The bishop who slapped the Curé of Ars
The bishop who slapped the Curé of Ars… So goes the story! The bishop in question was the young fellow student of the future Curé of Ars, and the scene took place when they were both children!
Coming from a bourgeois and cultured family, Mathias Loras was born in Lyon in 1792, in the midst of the French Revolution. His father died guillotined in 1793, saying: “I did the things of which I am accused. This is a crime in the eyes of your court, I hope that the divine court will judge otherwise.”
His mother, busy with multiple tasks, entrusted Mathias to a nanny for a few years. He is an intelligent and pious boy, because religion has an essential place in the lives of the Loras. This is how Mathias, alongside two of his sisters, will choose a life given to the Lord. The source of his vocation is perhaps found in the testimony and martyrdom of his father.
Joint studies
The family then turned to Abbot Balley, priest of Écully and friend of the family; it was with them that he hid during the Revolution. He had just opened a “school” for aspirants to the priesthood in his presbytery. Mathias entered it in 1804 at the age of 12. Two years later, Jean-Marie Vianney joined him at the age of 20.
Coming from a simple, humble, less cultured family, he had less ability to study. Mathias will be asked to help Jean-Marie, especially with Latin. Jean-Marie Vianney’s personality will impress him, even if daily life is not always easy.
Despite Mathias’ help, Jean-Marie cannot make much progress. One day, impatient with his classmate’s slowness, Mathias slaps his elder brother. Jean-Marie’s humility allows him to dominate himself; he gets on his knees and humbly asks forgiveness for his slowness. Touched by such an attitude, Mathias will ask for forgiveness in turn. The two reconciled boys will always remain friends, even when distance separates them.
Evangelist
In November 1815, at the age of 23, Mathias became a priest. He remained for almost 10 years at the minor seminary of Meximieux (Ain), where he was successively professor then superior in 1817. It was also he who came to bless the new chapel of S. Jean-Baptiste at the home of his friend who had become parish priest of Ars, on June 24, 1823. In 1820, the Fathers of the Cross of Jesus invited him to join their congregation; it was a sign of recognition for this brilliant teacher and educator. He then became a priest of the Carthusians, the name by which they were better known. In 1824 he was appointed to the Argentière seminary (Ardèche) as superior. At the suggestion of a visiting missionary bishop from the United States, he joined the American diocese of Mobile and successively became superior of a college then vicar general. Appointed bishop of the new diocese of Dubuque (Iowa) in 1837, he spent his 19 years as episcopate zealously evangelizing this region. He remained there until his sudden death in February 1858, a year before the death of his friend from Ars.
Extract from the Annales d’Ars n° 327[juillet-août 2010] .
