The Catholic bulletin., 1922-04-22
BARON DENYS COCHIN
NOBLE CAREER OF CATHOLIC PA
TRIoT is ENDED - FAITHFUL
SON OF CHURCH FILLED MANY
POSITIONS IN SERVICE OF HIS
coUNTRY-DEScENDED FROM
OLDEST PARIS FAMILY.
(By n. c. w. G.. News Service, J

SC.J
Baron. Denys Cochin, ex-minister.
who has just died in Paris, was not
only one of the most prominent fig
ures of the French Catholic world, he
was also one of its most generous
Denetactors and one of it's most elo-
quent spokesman.
Through the distinction of his mind
and the tireless activity of his labor.
his was the most astonishing career
OF which man can give example. He
was a soldier. doctor, chemist, bac-
teriologist, philosopher, jurist, man of
letters, journalist, orator, librarian,
art critic, edile of his city, deputy,
minister, member of the academy. In
short, he excelled in everything.
Favored by birth and fortune, he
endeavored from early youth to make
his life the model of the life of the
good rich man." and not to leave un.
used any of the intellectual gifts which
Providence had bestowed upon him.
He interrupted his studies to fight.
when his country was invaded in 1870.
He was then 19 years Of age. He was
twice wounded, was cited for bravery
and decorated with the Medaille Mil
itaire.
After the war, he went back to work.
and obtained in turn diplomas in law
and in science. He took the examina-
ton of the French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, passed, and was sent to Lon
don as attache at the embassy there.
Having occasion to come back to
Paris, he found an opportunity to
work in the laboratory of a savant,
and being greatly attracted by scfen-
t1fic studies, he abandoned diplomacy
(he returned to it, however, when as
a deputy he revealed himself as one
of the greatest experts on foreign pol
1cy). For five years, Denys Cochin
had the honor to be the assistant of
the famous Pasteur He took part in
the discussions between the great sci
enlist and the philosopher Taine. Lat
er, he himself published two works on
philosophy in 1885 and in 1895. These
two books were not the least of the
causes of his election to the French
academy some years later.
Denys Cochin belonged to the oldest
family of Parisians known. One of
his ancestors was an alderman of the
capital under Saint Louis; another
was alderman in 1861; one of the prin-
cipal hospitals of Paris was founded
by one of his great-uncles, Jean Co
chin, pastor of a Paris parish in the
eighteenth century.
In parliament. he fought with mov-
ing eloquence the policy of seculariza-
tion and the Separation. He made ev-
cry effort to prevent the rupture be-
tween the Republic and the Holy See.
When war started in 1914, the mem
bers of parliament elected from the
city of Paris, both socialists and con.
servatives, placed him at their head
by unanimous choice. But he was
not content with directing their work.
When the government moved to Bor.
deaux, he remained behind. He was
a chemist, and remained in the district
of Paris to direct the mobilization of
the chemical industry.
Later. at the first change in the cab
met, when the ministry of national
union was formed, it was he who was
chosen TO represent the Catholics.
Again it was he who was chosen, in
the absence of an official envoy from
France at the Vatican, to negotiate
personally with the Holy See, where
he found the most benevolent vel
come. Thus was prepared the recon.
Citation which has now been accom-
plished.