Henri-Marie-Gaston de Bonnechose, born in Paris on May 30, 1800, died in Rouen on October 28, 1883, is a French man of the Church, archbishop of Rouen and cardinal.
Start of career in the judiciary

Henri de Bonnechose was born on May 30, 1800 in Paris. His father is French, a former page of King Louis XVI who became sub-prefect of Nijmegen under the Empire, while his mother is Dutch Protestant1,2. He is the older brother of Émile de Bonnechose, historian, writer and royal librarian, and of Louis de Bonnechose (1811-1832) who was a page to Charles X and was killed in Vendée during the legitimist insurrection of 1832.

He spent his youth in Brussels, then in Nijmegen where his father was in office. The fall of the Empire led him to Yvetot and he studied in Rouen, then in Paris. A Protestant, he converted to Catholicism at the age of 18 and was baptized sub conditionem on September 13, 18191.

After obtaining his law degree in Paris on July 29, 1822, he was appointed substitute for Andelys in January 1823, but left this city to exercise the same functions in Rouen. On Mars 4, 1826, he became king's prosecutor in Neufchâtel-en-Bray, then was appointed deputy attorney general at the Royal Court of Bourges on January 24, 1827. There remained only a few months to become advocate general at the Court of Riom, on September 17, 18271. On June 10, 1829, thanks to the archbishop, Mgr de Rohan-Chabot, he entered the Court of Besançon as first advocate general. He resigned on September 9, 1830 to enter the community of Father Bautain in Strasbourg.
Ecclesiastical career

On December 18, 1830, he was ordained subdeacon and received the diaconate on December 17, 1831. On December 21, 1833, he became a priest and celebrated his first mass on December 29 in the Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux1 church.

After a few years devoted to teaching at the college of Juilly, the government of Louis-Philippe sent him to Rome as rector of Saint-Louis-des-Français (1844-1847)1. It was there that he received the royal ordinance appointing him bishop of Carcassonne. Elected on January 17, 1848, he was consecrated on January 30 at the Saint-Louis-des-Français church in Rome by Cardinal Orioli, assisted by Mgr D'Andrea, archbishop of Mélitène, and Mgr Lucciardi, archbishop of Damascus1. He cannot return to his seat until May 24. He was named knight of the Legion of Honor in 1852. The climate of the South did not suit him, he was transferred to Évreux on Mars 23, 18551 which he returned to on May 31. For only a few years, since he was named archbishop of Rouen by Napoleon III on February 21, 1858 and promoted on March 181.
The cardinalate

In 1863, he was appointed officer of the Legion of Honor. He was created cardinal-priest at the consistory of December 11, 1863 held by Pope Pius IX. On January 14, 1864, he received the cardinal's barrette from the hands of the Emperor in the Tuileries chapel. He received the red hat and the title of S. Clemente on September 22, 18641. His new dignity gave him access to the Senate of the Second Empire where he spoke frequently. In 1869, he was promoted to Commander of the Legion of Honor3.

Concerned about heritage conservation, in 1861 he appointed Father Cochet inspector of religious monuments in the diocese. All transformations of churches or alienation of property must receive the approval of Cochet, who reports on his mission every six months. Bonnechose also invites its ministers to write parish annals2.

In 1865, he carried out the translation, from Fort Braine (near Soissons) to Rouen, of the relics of Saint Victrice (bishop of Rouen), which had been removed and protected from Norman invasions in the 9th century.