Wikipedia

John de Lugo

John de Lugo(alsoJuan de Lugo y de QuirogaandXoan de Lugo) (1583–1660), aSpanishJesuitandCardinal,was an eminentscholastictheologian of theBaroque.[1]

His Eminence

John de Lugo
John de Lugo
DioceseDiocese of Rome
Appointed17 October 1644
Term ended20 August 1660
Orders
Created cardinal13 July 1643
byPope Urban VIII
RankCardinal-Priest of Santo Stefano al Monte Celio
Personal details
Born(1583-11-25)November 25, 1583
Madrid,Spain
Died20 August 1660(1660-08-20)(aged 76)
Rome,Papal States
BuriedSant'Andrea al Quirinale
NationalitySpanish
DenominationRoman Catholic
ParentsJuan de Lugo
Teresa de Pisa y Quiroga
Alma materUniversity of Salamanca

Early life and education

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He was born in November, 1583 inMadrid,though he used to call himself a "Hispalensis", because his family seat was atSeville.Both his father (also named Juan de Lugo) and his mother (Teresa de Quiroga, whose family name he bore for a time as was custom for the second son) were of noble birth.

Disputationes scholasticae de incarnatione dominica,1646

At the age of three years he could read printed or written books; at ten, he received thetonsure;at fourteen he defended a public thesis in logic and at about the same time was appointed by KingPhilip II of Spainto an ecclesiastical benefice which he retained until he became apriestin 1618.

Like his elder brother,Francis,he was sent by his father to theUniversity of Salamancato study law. But Francis entered theSociety of Jesuswhere he became a distinguished theologian and John soon desired to follow his brother. He twice asked his father for permission to join the order but, having failed to receive it, joined in any case in 1603.

After completing his studies he was appointed professor ofphilosophyatMedina del Campoin 1611 and later professor oftheologyatValladolidwhere he taught for five years. His fame as a professor of theology attracted the attention of theGeneralof theJesuits,Muzio Vitelleschiand de Lugo was summoned toRomewhere he arrived early in June 1621.

Cardinalate

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It is said that his lectures even before being printed were spread by copyists in other countries. When the General of the Society ordered him to print his works, he obeyed and without help had the material for the first three volumes prepared within five years (1633, 1636, 1638). When the fourth volume,De justitia et jure,was about to be published, his superiors thought it proper that he should dedicate it toPope Urban VIII;he had to present it himself to the pope, who was so much surprised and delighted by the theologian's learning that he frequently consulted him, and in 1643, created him acardinal,a position he accepted with reluctance. The fine carriage sent by theBarberinito bring him as a cardinal to the pope's palace, he called his hearse. This put an end to de Lugo's teaching; but several of his works were published after 1643.

As Cardinal, he often had occasion to place his learning at the service of the Church, especially in the deliberations of the took part in theRoman congregationsof theHoly Officeand of the Council. At the death of Pope Urban, de Lugo participated in thepapal conclave of 1644.Being a creature of the Barberini, most considered he would vote in favour of theirFrench factioncandidate,Giulio Cesare Sacchetti.Instead, he surprised theCollege of Cardinalsand declared himself in favour of theSpanish candidate,Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who was eventually elected and took the namePope Innocent X.[2]

He died at Rome on 20 August 1660, aged seventy-seven, being assisted by his fellowJesuitCardinalFrancesco Sforza Pallavicino,one of his most devoted disciples. According to his wish, he was buried near the tomb of the order's founderSt. Ignatius of Loyolaso that "his heart might rest where his treasure was", as is said in his epitaph. His generosity to the poor was renowned, and although his income was small, he daily distributed among them bread, money and even remedies, such asquinquina,then newly discovered, which the people at Rome used for a time to callLugo's powder.

Writings

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Responsorum moralium,1651.
Responsorum moralium,1651.

The works of Juan de Lugo, some of which have never been printed, cover nearly the whole field ofmoralanddogmatic theology.

The works which de Lugo published in his lifetime are:

  • De Incarnatione Domini(Lyons, 1633)
  • De sacramentis in genere
  • De Venerabili Eucharistiæ Sacramento et de sacrosancto Missæ sacrificio(Lyons, 1636)
  • De Virtute et Sacramento poenitentiæ, de Suffragiis et Indulgentiis(Lyons, 1638)
  • De justitia et jure(Lyon, 1642)

The last of these, which draws on de Lugo's legal background, became his most famous work. He dedicated it to the pope and presented it to him in person; the 1913Catholic Encyclopediacredits it with earning him an appointment as cardinal.

Three more of de Lugo's works were published after his death:

  • De virtute fidei divinæ(Lyon, 1646)
  • Responsorum morialum libri sex(Lyon, 1651)
  • De Deo, de Angelis, de Actibus humanis et de Gratia(Cologne, 1716)

The first two of these were published by de Lugo's former pupil, fellow Jesuit and friend, Cardinal Francesco Sforza Pallavicino.

Other works on theology and especially on philosophy: "De Anima", "Philosophia", "Logica", "De Trinitate", "De Visione Dei", etc. are still preserved in manuscripts in the libraries ofMadrid,Salamanca,Karlsruhe,Mechlinetc.

Among the unprinted works, the analysis of Arnauld's book,De frequenti Communioneand theMemorie del conclave d'Innocenzo X: Riposta al discorso... che le corone hanno jus d'eschiudere li cardinali del Pontificatomay be of special interest; they are the only controversial works of Lugo. What he intended in his writings was not to give a long treatise, exhaustive from every point of view; he wished only "to open up a small river, to the ocean", without relating what others had said before him and without giving a series of opinions of previous writers or furnishing authors or quotations in number; he aimed at adding what he had found from his own reflection and deep meditation on each subject. Other features of his theological conceptions are the union he always maintains between moral and dogmatic theology, the latter being the support of the former, and the same treatment being applied to both, discussing thoroughly the principle on which the main points of the doctrine rest. From this point of view the last lines of his prefaceDe justitia et jureare instructive.

In several problems he formed a system of his own, as for instance about faith, theEucharist,thehypostatic union,etc., and owing to the thorough discussion of the question at issue, his opinion is always to be taken into account. In moral theology he put an end, as Ballerini remarks, to several disputed questions.St. Alphonsus de Ligouridid not hesitate to rank him immediately after the Doctor of the ChurchSt. Thomas Aquinas,"post S. Thomam facile princeps", and popeBenedict XIVcalled him "a light of the Church". Two complete editions of Lugo's work were published at Venice in 1718 and 1751, each edition containing seven volumes. Another edition (Paris, 1768) was never completed. The last edition is that of Fournials (1868–69), in seven volumes, to which an eighth volume with the "Responsa moralia" and the "Indices" was added in 1891.

See also

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References

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  1. ^S. Miranda - Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church:Juan de Lugo y de Quiroga
  2. ^Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of CardinalsbyJohn Bargrave,edited byJames Craigie Robertson(reprint; 2009)
  • This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "John de Lugo".Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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