Jump to the biography. Gauthier, Georges baptized Louis-Antoine-Alexandre , Roman Catholic priest, teacher, school administrator, and archbishop; b. At the age of nine months the infant who had been baptized Louis-Antoine-Alexandre lost an elder brother called Joseph-Adolphe-George.
It was probably at this time that he inherited the first name by which he would henceforth be known: Georges. That year he left Montreal for Rome, where he took courses at the Apollinaris College โ95 and at the Roman College โ97 , from which he received a doctorate in canon law. After serving as the chaplain at the Pensionnat Mont-Sainte-Marie from to , he was appointed chaplain and curate at the cathedral, and, in February , titular canon of the metropolitan chapter.
He became vicar general in April He was promoted to apostolic administrator on 18 Oct. On that day he became archbishop of Montreal; he was honoured with the pallium on 11 December. To mark his silver jubilee as bishop, on 30 Sept. Gauthier worked energetically in various other areas, starting with teaching. On 12 Sept. Gauthier also devoted his efforts to improving teacher and pre-university training.
In his circular of 4 Nov. Finally, he set up several scholasticate normal schools, which offered teacher training to members of religious orders and nuns. At the end of his rectorate in , Gauthier became chancellor of the university. The principal aim of this body, of which Gauthier was overseer and president, was to approve the budget of the university, which was mired in financial problems. Out of concern for public morals, Gauthier forbade raffles, games of chance, and dances.
He lashed out at immoral theatrical performances, which he did not allow priests to attend. He was particularly troubled by plays imported from France. The mediocrity, and sometimes vulgarity, of films produced in the United States prompted him to denounce them as well as the tabloid press. Gauthier asked Catholics to avoid all outside influences to protect themselves from the neutralism and scourge of indifferentism.
