Jan Baptist de Smet
Jan Baptist de Smet | |
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Catholic | |
Motto | Caelestia cude arma |
Jan Baptist de Smet (1 February 1674 – 27 September 1741) was the 14th
Early life
Jan Baptist de Smet was born to Gilles de Smet (court clerk in Lokeren of the fief of the Waasland) and Anna Vermeiren.[2]
After his secondary education with the Augustinians in Ghent, he went to the universities of Leuven where he first studied
Beside all these ministries, he was a preacher, a confessor, an administrator of several monasteries, a synodal researcher and book inspector.[3]
Bishop
Bishop of Ypres
In Ypres he found a diocese where no bishop recognized by the pope had been in power since 1713 as a result of disputes between France, Spain and Pope Clement XI.
Bishop of Ghent
On 1 March 1730 the regent Maria Elisabeth of Austria appointed him bishop of Ghent. On 6 August 1731, his appointment was confirmed by the Pope (Clement XII) and he was installed on 2 March, 1732.[2][4] His motto was Caelestia cude arma.[2]
That same day he was registered in the crossbow archers' guild (foot archers) of Saint George of Ghent.
On 27 September 1741 he died and was interred in the crypt of St Bavo's Cathedral. He was 67 years old.[2][3]
His mausoleum (sculpted by Jacques Bergé)[5] is located against the choir enclosure in the south ambulatory of Saint Bavo's Cathedral, opposite Saint-Gilles Chapel.
Gallery
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Tomb of Jan Baptist de Smet (1745) by Jacques Bergé
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Tomb plaque of Bishop Jan Baptist de Smet
References
- ^ Peter M. Daly, G. Richard Dimler, ed. (1997). The Jesuit Series. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 304.
- ^ a b c d e f g De Potter, Frans (1865). Het bisdom en de bisschoppen van Gent (in Dutch). Vyt. p. 21.
- ^ a b c d De Potter, Frans; Broeckaert, Jan (1884). Geschiedenis der stad Lokeren (in Dutch). Drukkerij C. Annoot-Braeckman. pp. 301–305.
- ^ Staes, Honoré (1969). Schets eener geschiedenis van de gemeente Zele (in Dutch). Heem- & Oudheidkundige Kring. p. 205.
- ^ Roelandts, Oscar (1935). Étude sur la Société libre des beaux-arts de Bruxelles (in Dutch). Palais des Académies. p. 11.