Bonnal, Francois De

Bonnal, Francois De, a French prelate, was born in 1734 at the chateau of Bonnal, in Agenois. He embraced the ecclesiastical profession, and in 1758 assisted as deputy of the second order at the general assembly of the clergy. He was appointed in 1758 bishop of Clermont, and elected in 1789 deputy of the bailiwick of that city to the states-general. As president of the ecclesiastical committee, he protested against the suppression of the regular clergy, and later he demanded, against the voice of the majority, that the Catholic religion should be proclaimed the national religion. On Jan. 1 he, with Boisgelin, demanded the convocation of a Gallican council. After having been one of the signers of the protestation of Sept. 12, 1791, he distinguished himself among his opponents by the zeal with which he encouraged the resistance of the clergy. For this he was obliged to retire to Holland. He was there taken by the victorious armies in 1795, arrested, and transported to Altona. He died at Munich in 1800. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.