Gérard Cauvin
Encyclopedia
Gérard Cauvin was the father of the Protestant Reformer
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

 John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...

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Cauvin lived in Noyon
Noyon
Noyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...

, France located in the province of Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...

. Cauvin was a man of hard and severe character, occupied a prominent position as
apostolic secretary to Charles de Hangest, bishop of Noyon. He also served as proctor in the Chapter of the diocese and as fiscal procurator of the county. He lived on intimate terms with the best families of the neighborhood.

His wife Jeanne Lefranc, the daughter of an innkeeper at Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...

, was noted for her beauty and piety. She died after giving birth to 6 children, with four sons and two daughters: Charles, John, Anthony, a fourth son who died during childhood, and then two daughters, one of whom was named Mary. After Lefranc's death, Cauvin married a woman with whom he would have two more daughters.

He became involved in financial embarrassment, and was excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...

, perhaps on suspicion of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...

. He died May 26 (or 25), 1531, after a long sickness, and would have been buried in unconsecrated soil but for the intercession of his oldest son, Charles, who gave security for the discharge of his father's obligations.
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