Jacques-Charles de Brisacier

Jacques-Charles de Brisacier (1641 – 23 March, 1736) was a French orator and ecclesiastical writer.

Brisacier was born in Bourges. At the age of 25, he entered the Paris Foreign Missions Society and devoted 70 years of his life to this work. The scion of a rich and prominent family, son of the collector-general for the province of Berry, chaplain in ordinary to Queen Maria Theresa of Spain, wife of Louis XIV.

Many bishoprics were offered to him, but he refused them all, in order to remain in the Foreign Missions Society of which he was elected superior in 1681. He filled this office for eight terms, but as the rule of the Society is that no one shall be elected superior for more than three consecutive years, he filled this charge alternately with Louis Tiberge. He was also one of eight of its members who in 1698 composed the rules for its government which remained in force long afterwards.

Madame de Maintenon asked him to become the associate of Louis Bourdaloue and François Fénelon, in compiling the regulations for the school of Saint Cyr, which she had just founded. So pleased was she with his wisdom and judgment that she asked him again, in connection with Bourdeloue and M. Fronson, superior of Saint-Sulpice, to give his opinion on the books of Madame Guyon and upon Quietism.

On this point, however, the director of the Society of the Foreign Missions did not agree with the views of Fénelon. He took a very prominent part in the discussion on Chinese ceremonies. After having asked the advice of Fénelon and Bossuet on this question, Brisacier did not hesitate to declare himself of an opinion different from that of the Jesuits. The Bishop of Meaux wrote him three letters on this subject (30 August, 1701; 8 and 12 September, 1701). Brisacier, however, did not wait for these letters to declare himself. On 20 April, 1700, he published a pamphlet entitled "Lettre de MM. des Missions étrangères au Pape, sur les idolatries et les superstitions chinoises, avec une addition à la dite lettre, par MM. Louis Tiberge and Jacques Charles de Brisacier". Brisacier pronounced the funeral orations of the Duchesse d'Aiguillon and also of Mlle de Bouillon, both benefactresses of the Foreign Missions. He died in Paris.

References

*LAUNAY, "Histoire generale de la societe des Missions etrangeres" (Paris, 1894
*Catholic|Jacques-Charles de Brisacier