César de Bus

Life

At eighteen he joined the king's army and took part in the war against the Huguenots (members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries). After the war he devoted some time to poetry and painting, but soon made up his mind to join the naval fleet which was then besieging La Rochelle, a seaport on the western French coast. Owing to a serious sickness, though, he could not carry out this design.

Up to this time, de Bus had led a pious and virtuous life which, however, during a sojourn of three years in Paris was exchanged for one of pleasure and dissipation. From Paris he went back home to Cavaillon. Upon the death of his brother, a canon (priest) of Salon, he succeeded in obtaining the vacated church benefice (stipend), which he sought for the gratification of his worldly ambitions.

Shortly after this, however, he returned to a better life, resumed his studies, and in 1582 was ordained to the priesthood. He distinguished himself by his works of charity and his zeal in preaching and catechizing, and conceived the idea of instituting a congregation of priests who should devote themselves to the preaching of Christian Doctrine. In 1592, the "Prêtres séculiers de la doctrine chrétienne (Secular Priests of Christian Doctrine)" were founded in the Swiss town of L'Isle and in the following year came to Avignon, France. This institute's development into a religious congregation was approved by Pope Clement VIII on 23 December 1597. Besides the Fathers, de Bus founded an order of women originally called "Daughters of Christian Doctrine", which later came to be called the Ursulines (not, however, a part of the major religious Order of that same name); it died out in the 17th century.

Five volumes of his "Instructions familières" were published (Paris, 1666).

Pope Pius VII declared him venerable in 1821 and Pope Paul VI beatified him in Rome on April 27, 1975.