LE CAMUS, ÉTIENNE

French cardinal; b. Paris, 1632; d. Grenoble, Sept. 12, 1707. As the son of an illustrious noble family, he was, in the traditional manner, marked early for a clerical career, although he showed no personal inclination for the religious life. Through family connections he became an almoner of the king, holding office from 1653 to 1669. This phase of his life was marked by dissipation and constant scandal. He came under the influence of Bossuet and retired from court to place himself under the spiritual tutelage of the austere and Jansenist-tainted Nicolas pavillon, bishop of Alet. In 1671 Le Camus became bishop of Grenoble, having first refused the office on the grounds that the past notoriety of his life might cause scandal. His sanctity while he was a bishop was legendary: he underwent extraordinary fastings, slept on straw, and shunned ostentation of all kinds. The affection and respect he showed to Protestants in his diocese resulted in an exceptional number of conversions years before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He staunchly opposed the violence later employed against Protestants. In 1686 he received the red hat as a sign of papal approval. But it was without the king's presentation, for it had been intended by King Louis XIV for his own favorite, Harlay, Archbishop of Paris.

Bibliography: É. le camus, Lettres, ed. a. m. p. ingold (Paris 1892); Lettres inédites, ed. c. faure (Paris 1933). l. ceyssens, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 10 v. (Freiburg 1957—) 6:871. É. appolis, Le "Tiers parti" catholique au XVIII ^e siècle: entre Jansénistes et Zelanti (Paris 1960). j. orcibal, Louis XIV contre Innocent XI (Paris 1949).

[l. l. bernard]