GUSTAVUS JOSEPHUS WAFFELAERT. Moral and ascetical theologian, 22nd Bishop of Bruges, b. at Rollegem on 27 Aug. 1847, d. at Bruges on 16 Dec. 1931 after 37 years as bishop.
He was awarded the doctorate and mastership in theology at the University of Louvain (20 July 1880) with the thesis De dubio solvendo in re morali. During the ten years in which he taught moral theology at the major seminary of Bruges he published the treatises De iure et iustitia and De prudentia, fortitudine et temperantia. From 1896 to 1905 he wrote for his clergy the Meditationes theologicae, deeply imbued with dogmatic inspiration, which foreshadowed the ascetical and mystical works of W. In Notanda quaedam utilissima in ordine ad rite intelligenda opera scriptorum contemplativorum atque ipsam contemplationem divinam exercendam he studied the teaching of Ruusbroec and compared it with that of St John of the Cross. He deserves credit for bringing to light once more the sublime doctrine of the great Flemish mystic. Drawing on this source, W. composed two pamphlets in Dutch (translated into French) and treatises on mystical theology. He founded the periodical Collationes Brugenses, which has been published since 1896.