DU SOLLIER, JEAN-BAPTISTE. — Bollandist hagiographer, born at Herseaux (Flanders) on 28 February 1669, died at Antwerp on 27 June 1740. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Mechelen on 27 September 1687; he studied theology in Rome from 1697 to 1701. Ordained priest on 27 September 1700, he was called to the Museum Bollandianum on 7 March 1702, where he worked indefatigably on the preparation of the Acta Sanctorum until 1736, never neglecting works of apostolate. He practically bore the burden of the colossal undertaking from the time when Fr. Papebroch retired (1709), but became its true leader upon the death of Fr. Janninck (d. 13 August 1723). The last years of his life were troubled by a painful illness, borne with Christian resignation, which prevented him from any further work.
At the time when Fr. Papebroch retired (1709), he became the true head of the work upon the death of Fr. Janninck (d. 13 August 1723). The last years of his life were troubled by a painful illness, borne with Christian resignation, which prevented him from any further work.
(from Acta SS. Augusti,
V. Antwerp (III) Du Sollier, Jean-Baptiste - Portrait executed by P
B. Bouttats.Of quick and penetrating intelligence, he distinguished himself by the balance of his judgment and by the methodical life of which a precious document survives in his personal register of correspondence, which numbered no fewer than 12,000 entries. As a hagiographer, he followed the approach established by his master, Fr. Daniel Papebroch. He addressed and resolved the problem of expediting the complicated printing of the Acta SS. and gave new internal organization to the college of hagiographers.
The best part of his scholarly output is found in the Acta SS., specifically from Volume V of June (Antwerp 1709) to Volume III of August (ibid. 1737). The commentaries he devoted to the lives of the saints contained in the 7 volumes of July and the first 3 of August number in the hundreds (e.g., in Volume I of July there are 50 of his commentaries, in Volume II 80, in Volume I of August 25, in Volume III 30, etc.); he often reserved for himself the treatment of the most thorny and thankless problems, which earned him lively polemics.
Particular mention should be made of: the Tractatus praeliminaris de Patriarchis Alexandrinis cum appendice, de initiis, erroribus, institutis copto-Iacobiticis (in Acta SS. Iunii, V, Antwerp 1707, pp. 1-xx, 1-160), a chronological essay highly regarded for its time, already attempted by Papebroch; the Acta b. Raymundi Lulli (ibid., pp. 633-736) with an essay on the works and doctrine of the Saint; the Martyrologium Usuardi monachi, hac nova editione ad excusa exemplaria quatuordecim, ad codices mss. integros decem et septem, atque ad alios ferme quinquaginta collatum, ab additamentis expurgatum, castigatum et quotidianis observationibus illustratum (in Acta SS. Iunii, VI and VII, Antwerp 1715 and 1717; separate ed., Antwerp 1714, pp. LXVI-820). This is a meticulous edition based on 67 manuscripts and 14 printed editions, preceded by a lengthy and learned introduction and accompanied by a commentary rich in erudition.
Although the study by Dom H. Quentin (Les martyrs des légendes historiques du Moyen âge, Paris 1908, pp. 7-10; reference to the ed. by D. S.) has now clarified the problems relating to medieval historical martyrologies, the Martyrologium Usuardi of D. S. remains to this day a model of its kind and an inexhaustible source of hagiographical information. The edition of the Martyrology did not please the acid-tongued Benedictine J. Bouillart, but D. S. knew how to courteously cut short a useless polemic. He also engaged in controversy with the Dominicans over his denial that St. Dominic descended from the Guzman family and over the Blessed Bartholomew of Braga.
His minor works are listed in Sommervogel (VII, cols. 1371-77).