GROU, JEAN-NICOLAS. - Jesuit, master of spiritual life, b. 24 Nov. 1731 at Calais, d. 13 Dec. 1803 at Lullworth in England. Having entered the Society in 1746, he at first carried on a literary activity there, the fruit of which were the translations of Plato's Republic, Laws and Dialogues that he published. When the Jesuits were suppressed in France, G., at the invitation of Archbishop de Beaumont, moved to Paris

(1766) where, renewing his spiritual life, he devoted himself exclusively to ascetical writings.

The first fruit of this new orientation was the Morale tirée des Confessions de 11 Augustin (Paris 1786), followed by the celebrated work Caractères de la vraie dévotion (ibid. 1789); furthermore the Maximes spirituelles (ibid. 1789) and La science pratique du Crucifix dans l'usage des Sacrements de la Pénitence et d'Eucharistie (ibid. 1789), which came out at the time of the French Revolution. G. wished to remain in Paris to exercise the priestly ministry there, but was forced to go into exile in 1792 in England, where he was a guest of the family of Thomas Weld, at Lullworth Castle. From that time are the Méditations en forme de retraite sur l'amour de Dieu (London 1796; Ital. trans., Turin 1919) and the Intérieur de Jésus et Marie (2 vols. 1815; Ital. trans., Milan 1861). This was published after his death from an imperfect manuscript not revised by the author (1815); only in 1862 could the authentic edition be printed, edited by the Jesuit p. Cadrès. Of the many other works written by G. the most precious, drawn from particular short treatises and instructions, is the Manuel des âmes intérieures (Paris 1833; Ital. trans., Turin 1918).

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: Sommervogel, III, coll. 1868-82; A. A. Cadrès, Notice sur la vie et les ouvrages du p. J.-N. G., Paris 1862; I. de Bonniot, Le p. G. chez M. Cousin, in Etudes, 45 (1888, III), pp. 369-94; 46 (1886, I), pp. 50-64; S. H. Fisbee, The interior of Jesus and Mary, I, London 1891, pp. 1-16.

Arnaldo Lanz

@incollection{ec6_grou_jean_nicolas, author = {Lanz, Arnaldo Maria}, title = {Grou, jean-nicolas}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {1185--1186}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/grou-jean-nicolas} }

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Grou, Jean-Nicolas

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