Moral Theology: Its Method and Masters
Etienne Bauny
Drawn from the authors' own words; every quotation links to its place.
Jesuit · 1564–1649
In the Index: Bauny, Étienne; Bauny
Dates differ: Prümmer 1564–1649; Haringer ?–1649.
In Prümmer's Catalogue and Haringer's Index
- “Bauny, Stephanus, S.J., French (1564-1649), an excessively benign author, wrote several moral works in either the French or the Latin language, some of which were placed on the Index and which are attacked more than is just by Pascal.” — Prümmer, Catalogue of authors
- “Bauny Stephanus, French, S.J. (Summa of Cases of Conscience), died 1649.” — Haringer's index of writers (Gury-Ballerini) (p. XIII, sign read on the page)
His Moral System, as Our Authors Report It
Every report quoted in the author's own words and linked to its place; point at a name to see his words. Haringer's signs give St. Alphonsus's judgment as Haringer found it in St. Alphonsus's works (his notice, Gury-Ballerini, 1884, p. XI); a sign on a writer the 1884 editor added to the list is the editor's own, and is said to be his.
| Charged with laxity | |
|---|---|
| Counted among them by 4 of our authors | Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, the moral systems; Noldin, Summa I, n. 232s; Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 398; Merkelbach, Summa II, excursus on the moral systems |
| “Although in other matters he is found not rarely too benign, nevertheless concerning sins of lust he sometimes defends rather rigid opinions. - Besides the authors cited, Ioannes Sanchez (+ 1624), Stephanus Bauny (+ 1649), Matthaeus Moya (+ 1684), whose work Quaestiones selectae was placed on the Index on 26 Feb. 1704, favored Laxism.”Prümmer: he favored laxism | Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 343 |
| “It was mainly Bauny's teaching that the enemies of the Jesuits exploited in order to convict the Society of laxism”Koch-Preuss: he owes his fame mainly to Pascal; they quote Barrett's judgment that he was too lenient in many points | Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, history of moral theology |
| “Chapter II — The lax opinions of several Casuists … LVI. Whether it be usury that the borrower at the beginning of the loan should pay the gain on occasion of the loan. Baunius, in his Moral Theology, Vol. III, book 2, question 12 (cited in Diana, in the place cited, resolution 45), answers in the negative, scandal being set aside: “First, because time is something extrinsic to usury: therefore from it the payment of ceasing gain does not contract the stain and vice of usury.”Concina's censuses of lax opinions list 1 of his opinion (the first is quoted; every one is under 'Where Our Authors Discuss Him') | Concina, Compendium II, bk. IX, diss. I, ch. II, n. LVI |
| Too benign in his opinions | |
| “an excessively benign author”Prümmer: excessively benign | Prümmer, Catalogue of authors |
Where Our Authors Discuss Him
Each read in its full passage; the words quoted are the author's own. Where several authors say the same thing, one is quoted and the others follow “in nearly the same words”; point at a name to see his words.
| “They have set themselves to leafing through everything that Escobar wrote in Spain, Bauny in France, Laymann in Germany, Filliucius in Italy” | Daniel, Apology, ¶ 149 |
In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)
“Etienne Bauny”, vol. 2, by Timothy Barrett. Public domain; transcription at New Advent (which expands some of the print's abbreviations).
Theologian, b. in 1564 at Mouzon, Ardennes, France; d. 3 December, 1649, at Saint Pol de Léon. He was admitted into the Society of Jesus, 20 July, 1593, and after teaching humanities and rhetoric he was promoted to the chair of moral theology which he occupied for sixteen years. He was for a time superior of the Jesuit residence at Pontoise. So high was his reputation for learning and holiness, that he had the confidence of the most distinguished prelates of his age, especially of François Cardinal de la Rochefoucauld, who chose him as his spiritual director, and of René de Rieux, Bishop of Léon, who entrusted to him the settlement of the most delicate affairs of his episcopate. Bauny's knowledge of moral theology was singularly profound, but he was in many points too lenient. His undue indulgence excited the pharisaical indignation of the Jansenists, and it was to him that Pascal, Arnauld, and others turned, when they accused the Society of Jesus of teaching lax morality. He was a man of extraordinary severity towards himself, a skilful guide of souls, full of charity towards sinners, prudent in the management of affairs; hence we are not surprised to read that he died in the odour of sanctity, almost in the very exercise of his apostolic ministry, at the advanced age of eighty-five.
His published works are: (1) "Constitutiones Synodales dioecesis Leonensis, a Renato de Rieux Episcopo Leonensi promulgatae Paulipoli in Leoniâ" (Paris, 1630); (2) "Pratique du droit canonique au gouvernement de l'Église, correction des moeurs, et distribution des bénéfices, le tout au style et usagede France" (Paris, 1634); (3) "De Sacramentis ac Personis Sacris, earumque dignitate, obligationibus ac jure, juxta sacrarum litterarum testimonia, SS. Patrum sententias Canonum ac Conciliorum sanctiones, cum summariis, indice duplice, uno tractatuum et quaestionum, rerum altero. Theologiae moralis pars prima" (Paris, 1640) in fol.; (4) "Tractatus de censuris ecclesiasticis" (Paris, 1642), in fol.; (5) "Nova beneficiorum praxisæ" (Paris, 1649). The second and third of these works are on the Index.
Sources: Guilhermy, Menologe de la c. de J., Assistance de France, II, 559; Hurter, Nomenclator, I, 494; Sommervogel, Bibliotheque de la c. de J., I, col. 1058.