Jan Baptist de Smet (1 February 1674 – 27 September 1741) was the 14th

Bishop of Ghent The Diocese of Ghent (Latin: ''Dioecesis Gandavensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropoli ...

and the 15th

Bishop of Ypres The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Ypres, in present-day Belgium, existed from 1559 to 1801. Its seat was Saint Martin's Cathedral in Ypres. In 1969 it was reconstituted as a titular see. History The diocese was originally part of the Diocese ...

Early life

Jan Baptist de Smet was born to Gilles de Smet (

court clerk A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...

in Lokeren of the fief of the Waasland) and Anna Vermeiren. After his secondary education with the Augustinians in Ghent, he went to the universities of Leuven where he first studied

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

and obtained a degree in theology in 1703. In 1700 he was ordained a priest. In 1703 he became dean ('' plebaan'') of the

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele , native_name_lang = , image = Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Luc Viatour.jpg , imagesize = 200px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape ...

in Brussels and on 29 April 1705 he was appointed secular canon of the Saint Rumbold chapter in Mechelen by the Archbishop of Mechelen

Thomas Philip Wallrad de Hénin-Liétard d'Alsace Thomas Philip Wallrad de Hénin-Liétard d'Alsace named Cardinal d'Alsace (Brussels, 12 November 1679 – 5 January 1759), was a Cardinal (Catholic Church), Cardinal and Archbishop of Mechelen, Belgium. He participated in four conclaves; during ...

and at the beginning of May 1705 he was also chairman of the

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

. He was also appointed

Vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

of the

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

. Beside all these ministries, he was a preacher, a confessor, an administrator of several monasteries, a synodal researcher and book inspector.

Bishop

Bishop of Ypres

Charles VI appointed him

in 1718, but it was not until 3 February 1721 that his appointment was confirmed by

Pope Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

. He was then 47 years old. In Ypres he found a diocese where no bishop recognized by the pope had been in power since 1713 as a result of disputes between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and Pope Clement XI.

Bishop of Ghent

On 1 March 1730 the regent Maria Elisabeth of Austria appointed him bishop of Ghent. On 6 August 1731, his appointment was confirmed by the Pope (Clement XII) and he was installed on 2 March, 1732. His motto was ''Caelestia cude arma''. That same day he was registered in the crossbow archers' guild (foot archers) of Saint George of Ghent. On 27 September 1741 he died and was interred in the crypt of St Bavo's Cathedral. He was 67 years old. His mausoleum (sculpted by Jacques Bergé) is located against the choir enclosure in the south ambulatory of Saint Bavo's Cathedral, opposite Saint-Gilles Chapel.

Gallery

File:Gent, Sint-Baafskathedraal Praalgraf JB DeSmet B STB 242 2.jpg, Tomb of Jan Baptist de Smet (1745) by Jacques Bergé File:Grafplaat Joannes Baptistus de Smet.jpg, Tomb plaque of Bishop Jan Baptist de Smet

References

External links

Catholic Hierarchy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smet, Jan Baptist de Bishops of Ghent Roman Catholic bishops of Ypres Canons (priests) 1674 births 1741 deaths People from Lokeren