Benjamin Pâquet

Benjamin Pâquet (or Paquet, pronounced ; March 27, 1832 – February 25, 1900) was a French-Canadian Roman Catholic priest and educator. He was an influential and controversial figure in 19th century Quebec religious politics, making numerous enemies amongst the French-Canadian ultra-montane elite of the period. Three times his name was cited for potential bishopry, but each time his opponents successfully lobbied against his nomination or the decision makers settled on a less controversial choice.

Biography Pâquet was born in 1832 in Saint-Nicolas, near Lévis, then Lotbinière County, on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite Québec City. The son of farmers Étienne Pâquet and Ursule Lambert, he was descended from an old, pious family of the area, and was closely related to theologian Louis-Adolphe Pâquet as well as to provincial MLA Étienne-Théodore Pâquet (both nephews). His higher studies, as well as those of his younger brother Louis-Honoré, were financed by his uncle of the same name, a wealthy merchant. Benjamin entered the Petit Séminaire de Québec in 1845.

Theological studies and teaching In 1849, when returning home from a pilgrimage at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, he was prompted by his mother to become a priest. His studies completed, he immediately enrolled at the Grand Séminaire, where his major achievement was the relaunching the student newspaper, L'Abeille ("the Bee"), launched in the 1840s and whose publication had stopped. He was ordained in his home parish by then Bishop of Vancouver Island Modeste Demers, himself a Saint-Nicolas native. Assigned as assistant priest at Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral (a fairly elevated office for a starting priest), he was specifically in charge of serving Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church. In 1862, however, he requested a teaching position at the Petit Seminaire, a request he was granted. Pâquet soon demonstrated, in addition to theology, a keen interest in people and events, commenting on the inner politics and controversies of the time such as the Montreal ultramontanes' struggle, under the leadership of Ignace Bourget, to establish an independent university. He rapidly began acquiring knowledge about the Roman Curia and develop connections with various individuals. While in Rome, Louis-Honoré became very ill, and Benjamin promised that, should his brother recover, he'd build a chapel to the Virgin Mary, which he did upon in return. It is the modern Notre-Dame-de-Grâce chapel. ), primarily because "the term did not have the same meaning [in Canada] as in Europe." which didn't keep Pelletier from denouncing them on his own in newspapers and a pamphlet.

Second trip to Rome In 1873 Pâquet's candidacy for the then Diocese of Kingston was successfully opposed. That same year he resigned, citing health issues. Then-rector Hamel allowed him one year in Europe to recover. Pâquet was granted money so he could eventually provide some services to the University. It didn't take long before Pâquet was again deeply involved in defending the University's interests in Rome, and one year turned into five.

Legacy Pâquet helped secure the status of Université Laval in the eyes of Rome. He remained all his life a controversial public figure, so that both his strong points and his shortcomings were widely known. Although an influential, pious man with a deep respect for his offices, he was also domineering and tended to have strong disagreements with just about everybody he worked alongside: "he gave advice, but above all he liked to have his advice followed." Primarily an ideologue, he had fairly little interest in scholarly debate. The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Pâquet family home are provincial historic places listed on the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec, and part of Saint-Nicolas Heritage Site, the equivalent of a local historic district.