Thomas-Marie-Joseph Gousset

Who was Thomas-Marie-Joseph Gousset?

Thomas-Marie-Joseph Gousset was a French cardinal and theologian.

The son of a vine-grower, he at first laboured in the fields, and did not begin his studies till the age of seventeen. Ordained priest in 1817, he was a curate for several months, and was then charged with teaching moraI theology at the Grand Séminaire of Besançon. He retained this chair until 1830, acquiring the reputation of an expert professor and consummate casuist.

It was then he re-edited with accompanying notes and dissertations the Conférences d'Angers, and the Dictionnaire théologique of Bergier, of which he published another edition in 1843. From these years of his professorship date his clear exposition of the "Doctrine de l' Eglise sur le prêt à intérêt", "Le Code civil commenté dans ses rapports avec la théologie morale", and "Justification de la théologie du P. Liguori".

Summoned to the post of vicar-general of Besançon by Cardinal de Rohan, he fulfilled the duties of post from 1830 to 1835. At this date he was named Bishop of Périgueux, and in the following year he presented to Villemain his "Observations sur la liberté d'enseignement", a protest against the monopoly of the university.