Joseph Anthelmi
French ecclesiastical historian (1648-1697)
Joseph Anthelmi (Antelmi; 25 July 1648 at Fréjus – 21 June 1697 at Fréjus) was a French ecclesiastical historian.
Life
Several of Anthelmi's ancestors had occupied canonries in Fréjus, the history and traditions of which they had investigated and preserved. Joseph, feeling himself called to the priesthood, betook himself to Lyon, where he entered on the study of theology under the François de la Chaise, a Jesuit priest.
On being ordained, Anthelmi returned to Provence, and was soon made canon of Fréjus Cathedral, though he preferred study. His uncles, Pierre and Nicolas, had published a work on the former incumbents of the See of Fréjus; Anthelmi resolved to devote himself especially to the history of the French Catholic Church, beginning with his own diocese.
In 1694, Anthelmi was made vicar-general to the Bishop of Pamiers; but his health was bad, and he returned to his native city in a vain attempt to recuperate. Here he died in his forty-ninth year.
Controversy
Anthelmi's first work appeared in 1680, De inito ecclesiae Forojuliensis dissertatio chronologica, critica, profano-sacra. Pasquier Quesnel, was then at the height of his reputation, and was agitating France on the question of the real author of the De vocatione gentium, the Responsiones pro Augustino ad Capitula Gallorum and the Epistola ad Demetriadem (Patrologia Latina, LI, 647,158; LV, 162). In his opinion these had been written by Leo the Great.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Joseph Anthelmi” as french ecclesiastical historian (1648-1697). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6281081. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1648, 1697, 1694 and 1680.
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This entry incorporates text from “Joseph Anthelmi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.