Shall we, then, suppose that this pontiff was indeed ambitious, who, coming in early youth to wield his pastoral crozier upon the banks of the St. Lawrence, did not fear the responsibility of so lofty a task?  The assumption would be quite unjustified.  Rather let us think of him as meditating on this text of St. Paul:  “Oportet episcopum irreprehensibilem esse,” the bishop must be irreproachable in his house, his relations, his speech and even his silence.  His past career guaranteed his possession of that admixture of strength and gentleness, of authority and condescension in which lies the great art of governing men.  Moreover, one thing reassured him, his knowledge that the crown of a bishop is often a crown of thorns.  When the apostle St. Paul outlined for his disciple the main features of the episcopal character, he spoke not alone for the immediate successors of the apostles, but for all those who in the succession of ages should be honoured by the same dignity.  No doubt the difficulties would be often less, persecution might even cease entirely, but trial would continue always, because it is the condition of the Church as well as that of individuals.  The prelate himself explains to us the very serious reasons which led him to insist on obtaining the title of Bishop of Quebec.  He writes in these terms to the Propaganda:  “I have never till now sought the episcopacy, and I have accepted it in spite of myself, convinced of my weakness.  But, having borne its burden, I shall consider it a boon to be relieved of it, though I do not refuse to sacrifice myself for the Church of Jesus Christ and for the welfare of souls.  I have, however, learned by long experience how unguarded is the position of an apostolic vicar against those who are entrusted with political affairs, I mean the officers of the court, perpetual rivals and despisers of the ecclesiastical power, who have nothing more common to object than that the authority of the apostolic vicar is doubtful and should be restricted within certain limits.  This is why, after having maturely considered everything, I have resolved to resign this function and to return no more to New France unless a see be erected there, and unless I be provided and furnished with bulls constituting me its occupant.  Such is the purpose of my journey to France and the object of my desires.”

As early as the year 1662, at the time of his first journey to France, the Bishop of Petraea had obtained from Louis XIV the assurance that this prince would petition the sovereign pontiff for the erection of the see of Quebec; moreover, the monarch had at the same time assigned to the future bishopric the revenues of the abbey of Maubec.  The king kept his word, for on June 28th, 1664, he addressed to the common Father of the faithful the following letter:  “The choice made by your Holiness of the person of the Sieur de Laval, Bishop of Petraea, to go in the capacity of apostolic vicar to exercise episcopal