Mathieu, FRANCOIS-DESIRE, bishop and cardinal, b. May 27, 1839; d. October 26, 1908. Born of humble family at Einville, Department of Meurthe and Moselle, France, he made his studies in the diocesan school and the seminary of the Diocese of Nancy, and was ordained priest in 1863. He was engaged successively as professor in the school (petit seminaire) of Pont-a-Mousson, chaplain to the Dominicanesses at Nancy (1879), and parish priest of Saint-Martin at Pont-a-Mousson (1890). Meanwhile, he had won the Degree of Doctor of Letters with a Latin and a French thesis, the latter being honored with a prize from the French Academy for two years. On January 3, 1893, he was nominated to the Bishopric of Angers, was preconized on January 19, and consecrated on March 20. He succeeded Msgr. Freppel, one of the most remarkable bishops of his time, and set himself to maintain all his predecessor’s good works. To these he added the work of facilitating the education of poor children destined for the priesthood. He inaugurated the same pious enterprise in the Diocese of Toulouse, to which he was transferred three years later (May 30, 1896) by a formal order of Leo XIII. In his new see he labored, in accordance with the views of this pontiff, to rally Catholics to the French Government. With this aim he wrote the “Devoir des catholiques”, an episcopal charge which attracted wide attention and earned for him the pope’s congratulations. In addition he was summoned to Rome to be a cardinal at the curia (June 19, 1899). Having resigned the See of Toulouse (December 14, 1899), his activities were thence-forward absorbed in the work of the Roman congregations and some diplomatic negotiations which have remained secret. Nevertheless, he found leisure to write on the Concordat of 1801 and the Conclave of 1903. In 1907 he was admitted to the French Academy with a discourse which attracted much notice. Death came to him unexpectedly next year in London, whither he had gone to assist at the Eucharistic Congress. Under a somewhat common-place exterior he had a rich and active nature, an inquiring and open mind, a fine and well-cultivated intelligence which did credit to the Sacred College and the French clergy. His works include: “De Joannis abbatis Gorziensis vita” (Nancy, 1878); “L’Ancien Regime dans la Province de Lorraine et Barrois” (Paris, 1871; 3rd ed., 1907); “Le Concordat de 1801″ (Paris, 1903); “Les derniers jours de Leon XIII et le conclave de 1903” (Paris, 1904); a new edition of his works began to appear in Paris, July, 1910.
ANTOINE DEGERT