding devotion to the ideals, teaching, and administration of the <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">Church</a>. His extraordinary grasp of current thought developed in him an open-mindedness and a sympathy with real progress which, combining with other traits, gave a peculiar fascination to his character. In 1891 he was induced to publish a pamphlet on <a href="../cathen/05295b.htm">education</a> setting forth the abstract principles involved. His views met with considerable opposition. In all his published relies to critics he maintained his original positions without any modification whatever and ascribed the opposition to misunderstanding of his point of view and of his statement of principles. Dr. Bouquillon was active and influential in the organization of the <a href="../cathen/03449a.htm">Catholic</a> Universities of <a href="../cathen/09251a.htm">Lille</a> and Washington. In both he gained a name for great practical wisdom in questions of organization and law and for extraordinary power as a teacher.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>He published: "Theologia Moralis Fundamentalis" (3d ed., Bruges, 1903), a masterpiece of erudition, analysis, and exposition; "De Virtutibus Theologicis" (2d ed. <a href="../cathen/03005a.htm">Bruges</a>, 1890); "De Virtute Religionis" (2 vols., Bruges, 1880); "Education" (Baltimore, 1892); "Education, a Rejoinder to Critics" (Baltimore, 1892); "Education, a Rejoinder to the 'Civilatâ Cattolica'" (Baltimore, 1892); the last three of which were translated into French. He published many critical studies in the "Revue des sciences ecclésiastiques", of which he was at one time editor, in the "Nouvelle revue théologique", the "Revue Bénédictine", "The American Catholic Quarterly", and "The Catholic University Bulletin". He edited, with notes and comments, <a href="../cathen/14249b.htm">Stapleton</a>, "De Magnitudine Ecclesiæ Romanæ" (Bruges, 1881); "Leonis XIII Allocutiones, Epistolæ aliaque acta" (2 vols., Bruges, 1887); Platelli, "Synopsis cursus Theologiæ" (Bruges); "Catechismus ex decreto Concilii Tridentini" (Tournai, 1890); "Dies Sacerdotalis" of Dirckinck (Tournai, 1888); Louis de Grenade, "L'Excellence de la tres sainte Eucharistic" (Lille); Coret, "L'Année sainte" (1676) (Bruges, 1889).</p> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-bottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <div class="cenotes"><h2>Sources</h2><p class="cenotes">ROMMEL, Thomas Bouqillon, Notice bio-bibliographique (Brussels, 1903); The Catholic University Bulletin (1903), IX, 152-163.</p></div> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Kerby, W.</span> <span id="apayear">(1907).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Thomas Bouquillon.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02715b.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Kerby, William.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Thomas Bouquillon."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 2.</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company,</span> <span id="mlayear">1907.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02715b.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by Ted Rego.</span> <span id="dedication"></span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.</strong></center></td></tr></table><p align="center"><a href="../utility/contactus.htm">CONTACT US</a> | <a href="https://cleanmedia.net/p/?psid=491-308-20180429T2217479770">ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT</a></p></div> <ins class="CANBMDDisplayAD" data-bmd-ad-unit="30849120210203T1734389107AB67D35C03D4A318731A4F337F60B3E" style="display:block"></ins> <script src="https://secureaddisplay.com/au/bmd/"></script>  <ins class="CMAdExcludeArticles"></ins> </body> </html>