Alfonso Salmeron
Encyclopedia
Alfonso Salmeron (September 8, 1515 – February 13, 1585) was a biblical scholar and one of the first Jesuits
.
on 8 September 1515. He studied literature and philosophy at Alcalá
and thereafter went to Paris' Sorbonne
for philosophy and theology. Here, through Diego Laynez
, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola; together with Laynez
, Peter Faber
and St. Francis Xavier he enlisted as one of the first companions of Loyola (1534). The small company left Paris on 15 November 1536, reached Venice
on 8 January 1537 and during Lent
of that year went to Rome
. He delivered a discourse before the Pope and was, in return, granted leave to receive Holy orders
so soon as he should have reached the canonical age. About 8 September, all the first companions met at Vicenza
and all, save St. Ignatius, said their first Mass. The plan of a pilgrimage
to the Holy Land
was abandoned. Salmeron devoted his ministry in Sienna
to the poor and to children. On 22 April 1541, he pronounced his solemn vows in St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls basilica as a professed member of the newly-established Society of Jesus
.
In the autumn of 1541 pope Paul III
sent Salmeron and Paschase Broët as Apostolic nuncios to Ireland
. They landed by way of Scotland on 23 February 1542. Thirty-four days later they set sail for Dieppe
and went on to Paris. For two years Salmeron preached in Rome; his exposition of the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians
thrice a week in the church of the Society effected much good (1545). After preaching the Lent
at Bologna
, he went with Laynez
to the Council of Trent
(18 May 1546) as theologian to Paul III. The Dogma of Justification was under discussion.
The two Jesuits at once reportedly won the hearts and respect of all; their discourses had to be printed and distributed to the bishops. Both set out for Bologna (14 March 1547) with the Council. After serious sickness at Padua
, Salmeron once again took up his council work. The next two years were in great part spent in preaching at Bologna, Venice, Padua and Verona
. On 4 October 1549, Salmeron and his companions, Claude Le Jay and Canisius
, took their doctorate in the University of Bologna
, so that they might, at the urgent invitation of William IV of Bavaria, accept chairs in Ingolstadt
. Salmeron undertook to interpret the Pauline Epistle to the Romans
. Upon the death of Duke William, at the instigation of the Bishop of Verona, much to the chagrin of the faculty of the Academy of Ingolstadt, Salmeron was returned to Verona (24 September 1550). That year he explained the Gospel of St. Matthew.
In 1551 he was summoned to Rome to help St. Ignatius in working up the Constitutions (statutes) of the Jesuit Society. Other work was in store. He was soon (February, 1551) sent down to Naples to inaugurate the Society's first college there, but after a few months was summoned by Ignatius to go back to the Council of Trent as theologian to pope Julius III. It was during the discussions preliminary to these sessions that Laynez
and Salmeron, as papal theologians, gave their vota first. When the Council once again suspended its sessions, Salmeron returned to Naples (October, 1552). Pope Paul IV
sent him to the Augsburg Diet (May, 1555) with nuncio
Lippomanus, and thence into Poland
and in April, 1556 to Belgium.
Another journey to Belgium was undertaken in the capacity of adviser to Cardinal
Giovanni Pietro Caraffa (2 December 1557). Laynez
appointed Salmeron first Jesuit Provincial
of Naples in 1558 and vicar-general in 1561 during the former's apostolic legation to France. The Council of Trent was again resumed (May, 1562) and a third pontiff, Pius IV, chose Salmeron and Laynez
for papal theologians. The subject to be discussed was very delicate: the Divine origin of the rights and duties of bishops. During the years 1564-82, Salmeron was engaged chiefly in preaching and writing; he preached every day during eighteen Lenten seasons; his preaching was fervent, learned and fruitful. His writings during this long period were voluminous; Saint Robert Bellarmine
spent five months in Naples reviewing them; each day he pointed out to Salmeron the portions that were not up to the mark, and the next day the latter brought back those parts corrected. He died at Naples on 13 February 1585.
says that these sixteen volumes were printed by Sanchez, Madrid, from 1597 till 1602; in Brescia, 1601; in Cologne, from 1602–04, Sommervogel (Bibliothèque de la C. de J., VII, 479) has traced only twelve tomes of the Madrid edition - the eleven of the Gospels and one of the Pauline commentaries. The Gospel volumes are entitled, Alfonsi Salmeronis Toletani, e Societate Jusu Theologi, Commentarii in Evangelicam Historiam et in Acta Apostolorum, in duodecim tomos distributi (Madrid, 1598–1601). The first Cologne edition, together with the second (1612–15), are found complete. These voluminous commentaries are the popular and university expositions which Salmeron had delivered during his preaching and teaching days. In old age, he gathered his notes together, revised them, and left his volumes ready for posthumous publication by Bartholomew Pérez de Nueros. Hartmann Grisar (Jacobi Lainez Disputationes Tridentinae, I, 53) thinks that the commentary on Acts is the work of Perez; Braunsberger (Canisii epist., III, 448) and the editors of Monumenta Historica S. J. (Epistolae Salmeron, I, xxx) disagree with Grisar.
He was noted for his devotion to the Church, fortitude, prudence
, and magnanimity
. The Acts of the Council of Trent show that he wielded tremendous influence there by his vota
on issues including justification, Holy Eucharist, penance
, purgatory
, indulgences, the Sacrifice of the Mass, matrimony and the origin of episcopal jurisdiction.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
Biography
He was born in ToledoToledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
on 8 September 1515. He studied literature and philosophy at Alcalá
University of Alcalá
The University of Alcalá is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km northeast of Madrid in Spain. Founded in 1499, it was moved in 1836 to Madrid. In 1977, the University was reopened in its same historical buildings...
and thereafter went to Paris' Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
for philosophy and theology. Here, through Diego Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola; together with Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
, Peter Faber
Peter Faber
Blessed Peter Faver was a French Jesuit theologian and a cofounder of the Society of Jesus. He was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church on September 5, 1872.-Biography:Peter Faver , grew up in far east central France...
and St. Francis Xavier he enlisted as one of the first companions of Loyola (1534). The small company left Paris on 15 November 1536, reached Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on 8 January 1537 and during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
of that year went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He delivered a discourse before the Pope and was, in return, granted leave to receive Holy orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
so soon as he should have reached the canonical age. About 8 September, all the first companions met at Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
and all, save St. Ignatius, said their first Mass. The plan of a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
was abandoned. Salmeron devoted his ministry in Sienna
Sienna
Sienna is a form of limonite clay most famous in the production of oil paint pigments. Its yellow-brown colour comes from ferric oxides contained within...
to the poor and to children. On 22 April 1541, he pronounced his solemn vows in St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls basilica as a professed member of the newly-established Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
In the autumn of 1541 pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
sent Salmeron and Paschase Broët as Apostolic nuncios to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They landed by way of Scotland on 23 February 1542. Thirty-four days later they set sail for Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
and went on to Paris. For two years Salmeron preached in Rome; his exposition of the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians
Epistle to the Ephesians
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by...
thrice a week in the church of the Society effected much good (1545). After preaching the Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, he went with Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
to the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
(18 May 1546) as theologian to Paul III. The Dogma of Justification was under discussion.
The two Jesuits at once reportedly won the hearts and respect of all; their discourses had to be printed and distributed to the bishops. Both set out for Bologna (14 March 1547) with the Council. After serious sickness at Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, Salmeron once again took up his council work. The next two years were in great part spent in preaching at Bologna, Venice, Padua and Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. On 4 October 1549, Salmeron and his companions, Claude Le Jay and Canisius
Canisius
Canisius may refer to:* Saint Petrus Canisius* Henricus Canisius, canonist and historian* Theodorich Canisius, a Jesuit academic; half-brother of St...
, took their doctorate in the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
, so that they might, at the urgent invitation of William IV of Bavaria, accept chairs in Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
. Salmeron undertook to interpret the Pauline Epistle to the Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
. Upon the death of Duke William, at the instigation of the Bishop of Verona, much to the chagrin of the faculty of the Academy of Ingolstadt, Salmeron was returned to Verona (24 September 1550). That year he explained the Gospel of St. Matthew.
In 1551 he was summoned to Rome to help St. Ignatius in working up the Constitutions (statutes) of the Jesuit Society. Other work was in store. He was soon (February, 1551) sent down to Naples to inaugurate the Society's first college there, but after a few months was summoned by Ignatius to go back to the Council of Trent as theologian to pope Julius III. It was during the discussions preliminary to these sessions that Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
and Salmeron, as papal theologians, gave their vota first. When the Council once again suspended its sessions, Salmeron returned to Naples (October, 1552). Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
sent him to the Augsburg Diet (May, 1555) with nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
Lippomanus, and thence into Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and in April, 1556 to Belgium.
Another journey to Belgium was undertaken in the capacity of adviser to Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Giovanni Pietro Caraffa (2 December 1557). Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
appointed Salmeron first Jesuit Provincial
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of Naples in 1558 and vicar-general in 1561 during the former's apostolic legation to France. The Council of Trent was again resumed (May, 1562) and a third pontiff, Pius IV, chose Salmeron and Laynez
Diego Laynez
Several spellings of his names are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articlesJames Laynez was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus.He was born in Almazán in Castile...
for papal theologians. The subject to be discussed was very delicate: the Divine origin of the rights and duties of bishops. During the years 1564-82, Salmeron was engaged chiefly in preaching and writing; he preached every day during eighteen Lenten seasons; his preaching was fervent, learned and fruitful. His writings during this long period were voluminous; Saint Robert Bellarmine
Robert Bellarmine
Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation...
spent five months in Naples reviewing them; each day he pointed out to Salmeron the portions that were not up to the mark, and the next day the latter brought back those parts corrected. He died at Naples on 13 February 1585.
Works
The chief writings of Salmeron are his sixteen volumes of Scriptural commentaries: eleven on the Gospels, one on the Acts, and four on the Pauline Epistles. SouthwellSouthwell
Southwell may mean the following towns in England:* Southwell, Dorset* Southwell, Nottinghamshire**Southwell Minster, historic cathedral**Southwell Racecourse, horse racing venue located near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire...
says that these sixteen volumes were printed by Sanchez, Madrid, from 1597 till 1602; in Brescia, 1601; in Cologne, from 1602–04, Sommervogel (Bibliothèque de la C. de J., VII, 479) has traced only twelve tomes of the Madrid edition - the eleven of the Gospels and one of the Pauline commentaries. The Gospel volumes are entitled, Alfonsi Salmeronis Toletani, e Societate Jusu Theologi, Commentarii in Evangelicam Historiam et in Acta Apostolorum, in duodecim tomos distributi (Madrid, 1598–1601). The first Cologne edition, together with the second (1612–15), are found complete. These voluminous commentaries are the popular and university expositions which Salmeron had delivered during his preaching and teaching days. In old age, he gathered his notes together, revised them, and left his volumes ready for posthumous publication by Bartholomew Pérez de Nueros. Hartmann Grisar (Jacobi Lainez Disputationes Tridentinae, I, 53) thinks that the commentary on Acts is the work of Perez; Braunsberger (Canisii epist., III, 448) and the editors of Monumenta Historica S. J. (Epistolae Salmeron, I, xxx) disagree with Grisar.
He was noted for his devotion to the Church, fortitude, prudence
Prudence
Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of the four Cardinal virtues .The word comes from Old French prudence , from Latin...
, and magnanimity
Magnanimity
Magnanimity is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity...
. The Acts of the Council of Trent show that he wielded tremendous influence there by his vota
VOTA
VOTA is a Christian rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring Bryan Olesen, a former guitarist with Christian rock band Newsboys. Several of the band's songs have been featured on rotation with national radio networks such as K-Love, and are part of the international 180 Tour. Their song "Hard...
on issues including justification, Holy Eucharist, penance
Penance
Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...
, purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
, indulgences, the Sacrifice of the Mass, matrimony and the origin of episcopal jurisdiction.