PERRAUD, ADOLPHE-LOUIS. - Apologist and Oratorian cardinal, born 7 Feb. 1828, died at Autun 10 Feb. 1906.
A pupil of the École normale supérieure, he took a degree in history in 1850 and was immediately appointed professor at the lycée in Angers. In 1852 he was among the first five members of the French Oratory, restored by Grattay; he was ordained priest in 1855 and in 1865 graduated from the Sorbonne, where he was admitted as professor of ecclesiastical history. Military chaplain of the Ardennes army in 1870, he became bishop of Autun in 1874 and a member of the Académie française in 1882; from 1884 to 1902 (the year he resigned) he was Superior General of the French Oratory.
He recounted the history of his religious institute in *Oratoire de France aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles* (Paris 1865) and portrayed the spiritual character of its founder in *Le P. Grattay. Sa vie et ses œuvres* (ibid. 1900). Also noteworthy are his historical works: *Études sur l'Irlande contemporaine* (2 vols., ibid. 1862) and the profile *Le card. de Richelieu* (ibid. 1882).
A skilled apologist, he attacked the errors of Renan: *A propos de la mort et des funérailles de M. E. Renan* (ibid. 1893) and of Loisy: *Les erreurs de M. l'abbé Loisy condamné par le St-Siège* (ibid. 1904), always demonstrating his loyal fidelity to the Apostolic See. Leo XIII, appreciating his manifold gifts and overcoming French governmental opposition, created him cardinal *in pectore* in 1893 and published the appointment in 1895. His eloquence is reflected in *Paraboles de l'heure présente* (ibid. 1877) and in *Œuvres pastorales et oratoires* (4 vols., ibid. 1893–96); noteworthy for ecclesiastical history is the posthumous work: *Mes relations personnelles avec les deux derniers papes: Pie IX et Léon XIII. Souvenirs, lettres, notes* (1856–1903), edited by Msgr. Gauthey, archbishop of Besançon (Paris 1917).