Diego Laynez
Encyclopedia
Several spellings of his names (James, Jacob; Laines, Laynez, Lainez) are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articles
James Laynez (or Laínez) (Spanish
: Diego Laynez) (1512 – 19 January 1565) was a Spanish Jesuit
priest and theologian
, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus
.
He was born in Almazán
in Castile
. Though a Catholic he was of Jewish ancestry (probably a fourth generation Catholic). He graduated from the University of Alcalá
, and then continued his studies in Paris
, where he came under the influence of Ignatius of Loyola
. He was one of the six men who, with Loyola, formed the original group of Friends in the Lord, later Society of Jesus
, taking, in the Montmartre
church, the vows of personal poverty and chastity in the footsteps of Christ, and committing themselves to going to Jerusalem.
Because of unfavourable circumstances (no ship going to Palestine) the pilgrimage to Jerusalem fell through, and Laynez with Loyola and the other Friends in the Lord (by then they were ten) offered their services to the Pope. After the Order had been definitely established (1540) Laynez, among other missions visited Germany
. Laynez was a papal theologian during each of the three periods of the Council of Trent
. At one point he was also professor of scholastic theology at La Sapienza
.
. Before long, Laynez was recognized as exceptional – one of the first practical consequences was that he was allowed to preach in Trent when not on Council business, whereas the general rule forbade preaching by conciliar theologians. Another exception was the three hour time limit accorded to Laynez in the council debates, while the standard allotment was an hour.
Laynez’s famous speech on imputed and inherent justification (Seripando’s “double justice” theory) on October 26, 1546 was subsequently written out and incorporated into the Acta of the Council under the title Disputatio de justitia imputata. By the time Laynez spoke, 37 theologians had spoken on the issue, and 28 had rejected duplex justitia. In his three hour long speech, which was widely regarded as the most thorough on the topic, Laynez gave 12 reasons that the proposed “double justice” must be rejected by the Church, including its relatively recent origin and its implied denial of merit. His arguments were consistent with Council’s January 13, 1547 Decree on Justification, which taught in Chapter 16, “we must believe that nothing further is wanting to those justified to prevent them from being considered to have, by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”
Laynez did not participate directly in the several months of discussions between his speech and the issuing of the Decree because immediately after his speech on justification, Cardinal Del Monte assigned him – along with Salmeron
– to prepare a list of Protestant errors regarding the sacraments, as well as a summary of the relevant Church documents and patristic writings on sacraments. The first part of this research was presented to the Council on January 17, 1547 by Cardinal Cervini under the headings of “sacraments in general,” “baptism” and “confirmation.” This research set the terms of debate, which was somewhat less contentious than that concerning justification. The seventh session of the Council promulgated its canons on sacraments in general, baptism and confirmation on March 3, 1547.
Laynez moved with the Council to Bologna after the seventh session, where he continued his preparatory work on the sacraments of the Eucharist and penance. He grew frustrated with the slow pace of the work done in Bologna, and left in June 1547.
He spent the time between the first and second period of the Council contributing to the reform of prostitutes, convents and dioceses, preaching in Florence, Venice and then in Sicily. From there, he accompanied John de Vaga’s fleet on a successful raid of Tripoli, which had been a base for Muslim pirates and was still in Africa on October 5, 1550 when he was called to Rome.
, presented on October 20. Laynez often fell ill during this period, but was able, after a period of convalescence, to speak for three hours on the Mass as sacrifice on December 7. The Council was suspended for the second time in April 1552, and Laynez went to Bassano to recover his health and then to Padua. Before leaving Trent, however, he met with Melchior Cano, the influential Dominican Spaniard who was embarrassed by his countryman’s threadbare cassock and was suspicious of the new religious order. The meeting did not go well at all.
When Loyola died in 1556 Laynez acted as Vicar General of the Society. Because of an internal crisis and difficult relations with Pope Paul IV
, the General Congregation was delayed by two years. Finally convened and opened on the 2 July 1558 Diego Laynez was elected at the first ballot and became the second Superior-General of the Society of Jesus.
who wished to see a new Council opened and the prior decrees of the Council of Trent forgotten. Pius IV subsequently ordered the Council to meet again in the carefully worded Ad ecclesiae regimen of November 29, 1560; the Council was eventually opened on January 18, 1562.
Upon Laynez’s arrival at Trent in August 1562, he defended the practice of distributing Communion under only one species. Among Laynez’s other speeches during the third period of the Council are (1) perhaps the most controversial speech of the entire Council, in which he argued that the power of the bishop was received through the mediation of the pope and not directly from God (October 20, 1562), and (2) a speech in which he committed a rare theological error – he doubted the ability of the Church to invalidate clandestine marriages (August 23, 1563), a position rejected by the 24th Session of the Council in Chapter 1 of its Decree on the Reformation of Marriage.
On the death of Pope Paul IV
, many cardinal
s wished to elect Laynez pope
, but he fled from them in order to avoid this fate.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Diego Laynez) (1512 – 19 January 1565) was a Spanish Jesuit
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...
priest and theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, and the 2nd Superior General of the Society of Jesus
Superior General of the Society of Jesus
The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus—the Roman Catholic religious order, also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position carries the nickname of Black Pope, after his simple black priest's...
.
He was born in Almazán
Almazán
Almazán is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 5,755 inhabitants.- External links :*...
in Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
. Though a Catholic he was of Jewish ancestry (probably a fourth generation Catholic). He graduated from the University of 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 then continued his studies in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he came under the influence of Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
. He was one of the six men who, with Loyola, formed the original group of Friends in the Lord, later 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...
, taking, in the Montmartre
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
church, the vows of personal poverty and chastity in the footsteps of Christ, and committing themselves to going to Jerusalem.
Because of unfavourable circumstances (no ship going to Palestine) the pilgrimage to Jerusalem fell through, and Laynez with Loyola and the other Friends in the Lord (by then they were ten) offered their services to the Pope. After the Order had been definitely established (1540) Laynez, among other missions visited Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Laynez was a papal theologian during each of the three periods of 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...
. At one point he was also professor of scholastic theology at La Sapienza
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
.
First Period
Pope Paul III was an admirer of the newly established Society of Jesus, and sent Laynez to Trent as his theologian. Laynez arrived at the Council on May 18, 1546, five months after it opened, with SalmeronAlfonso Salmeron
Alfonso Salmeron was a biblical scholar and one of the first Jesuits.-Biography:...
. Before long, Laynez was recognized as exceptional – one of the first practical consequences was that he was allowed to preach in Trent when not on Council business, whereas the general rule forbade preaching by conciliar theologians. Another exception was the three hour time limit accorded to Laynez in the council debates, while the standard allotment was an hour.
Laynez’s famous speech on imputed and inherent justification (Seripando’s “double justice” theory) on October 26, 1546 was subsequently written out and incorporated into the Acta of the Council under the title Disputatio de justitia imputata. By the time Laynez spoke, 37 theologians had spoken on the issue, and 28 had rejected duplex justitia. In his three hour long speech, which was widely regarded as the most thorough on the topic, Laynez gave 12 reasons that the proposed “double justice” must be rejected by the Church, including its relatively recent origin and its implied denial of merit. His arguments were consistent with Council’s January 13, 1547 Decree on Justification, which taught in Chapter 16, “we must believe that nothing further is wanting to those justified to prevent them from being considered to have, by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”
Laynez did not participate directly in the several months of discussions between his speech and the issuing of the Decree because immediately after his speech on justification, Cardinal Del Monte assigned him – along with Salmeron
Alfonso Salmeron
Alfonso Salmeron was a biblical scholar and one of the first Jesuits.-Biography:...
– to prepare a list of Protestant errors regarding the sacraments, as well as a summary of the relevant Church documents and patristic writings on sacraments. The first part of this research was presented to the Council on January 17, 1547 by Cardinal Cervini under the headings of “sacraments in general,” “baptism” and “confirmation.” This research set the terms of debate, which was somewhat less contentious than that concerning justification. The seventh session of the Council promulgated its canons on sacraments in general, baptism and confirmation on March 3, 1547.
Laynez moved with the Council to Bologna after the seventh session, where he continued his preparatory work on the sacraments of the Eucharist and penance. He grew frustrated with the slow pace of the work done in Bologna, and left in June 1547.
He spent the time between the first and second period of the Council contributing to the reform of prostitutes, convents and dioceses, preaching in Florence, Venice and then in Sicily. From there, he accompanied John de Vaga’s fleet on a successful raid of Tripoli, which had been a base for Muslim pirates and was still in Africa on October 5, 1550 when he was called to Rome.
Second Period
By November 22, 1550, Laynez arrived in Rome to prepare for the second period of the Council of Trent, which eventually opened on May 1, 1551. He attended to a number of projects on his way from Rome to Trent, finally arriving on July 27, almost three months after the opening, but in plenty of time to contribute, on September 8, his arguments on the Eucharist leading up to the important 13th session, October 11, at which the Decree on the Sacrament of the Eucharist was promulgated. Immediately after his speech, he began the preliminary work for the Council’s consideration of penance and extreme unction, which he, with SalmeronAlfonso Salmeron
Alfonso Salmeron was a biblical scholar and one of the first Jesuits.-Biography:...
, presented on October 20. Laynez often fell ill during this period, but was able, after a period of convalescence, to speak for three hours on the Mass as sacrifice on December 7. The Council was suspended for the second time in April 1552, and Laynez went to Bassano to recover his health and then to Padua. Before leaving Trent, however, he met with Melchior Cano, the influential Dominican Spaniard who was embarrassed by his countryman’s threadbare cassock and was suspicious of the new religious order. The meeting did not go well at all.
When Loyola died in 1556 Laynez acted as Vicar General of the Society. Because of an internal crisis and difficult relations with 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...
, the General Congregation was delayed by two years. Finally convened and opened on the 2 July 1558 Diego Laynez was elected at the first ballot and became the second Superior-General of the Society of Jesus.
Third Period
In 1560 Laynez, now the Jesuit General, was instrumental in arguing that the Council should continue to its close, against Ferdinand IFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
who wished to see a new Council opened and the prior decrees of the Council of Trent forgotten. Pius IV subsequently ordered the Council to meet again in the carefully worded Ad ecclesiae regimen of November 29, 1560; the Council was eventually opened on January 18, 1562.
Upon Laynez’s arrival at Trent in August 1562, he defended the practice of distributing Communion under only one species. Among Laynez’s other speeches during the third period of the Council are (1) perhaps the most controversial speech of the entire Council, in which he argued that the power of the bishop was received through the mediation of the pope and not directly from God (October 20, 1562), and (2) a speech in which he committed a rare theological error – he doubted the ability of the Church to invalidate clandestine marriages (August 23, 1563), a position rejected by the 24th Session of the Council in Chapter 1 of its Decree on the Reformation of Marriage.
On the death of 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...
, many 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...
s wished to elect Laynez pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, but he fled from them in order to avoid this fate.
Writings
- LAYNEZ, Diego, Lainii Monumenta: Epistolae et Acta (8 vol.), IHSI, Madrid, 1912-17.
- His Disputationes Tridentinae were published in 2 volumes in 1886.
