Famous French Spiritual & Religious Leaders
Find out more about the greatest French Spiritual & Religious Leaders, including John Calvin, Pope Julius II, Bernadette Soubirous, Vincent de Paul and Francis de Sales.
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Birthdate: 0256 AD
Birthplace: Narbonne, France
Died: 0288 AD
Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint, was almost killed during Diocletian's persecution of Christians. However, he was later rescued by Saint Irene of Rome. Following this, Sebastian tried warning Diocletian about his sins but was instead clubbed to death. Medieval traditions labelled him as a protector against the plague.
Birthdate: January 7, 1844
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lourdes, France
Died: April 16, 1879
Bernadette Soubirous grew up amidst poverty, which contributed to her ill health and her stunted frame of just over 4 feet. At 14, she had visions of the Virgin Mary, which led to the formation of the Marian shrine of Lourdes. She was declared a saint by Pope Pius XI.
Birthdate: 1243 AD
Birthplace: Molay, Haute-Saône, France
Died: March 18, 1314
It is believed Jacques de Molay, the Knights Templar’s last grand master, had cursed King Philip IV of France while being burned to death at his orders. The curse is said to have affected Philip and his descendants, the "Accursed Kings," leading to their downfall and the Hundred Years’ War.
Birthdate: February 22, 1040
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Troyes, France
Died: July 13, 1105
Salomon Isaacides, also popularly known as Rashi, was a medieval French rabbi. He is acclaimed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud. He also authored a commentary on the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh). His works, penned in a concise and lucid manner, form the foundation of contemporary Jewish studies and rabbinic scholarship and interpretation.
5
Louise Marie Therese
(Nun)
Birthdate: November 16, 1664
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moret-sur-Loing, France
Died: 1732 AD
Louise Marie Therese was a French nun who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She has been mentioned in many different sources, some dubiously claiming that she was the daughter of the Queen of France, Maria Theresa of Spain. She was a black woman and a Benedictine nun in the abbey of Moret-sur-Loing.
6
John Baptist de La Salle
(Priest)
Birthdate: April 30, 1651
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kingdom of France
Died: April 7, 1719
John Baptist de La Salle, also known as La Salle, is remembered as the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or the de La Salle Brothers. Apart from setting up charitable boarding schools, he also trained teachers. He is revered as the patron saint of school teachers and educators.
Birthdate: 1050 AD
Birthplace: Amiens
Died: July 8, 1115
Peter the Hermit, also known as Little Peter, was a major figure of the First Crusade and a leader of the People’s Crusade, which entered the East before the Crusaders. He preached on the Mount of Olives just before Jerusalem was stormed. He also established an Augustinian monastery in Neufmoustier.
Birthdate: 1264 AD
Birthplace: Villandraut, France
Died: April 20, 1314
Pope Clement V heralded the Avignon Papacy by choosing Avignon as the papal residence instead of Rome. He also crushed the order of the Knights Templar and was known to favor his relatives. Following his death, his body was completely destroyed in a church fire caused by a lightning strike.
9
Pierre Cauchon
(Bishop of Beauvais)
Birthdate: 1371 AD
Birthplace: Reims, France
Died: December 18, 1442
10
Saint Denis of Paris
(Bishop of Paris)
Birthplace: Roman Italy, Italy
Died: 0258 AD
11
Louise de Marillac
(Saint)
Birthdate: August 12, 1591
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Le Meux, Oise, France
Died: March 15, 1660
12
Jean-Louis Tauran
(French Cardinal of the Catholic Church)
Birthdate: April 5, 1943
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Died: July 5, 2018
Jean-Louis Tauran was a French cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was also the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Ordained to the priesthood in 1969, he entered the Vatican's diplomatic service a few years later. He was the Vatican's chief archivist and librarian for several years.
13
Madeleine Sophie Barat
(Saint)
Birthdate: December 12, 1779
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Joigny, France
Died: May 25, 1865
14
Marguerite Bourgeoys
(Nun)
Birthdate: April 17, 1620
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Troyes, Champagne, Kingdom of France
Died: January 12, 1700
Birthdate: 1020 AD
Birthplace: Duchy of Lorraine, France
Died: March 29, 1058
Birthdate: 1195
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Troyes, France
Died: October 2, 1264
Birthdate: 1225 AD
Birthplace: Savoy
Died: June 22, 1276
Birthdate: 1065 AD
Birthplace: Quingey, France
Died: December 13, 1124
19
Antipope Clement VII
(Antipope)
Birthdate: 1342 AD
Birthplace: Annecy, France
Died: September 16, 1394
Birthdate: November 23, 1190
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint-Gilles
Died: November 29, 1268
Birthdate: 1310
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Château de Grizac, France
Died: December 19, 1370
Birthdate: 1285 AD
Birthplace: Saverdun, France
Died: April 25, 1342
23
Rose Philippine Duchesne
(Sister)
Birthdate: August 29, 1769
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Grenoble, France
Died: November 18, 1852
24
Julie Billiart
(Religious leader)
Birthdate: July 12, 1751
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cuvilly, France
Died: April 8, 1816
Birthdate: 1060 AD
Birthplace: Normandy, France
Died: September 5, 1128
26
François Leclerc du Tremblay
(Capuchin Frair)
Birthdate: November 4, 1577
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 17, 1638
Birthdate: 1210 AD
Birthplace: Touraine, France
Died: March 28, 1285
Birthdate: 1282 AD
Birthplace: Limousin, France
Died: September 12, 1362
Birthdate: 1096 AD
Birthplace: France
Died: August 8, 1171
30
Joseph Justus Scaliger
(French Calvinist Religious Leader and Scholar)
Birthdate: August 5, 1540
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Agen, France
Died: January 21, 1609
Joseph Justus Scaliger was a French Calvinist scholar and religious leader. His works on chronology were regarded as one of the most important contributions of Renaissance scholars. Joseph Justus Scaliger is best remembered for inflating the idea of classical history from ancient Roman and Greek history to include Babylonian, Persian, ancient Egyptian, and Jewish history.
31
Henri Grégoire
(French Catholic Priest Who Was a Defender of the Constitutional Church)
Birthdate: December 4, 1750
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vého, France
Died: May 28, 1831
Henri Grégoire, or Abbé Grégoire, was not just a Catholic priest but also a revolutionary. He first gained prominence with his Essay on the Regeneration of the Jews. A radical Jacobin, he was the first priest of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and also presided over the National Convention.
Birthdate: 1056 AD
Birthplace: Normandy, France
Died: July 30, 1126
33
Marcos de Niza
(Missionary)
Birthdate: 1495 AD
Birthplace: Nice, France
Died: March 25, 1558
Birthdate: 0532 AD
Birthplace: Soissons
Died: January 28, 0592
Birthdate: 1610 AD
Birthplace: Unknown
Died: December 31, 1686
Birthdate: 0354 AD
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Died: June 22, 0431
37
Adhemar of Le Puy
(Bishop)
Birthdate: 1055 AD
Birthplace: France
Died: August 1, 1098
Birthdate: November 14, 1601
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ri, France
Died: August 19, 1680
39
Caesarius of Arles
(Saint)
Birthdate: 0470 AD
Birthplace: Chalon-sur-Saône, France
Died: August 27, 0542
40
Étienne-Charles de Loménie de Brienne
(Politician)
Birthdate: October 9, 1727
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 19, 1794
41
Peter the Venerable
(Abbot)
Birthdate: 1092 AD
Birthplace: France
Died: December 25, 1156
42
Louis César, Count of Vexin
(Abbot)
Birthdate: June 20, 1672
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Château du Génitoy, France
Died: January 10, 1683
43
Antoine Court de Gébelin
(Pastor)
Birthdate: 1719 AD
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 10, 1784
44
Gershom ben Judah
(Scholar)
Birthdate: 0960 AD
Birthplace: Metz, France
Died: 1040 AD
Birthdate: 0880 AD
Birthplace: Le Mans, France
Died: November 18, 0942
Birthdate: 1160 AD
Birthplace: Narbonne, France
Died: 1235 AD
47
William de Corbeil
(Educator)
Birthdate: 1070 AD
Birthplace: Corbeil-Essonnes, France
Died: November 21, 1136
48
Antipope Benedict XIV
(Antipope)
Birthplace: France
Died: 1429 AD
Birthdate: 1319 AD
Died: September 29, 1364
50
Berengar Of Tours
(Theologian)
Birthdate: 0999 AD
Birthplace: Tours, France
Died: January 6, 1088