Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Sierck-les-Bains, Louis Billot received his education at the seminaries of Metz, Bordeaux and Blois, being ordained priest in May 1869. Entering the Society of Jesus on November 25 of that year in Angers, he took his final vows on February 2, 1883 in Laval. Performing pastoral work in Paris and Laval between 1875 and 1879, he successively served as faculty member of the Catholic University of Angers from 1879 until 1882, of the Jesuit scholasticate of Ile de Jersey from 1882 till 1885, and of the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, lecturing dogmatic theology, between 1885 and 1910. Named consultor of the Holy Office on June 19, 1909, Pope Pius X created him cardinal deacon in the consistory of November 27, 1911 with the deaconry of Santa Maria in Via Lata. One of the three cardinal presidents of the Pontifical Academy of San Tommaso of Rome along Benedetto Lorenzelli and Michele Lega, due to his sympathy for the Action Française movement, condemned by Pope Pius XI, he resigned the cardinalate on September 13, 1927, with the Pope accepting his resignation through a letter dated September 21 of that year, the decision of which was eventually announced to the cardinals in the consistory of December 19. Billot thus remains the only cardinal to resign his rank in the twentieth century. Several sources state however, that he was stripped from his cardinalitial dignity while in private audience with Pope Pius XI and he later wrote the letter of resignation for formality. Father Billot died in his humble cell at the Jesuit novitiate of Galloro, near Ariccia, and lies interred in the Jesuit chapel inside the Campo Verano Cemetery of Rome.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Sierck-les-Bains, Louis Billot received his education at the seminaries of Metz, Bordeaux and Blois, being ordained priest in May 1869. Entering the Society of Jesus on November 25 of that year in Angers, he took his final vows on February 2, 1883 in Laval. Performing pastoral work in Paris and Laval between 1875 and 1879, he successively served as faculty member of the Catholic University of Angers from 1879 until 1882, of the Jesuit scholasticate of Ile de Jersey from 1882 till 1885, and of the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, lecturing dogmatic theology, between 1885 and 1910. Named consultor of the Holy Office on June 19, 1909, Pope Pius X created him cardinal deacon in the consistory of November 27, 1911 with the deaconry of Santa Maria in Via Lata. One of the three cardinal presidents of the Pontifical Academy of San Tommaso of Rome along Benedetto Lorenzelli and Michele Lega, due to his sympathy for the Action Française movement, condemned by Pope Pius XI, he resigned the cardinalate on September 13, 1927, with the Pope accepting his resignation through a letter dated September 21 of that year, the decision of which was eventually announced to the cardinals in the consistory of December 19. Billot thus remains the only cardinal to resign his rank in the twentieth century. Several sources state however, that he was stripped from his cardinalitial dignity while in private audience with Pope Pius XI and he later wrote the letter of resignation for formality. Father Billot died in his humble cell at the Jesuit novitiate of Galloro, near Ariccia, and lies interred in the Jesuit chapel inside the Campo Verano Cemetery of Rome.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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