François Varillon

François Varillon (July 28, 1905 – July 17, 1978) was a French Jesuit priest and theologian whose writings on Christian theology and formation left a significant mark on 20th-century spirituality.

Biography Early Life and Joining the Jesuits Born in Bron, François Varillon grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in Lyon, a city to which he remained deeply attached throughout his life. His friend Lucien Rebatet, also a student in Lyon, drew on this episode for his novel Les Deux Étendards (1951), portraying François as Régis Lanthelme. Similarly, Simone depicted François as Vincent Ramenel in her novel La Ville aux deux fleuves (1945).

At 22, François Varillon joined the Jesuit novitiate in Yzeure after completing a degree in literature. He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 24, 1937, and took his final vows in the Society of Jesus on February 2, 1945.

Renewing the Understanding of Faith The core of Varillon’s ministry was educating people in faith. As a teacher and chaplain in the 1930s, he founded communities that encouraged living an authentic Christian lifestyle. For 20 years, he organized monthly lecture series exploring literature, theater, music, and film.

After World War II, he served as chaplain to the Association catholique de la jeunesse française and spent over a decade training young Catholics.

In his last decade, Varillon traveled across France giving conferences in cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. The lectures were later compiled by Bernard Housset and published posthumously as Joie de croire, Joie de vivre, with a foreword by his friend René Rémond. This book sold over 100,000 copies.

The Humility of God In his book L’Humilité de Dieu, Varillon presented a new theological perspective, portraying God not as an omnipotent and impassive being, but as humble and loving: "If God is love, He is humble."

Works Fénelon et le pur amour (1957) Un abrégé de la foi catholique (1968) L'humilité de Dieu (1974) La souffrance de Dieu (1975) Claudel (1967) Débat sur la foi with Marcel Légaut (1972) Beauté du monde, souffrance des hommes (1978) Joie de croire, Joie de vivre (1981)

Legacy In Lyon, a square is named in his honor: Place Père François-Varillon.