MARCA, mdr"ed', PIERRE DE: French theo logian and prelate; b. at the chAteau of Gant, near Pau (56 m. e.s.e. of Bayonne), Jan. 24, 1594; d. in Paris June 29, 1662. He was educated first at Auch and then at the University of Toulouse, and took up the study of law, beginning his public life in 1615 at Pau, as a member of the Council of Barn. When the country was annexed to France in 1620 he rendered important services to Henry IV., and was named president of the parlement which replaced the former independent council. He occupied this post till 1639, when he was sum moned to Paris to join the council of state. He had already published some small treatises and a Histoire de Bearn (Paris, 1640; new ed., Pau, 1894), and now took part in the exciting discussion on the liberties of the Gallican Church at the request of Richelieu. His De concordia sacerdotii et imperii seu de libertatibus ecclesice Gallicance (vol. i., 1641) was put on the Index in 1642; but Richelieu re warded him by the nomination to the bishopric of Conserans in 1643. He was not yet, however, in orders; and his book prevented him from obtaining papal confirmation until 1648, when, after he had published a submission to the censure of the Holy See (1646) and another book, De singulars primatu Petri (1647), in which he controverted the theory that the Church had originally had two heads, Peter and Paul, he was taken back into favor. He was ordained priest in 1648, but could not take possession of his bishopric until 1651. In the following year he was named archbishop of Toulouse, but again, owing to the suspicion of Jan senism, did not obtain the papal confirmation until 1654. In 1656, however, he supported the con demnation of Jansenism in the assembly of the French clergy. The king employed him in both political and ecclesiastical affairs, and after Mar zarin's death in 1661 wished to have him near at hand. He was accordingly named for the archbishopric of Paris in Feb., 1662, and confirmed by the pope in June, but died three days after the news of his confirmation arrived. Baluze issued a new edition of his De concardia, which now appeared complete in print for the first time (1663). Although it was again condemned by the Congregation of the Index the next year, Baluze issued new editions in 1669 and.1704, and it has been several times reprinted since. Collections of smaller treatises were posthumously published by De Faget in 1669 and by Baluze in 1681.

(J. F. von Schulte.)

Bibliography: Brief biographies appeared in the editions by Baluze and De Faget; P. Bayle, Dictionary Historical and critical, iv. 98-104, London, 1737 (quotes from sources which well illustrate the text).