Born in Virton (Belgium) on October 5, 1866.
Died in Maredsous (Belgium) on February 20, 1940.
After completing his humanistic studies in the seminary of Bastogne, he embraced the Benedictine life in the monastery of Maredsous where in 1886 he made his religious profession. After completing his theological studies in Sant'Anselmo, he was ordained a priest on August 15, 1890. After teaching Greek and Latin in the abbey seminary of Maredsous and law and morals in the Louvain monastery, he settled in Rome. From 15 April 1904 he was a member of the Commission for the codification of canon law and from 9 March 1907 consultor of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, confirmed for that of Religious on 10 November 1908. From 1910 to 1914 he was apostolic visitor of Bosnia-Herzegovina and at the same time from 8 January 1910 to 6 April 1912, director of the yearbook «La Gerarchia Cattolica» and of the «Acta Apostolicae Sedis». He was also a teacher of canon law at the Collegio Sant'Anselmo where he also held the position of vice-rector for many years. He was the author of a Directoire canonique à l'usage des congrégations à voeux simples d'après les plus récents documents du Saint-Siège, avec des appendices concernat les Filles de la Charitè, les religieuses à voeux simples belonging to aux grands ordres, etc., published in 1904 and reprinted several times.
Dom Bastien presided over the meeting of the Commission for the examination of new institutes which on 15 May 1935 gave a positive opinion on the definitive approval of the Constitutions of the Servants of Charity.
Sources:
- PIUS ENGELBERT, History of the Benedictine College of St. Anselm in Rome. From the Beginnings (1888) to the Present, in "Studia Anselmiana", 98 (1988) pp. 132-134.
- «L'Osservatore Romano», 22 February 1940, p. 5.
- “Catholic Pontifical Directory”, 1917, pp. 482-483.
Guanellian sources:
- BRUNO CAPPARONI, The papal approval of the Guanellian congregations: difficulties and positive outcomes (1898-1935), neither The Constitutions and Regulations of Don Luigi Guanella. Historical and thematic approaches, edited by Alejandro M. Dieguez, Rome, Nuove Frontiere, 1998, p. 157.
Photographs:
Not found yet.
AM Dieguez
Guanellian Encyclopaedia
© 2008 Guanellian Study Center – Rome