Camille de Neufville de Villeroy

See also: Neuville, Villeroy

Camille de Neufville de Villeroy (Rome, August 22nd, 1606 - Lyon, June 3rd, 1693) was archbishop and count de Lyon, Primat of Gaules, 1653 to 1693.

Second of five wire of Charles Ier de Neufville de Villeroy, marquis d' Halincourt, and grandson of Nicolas IV of Neufville de Villeroy, former minister for kings de France, it owes his first name with his godfather Camille Borghèse, pope under the name of Paul V.
At the five years age it is named Commendatory abbot abbey of Ainay, in Lyon, where its family resided. He studies in Lyon at the Jésuites, then in Rome, from where he returns Doctor of Divinity. He restores his abbey seriously damaged by the wars of religion, and accommodates there the princes of the moment, of which the king Louis XIII. In June 1630, it buys the castle of Ombreval , with Vimy , the North of Lyon, and in fact a sumptuous residence. In 1641, it is named commendatory abbot Mozac in Low-Auvergne. It will remain it until 1655.

In 1645, it is named Lieutenant of the King near his older brother Nicolas, governor of Lyonese, Forez and Beaujolais wine. Whereas the Sling threat, Camille affirms its fidelity with King Louis XIV, and maintains under the royal authority the second city of the royaume.
In recognition, the Queen proposes the seat of archbishop of Lyon, which would make of him a count of the city, and the primacy of Gaules to him. Not very interested by the ecclesiastical life, he refuses initially, then yields, and is crowned on June 29th, 1654.
Immediately, he undertakes to reform his Diocèse, left with the abandonment by his predecessor. He applies methods of inspiration borroméenne. He visits methodically, of the the Jura to the Dauphiné and with the Forez, the 760 parishes of this immense diocese, supports the congregation S nuns, creates Séminaire S, development assistance of the Couvent S (female in particular), and restores the discipline in the Regular clergy and secular.

It always privileges the negotiation on the constraint. Thus, it does not show any zeal for éradiquer the Jansénisme, then firmly fought by the royal and pontifical authorities. In the same way he considers it useless to fight against the allegedly reformed religion , not very widespread in region of Lion, but important in the trade of the city. So that, at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, “abjuration was made without great sorrows nor formalities”. As for recalcitrant, they could leave with their biens.
Disputed in its preeminence of primacy of Gaules by several archbishops, of which that of Paris, Camille holds good, and firmly takes the party of Rome in the fight which opposes Louis XIV and the Église gallicane to the Pope in the years 1680 (the Affaire of levels). It was its only opposition to this sovereign whom it in addition always honestly supported.

He dies in 87 years, after having calmed last once his people revolted by misery. Contrary to its will express, the city made him solemn funeral.

Collector of books, it had a rich library of more than 5.000 volumes.
The parish of Vimy , equipped by him, on its sums of money, of an imposing church, was renamed in its honor Neuville-l' Archevêque . During the Revolution, it became temporarily the Marat-on-Saone , then the Neuville-on-Saone, name preserved until today.

Sources

Poullin de Lumina, Shortened chronological of the History of Lyon , published by Aime Delaporte for Mgr of Villeroy, governor, 1767.
Kleinclausz, A., History of Lyon , volume II, Masson, 1948.
Latreille, M. - L., the pastoral work of Mgr Camille de Neufville de Villeroy , memory with the Faculty of Arts of Lyon, 1950.

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