GOBAT, GEORGES. - Jesuit, moralist, b. at Charmoille (Basel) on 1 Aug. 1600, d. at Constance on 23 March 1679. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1618 and taught first philosophy at Fribourg in Switzerland (1631-40), then for 24 years (1641-66) moral theology in the same Fribourg, at Lucerne, Hall, Munich, Ratisbon and Constance, where he was also penitentiary of the Cathedral for 21 years. At the same time he served as rector at Hall (1647-50) and at Fribourg (1654-56).
He wrote many works on moral theology and casuistry concerning indulgences, the Sacraments, drunkenness, vows, superstitions, marriage, which became so widespread that his superiors ordered him to collect them together. Gobat undertook this task, carefully revising everything; but his work was interrupted by death. Thus his principal work, embracing all the others, appeared posthumously: *Opera moralia omnia* (3 vols., Munich 1681). Among the treatises contained therein, special mention must be made of *Clipeus clementium iudicum* (Constance 1659; better ed. Augsburg 1612; further improved in the *Opera moralia omnia*), in defence of probabilism against the attacks and accusations of Pascal. The *Opera omnia* were struck by the censure of the Bishop of Arras, who extracted 32 propositions from the Douai edition (1701), judged to be laxist: *Censure faite par mons. l'évêque d'Arras* (Arras 1703); this provoked many defenders, the principal among them being [Christ. Rassler], *Vindiciae Gobatianae* (s.l. 1706). In truth, Gobat, though of extraordinary strictness and austerity in his own conduct, was moved by too kindly a heart toward others and was excessively lenient in some judgments, which were condemned by Innocent XI on 2 March 1679.