The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-07
Able RENARD MAKES
PARTIAL EXPLANATION
Says Abandonment of Religious
Career Is Logical Outcome
of His Convictions.
HAS CAUSED GREAT SENSATION.
Announces That He Will Publish
His Motives for Breaking
Away From
-aAl Church. aaA
HAS CAUSED GREAT SENSATION.

London. April 6.-The religious abdication
OF Able Renard. a learned Jesuit, who oc-
cupies q professional chair at the University
Of Client. is causing in Belgium and through
out the Catholic world a sensation only
paralleled by that produced by the mar
rage of Pere Hyacinthe. Abbe Renard
broke away from the church in order to
contract marriage with Mile. Henrietta Van
Gobbelschroz. a Flemish lady.
Some weeks 6 Able Renard obtained
leave Of absence and came to London, with
out anybody being at all aware Of the OBJ
ject Of his departure. He had. however. In
formed Mgr. Goossens. the C~ardinai-Arch-
bishop of Malines. that he would cease to
first day Of the ~sprinstide." He married
Mile. Van Gobbelschroz on that day. They
have returned to Brussels and taken up
w ,heI! ft tbs aSse a. had g n neuted 81 aom me w seIas1 n
advance. The former Jesuit has sent a letter
to his. private friends. in which he says
but the realization of his plans had been
deferred because his marriage and the. re-
sulting religious scandal might have endan-
gered his mothers life.
abandoned the church on account Of con-
scientiOus ecruples. and that he intends. 20
and consequently provoke q discussion with
the defenders of Catholic dogma
A Political Question.
An interesting political question arises
out Of Able Renard,s marriage, viz;
will. in consequence of his marriage. de-
prive him OF his chair at Client University.
which Is u State institution. Should this be
from the Liberals. and the affair will be
discussed in the Belgian Parliament.
Information received in Paris shows that
the Brussels press. including the Catholic
organs, which had denied the marriage Of
Able Renard when 1t was announced. ex-
clusively by the Petit Bleu, now admits the
truth Of the news. .,
The Journal de Bruxelle. the semiofticial
organ Of the Brussels Government, requests
pious souls to pray for the Able Renard:"
Able Alphonse Renard was born In lsis.
rity as q scientist He was obliged to earn
his own living at an early age and nTst
found employment in O textile factory. his
admission to a seminary. After completing
his theological studies he entered the Society
of Jesus in 1864. The young Jesuit was
devoted much time to this subject durinS
his ~sojourn in Germany, at the ancient
Abbey OF Maria Laach.
Important Writings.
While residing in Germany he developed
his taste for geology and speedily acquired
fame through his geological pub
On the nomination of Wyville
he collaborated In tho importan.
udSSu vi Liz SapIoi III ohCSiSu ~
the Challenger expedition. At the end Of
1891 Able Renard published his Report on
Deep-Sea Deposits" which had necessitated
fourteen years Of research, in which he was
assisted by the collaboration of John Muir
ray. the most celebrated o~ceangrapher OF
the times.
Able Renard received the HIGHEST inter-
distinctions for his scientific
including the Geological So
Of London. He is Doctor Hopcris
OF the Universities of Edinburgh.
Bologna and Dublin and a member of the /
Royal Academy Of Belgium. Able Renard's
teaching was exclusively scien-
tific and religious questions were never
touched upon in his lectures. He now de-
clares to a friend that the decision to
my religious career is the logical
outcome Of my studies and my convictions"