Antony Hickey
Encyclopedia
Antony Hickey was an Irish Franciscan
theologian.
bardic family, he received his early education in his native place, entered the college of St. Antony at Leuven
(French: Louvain), which had just been founded for Irish Catholic students, and received the Franciscan habit on 1 November 1607. Among his teachers at Leuven were the Irish scholars Hugh Mac an Bhaird (Ward) and Hugh Mac Caghwell, later Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh.
After his ordination to the priesthood, Hickey was appointed lecturer in theology at Leuven, and subsequently professor in the college of St. Francis at Cologne
. In 1619 he was summoned to Rome to collaborate with Luke Wadding
in preparing for publication the Annals of the Franciscan Order, and the works of Duns Scotus
.
He took an active part in the labours of the commissions appointed by Pope Urban VIII
to revise the Roman Breviary, and to examine into the affairs of the Eastern Church. At the general chapter of the order held in Rome in 1639, he was elected definitor general.
He lived for some time at S. Pietro in Montorio on the Janiculum and, from 1624 till his death, in the college of St. Isidore.
, Hickey won distinction by his learning and acuteness. His treatise on this subject is called by Marracius (Bibliotheca Mariana) "opus insigne et absolutum". In his work on the Fourth Book of Sentences
, he shows great breadth of view and critical perception; in addition to the scholastic
method, he makes use of the historical method and fully recognizes the development of sacramental theology.
Hickey wrote:
Among the manuscripts preserved in the Franciscan Convent, Dublin, were several letters written to Father Hickey from Ireland on the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of that country. There is also an important letter of his on the Irish language. Many of the Irish bishops consulted him on matters of grave moment. His acquaintance with the history, language, and antiquities of Ireland was extensive, and in co-operation with John Colgan
, Hugh Ward, and other Irish scholars, he drew up a plan for a critical history of Ireland in all its branches, — but this idea was not realized.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
theologian.
Life
A member of the Ó hÍceadhaÓ hÍceadha
-Overview:Ó hÍceadha is a surname especially associated with the Kingdom of Thomond, where bearers of the name were in successive generations a medical family who were physicians to the clans of the Dál gCais, as well as other premier families of Munster and Leinster.By tradition, the O'Hickeys...
bardic family, he received his early education in his native place, entered the college of St. Antony at Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
(French: Louvain), which had just been founded for Irish Catholic students, and received the Franciscan habit on 1 November 1607. Among his teachers at Leuven were the Irish scholars Hugh Mac an Bhaird (Ward) and Hugh Mac Caghwell, later Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh.
After his ordination to the priesthood, Hickey was appointed lecturer in theology at Leuven, and subsequently professor in the college of St. Francis at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. In 1619 he was summoned to Rome to collaborate with Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding was an Irish Franciscan friar and historian.-Life:Wadding was born in 16 October 1588 at Waterford to Walter Wadding of Waterford, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Anastasia Lombard . Educated at the school of Mrs...
in preparing for publication the Annals of the Franciscan Order, and the works of Duns Scotus
Duns Scotus
Blessed John Duns Scotus, O.F.M. was one of the more important theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages. He was nicknamed Doctor Subtilis for his penetrating and subtle manner of thought....
.
He took an active part in the labours of the commissions appointed by Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
to revise the Roman Breviary, and to examine into the affairs of the Eastern Church. At the general chapter of the order held in Rome in 1639, he was elected definitor general.
He lived for some time at S. Pietro in Montorio on the Janiculum and, from 1624 till his death, in the college of St. Isidore.
Works
During the discussions which were held in Rome concerning the doctrine of the Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, Hickey won distinction by his learning and acuteness. His treatise on this subject is called by Marracius (Bibliotheca Mariana) "opus insigne et absolutum". In his work on the Fourth Book of Sentences
Sentences
The Four Books of Sentences is a book of theology written by Peter Lombard in the twelfth century. It is a systematic compilation of theology, written around 1150; it derives its name from the sententiae or authoritative statements on biblical passages that it gathered together.-Origin and...
, he shows great breadth of view and critical perception; in addition to the scholastic
Scholasticism
Scholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy in an increasingly pluralistic context...
method, he makes use of the historical method and fully recognizes the development of sacramental theology.
Hickey wrote:
- "Commentarii in Lib. IV Sententiarum" (Lyons, 1639)
- "Nitela Franciscanæ Religionis" (Lyons, 1627); in this book he refutes defends the early history of the Franciscan Order against Abraham Bzovius;
- "De Conceptione Immaculata B. Mariæ Virginis";
- "De Stigmatibus S. Catharinæ Senensis", written by order of the Sacred Congregation of RitesSacred Congregation of RitesThe Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on January 22, 1588 by Pope Sixtus V and dissolved by Pope Paul VI on May 8, 1969....
; - "Ad pleraque dubia moralia, et ascetica, gravissimæ responsiones". This work, which Wadding calls "opus doctissimum", is still in manuscript.
Among the manuscripts preserved in the Franciscan Convent, Dublin, were several letters written to Father Hickey from Ireland on the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of that country. There is also an important letter of his on the Irish language. Many of the Irish bishops consulted him on matters of grave moment. His acquaintance with the history, language, and antiquities of Ireland was extensive, and in co-operation with John Colgan
John Colgan
John Colgan was an Irish hagiographer and historian.-Life:...
, Hugh Ward, and other Irish scholars, he drew up a plan for a critical history of Ireland in all its branches, — but this idea was not realized.