BABIN, FRANÇOIS. - Priest and distinguished moral theologian, b. at Angers on 6 Dec. 1651, d. there on 25 Jan. 1734. At the university he was professor of theology from 1676; chancellor from 1684; dean of the faculty from 1710; and, moreover, vicar of the diocese from 1706.
In 1707 he received from the bishop the task of presiding over the public monthly conferences on cases of conscience; this afforded him the opportunity to compile his Conferences du Diocèse d'Angers. He revised, recasting and improving them, the volumes previously published, which left much to be desired; he then continued the series with 18 new volumes (8 on the Sacraments, 3 on the Decalogue, 2 on contracts, 2 on censures, 1 on irregularity, 2 on benefices), in which one still admires today the rigorous logic, broad and profound learning, and refined precision; all set forth in a clear and elegant style. The work was subsequently completed, at the wish of the French clergy, by other professors of the university, who added the treatment of new cases until it became a complete course in theology; it went through several editions down to the last, revised and updated, in 26 vols. (Besançon 1823), by the future Card. T. Gousset; it was reprinted again in 1830.