GURY, JEAN PIERRE

Jesuit moral theologian; b. Mailleroncourt, Haute-Saône, Jan. 23, 1801; d. Mercoeur, Haute-Loire, April 18, 1866. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Montrouge on Aug. 22, 1824, and in 1828 was sent to study theology at the Roman College. Upon his return to France he spent a year doing ministerial work in Lyons, and then became professor of moral theology at the scholasticate of Vals, near Le Puy, in 1834. He was called to Rome in 1847 to teach moral theology at the Roman College, but was forced to leave because of the revolution in 1848 and he returned to Vals.

His Compendium Theologiae Moralis was published at Lyons in 1850. In it he followed closely the doctrines of Busenbaum and St. Alphonsus Liguori and made use of the works of Cardinal Gousset. Gury aimed especially at the application of general moral principles to contemporary issues. His clarity, careful reasoning, and attention to detail caused his manual to be adopted in many seminaries, including the major ones in Rome. By the time of the author's death, it had reached 17 editions, not to mention adaptations published without his knowledge in Belgium, Germany, Italy, England, Austria, and Spain. Gury was accused of Gallicanism for some of his opinions regarding the obligations binding in France on papal decrees, but replied that he had never called into question the authority of the pope but was merely tolerating the existing situation. Nevertheless he removed certain objectionable paragraphs from the fifth edition of his work. He went to Rome in 1864, and at the bidding of Father Beckx, general of the society, consulted with many outstanding theologians who had been using the Compendium as a text. Profiting by their suggestions, he published a definitive edition in 1865.

Gury's other major work, Casus conscientiae in praecipuas quaestiones theologiae moralis, published at Le Puy in 1862, enjoyed the same widespread success and fame as his earlier work and together with it exercised a considerable influence on moral theology on into the 20th century. More notable among the many later revised and annotated editions of Gury's works are those made by Dumas in France in 1890, Ballerini and Palmieri in Italy in 1907, Seitz in Germany in 1874, Ferreres in Spain in 1909, and Sabetti and Barret in the U.S. in 1902. Gury's influence contributed much to overcoming remnants of the spirit of Jansenism. He was instrumental in bringing back into vogue the old casuistic method, for which he was criticized by his opponents, especially in Germany.

During his years as professor, Gury kept in close contact with the spiritual life of the people by often preaching and hearing confessions, especially while giving missions in the countryside. He was also active in the spiritual direction of priests and religious communities, and in teaching catechism in the villages.

Bibliography: c. sommervogel, Bibliotèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, 11 v. (Brussels-Paris 1890–1932) 3:1956–59. h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 5 v. in 6 (3d ed. Innsbruck 1903–1913) 5.1: 1384–85. p. bernard, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant, 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 6.2:1993–95.

[j. h. campana]