Guillaume-André-Réné Baston

Guillaume-André-René Baston (29 November 1741, at Rouen – 26 September 1825, at Saint-Laurent) was a French theologian.

Life He studied theology at St. Sulpice in Paris and finished his studies at Angers. He was then appointed professor of theology at Rouen. During the French Revolution he wrote against the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Having refused to take the oath, he was obliged to go into exile (1792), first to London, then to Holland, and finally to Coesfeld in Westphalia. In 1803 he returned to Rouen, where he was appointed vicar-general and dean of the chapter by Archbishop Cambacérès. As a Gallican, he won the favor of Napoleon, who appointed him Bishop of Séez (1813), and the chapter of the cathedral accepted him as capitular vicar. Pope Pius VII failing to approve of this nomination, the cathedral chapter revoked the nomination (1814), and Baston went into retirement at Saint-Laurent near Pont-Audemer, where he died.

Works Baston was the author of numerous works on theology, the most important being , written while he was professor of theology, in collaboration with Louis-Théopompe Tuvache de Vertville (10 vols., Rouen, 1818).

He published several polemical works on the subject of theology: (Paris, 1772) (Clement XIV) (Antwerp, 1777) (Brussels, 1779)

During the Revolution he wrote many pamphlets against the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. His book (1791) was published about the same time. During his exile in Kösfeld he began his , edited later by the (3 vols., Paris, 1897–99).

In his last years, he wrote: (Rouen, 1821) (Paris, 1823) (Paris, 1824).