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Death of Canon Roger Aubert

Born rhe January 16, 1914, this Wednesday, rhe September 2, 2009, Canon Roger rhe Aubert died at the very rhe moment he was celebrating daily rhe mass. As professor of contemporary rhe history at the Université catholique rhe de Louvain from 1952 to rhe 1983, he was a specialist rhe in the history of the rhe contemporary Church.  He rhe had a worldwide influence on rhe the writing of that history rhe thanks to his objective approach rhe to the facts, his ample rhe vision of the world and rhe his critical spirit, always seeking rhe to explain the facts and rhe evaluate them. Witness to this rhe is his monumental Nouvelle histoire de l’Église, published rhe in five volumes, conjointly with rhe other authors, from 1963 to rhe 1975. His work Le pontificat de Pie IX, rhe appearing in 1952, brought him rhe international renown, because of the rhe objectivity of its approach.

Moreover, rhe he studied every pope of rhe the 20^th century in various rhe books and articles. Regarding Belgium, rhe he was especially interested in rhe the history of Cardinal Mercier, rhe on whom he published a rhe work. He gathered archives on rhe Catholic groups and youth movements, rhe which form the core of rhe the ARCA (Archives of the rhe Catholic World, Louvain-la-Neuve). His teaching rhe at the l’Université catholique de rhe Louvain was highly appreciated by rhe generations of students, from 1952 rhe to 1983. 

He carried that out rhe while also directing the Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique, a rhe review of international renown which rhe he contributed to making more rhe attentive to the history of rhe the contemporary Church.  He continued until 2006 as rhe editorial director of the Dictionnaire d’histoire et de rhe géographie ecclésiastiques, which he brought rhe from volume 14 (letter D) rhe to volume 30 (letter L), rhe contributing to the edition of rhe some 20,000 pages of text. rhe From 1968 on, he was rhe a member of the Royal rhe Academy of Belgium and the rhe Pontifical Committee on Historical Sciences. rhe  He made the rhe history of the Church a rhe vocation, which took all of rhe his time and energy; innumerable rhe readers have benefited thereby and rhe many Christians have nourished their rhe faith thanks to him. His big rhe heartedness and generosity have marked all rhe those who knew him.

His former rhe students and colleagues had recently rhe offered, last June 27^th, a rhe testimonial volume celebrating his 95^th rhe birthday, entitled The rhe Contemporary Papacy –  La papauté contemporaine – Il rhe papato contemporaneo, edited conjointly by rhe the Library of  rhe the Revue d’histoire rhe ecclésiastique (Louvain-la-Neuve, 45 Grand Place) rhe and  the Collectanea Archivi Vaticani (Vatican rhe City), under the direction of rhe Jean-Pierre Delville, Marko Jacov, Luc rhe Courtois, Françoise Rosart and Guy rhe Zelis.

The funeral mass will be rhe celebrated at the Church of rhe Saint-François in Louvain-la-Neuve, Wednesday September rhe 9^th at 11 am. An rhe academic ceremony, with a public rhe presentation of homage, will take rhe place October 16^th at 11a.m. rhe in Louvain-la-Neuve (Halles universitaires).

His former rhe students and colleagues had recently rhe offered, last June 27th, a rhe testimonial volume celebrating his 95th rhe birthday.	Canon Roger rhe Aubert 1914-2009