GÉNÉBRARD, GILBERT

Exegete and Hebraist; b. Riom, Auvergne, France, Dec. 12, 1537; d. Semur, Bourgogne, France, March 14, 1597. He entered the Benedictine monastery at Mausac as a youth, received the doctorate of theology in Paris (1563), and there became professor of Hebrew and Scripture (1569). Consecrated a bishop (April 4, 1592), he was appointed archbishop of Aix-en-Provence (Oct. 9, 1593). A staunch supporter of the Catholic League in opposing the succession of the Protestant Henry of Navarre to the throne of France, Génébrard suffered for his resistance, even though, soon after Henry became a Catholic and was crowned henry iv of France (1593), he rendered his submission to the new king. In 1596 the parliament of Provence accused him of lese majesty, had his work De sacrarum electionum jure (Paris 1593) publicly burned, and banished him from the region. After a brief exile in Avignon, he was allowed to retire to his priory in commendam at Semur, where he soon died.

Génébrard was rightly regarded by his contemporaries as one of the outstanding savants of the 16th century. Among his numerous published works are studies in the fields of OT exegesis, rabbinical literature, Patristics, dogmatic and moral theology, Canon Law, liturgy, and chronology.

Bibliography: h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 3:116–117. b. heurtebize, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique 6.1:1183–85; Dictionnaire de la Bible 3.1:171–172. y. chaussy, Catholicisme 4:1813. a. vaccari, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche 4:662–663.

[l. f. hartman]