Feliciano Ninguarda
Encyclopedia
Feliciano Ninguarda (1524 – 5 June 1595) was an Italian priest and one of the main movers of the Counter Reformation. He was bishop of Scala, bishop of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, bishop of Como, governor of the bishopric of Regensburg and apostolic nuncio to Upper Germany.
. He entered the Dominican order
and studied theology in Milan
. In 1554 he was made vicar general
of the order for the German-speaking lands, as well as professor of theology at the University of Vienna
. As procurator to the Archbishop of Salzburg he represented him in 1562 at the Council of Trent
and was in line with the thinking of the German bishops in backing a reforming position against the existing church - he supported the foundation of seminaries to train priests, stricter enforcement of clerical celibacy, regular visits by bishops to their dioceses and the unification of liturgy. A series of synod
s in mid Germany from the 1570s onwards confirmed Ninguarda's reforming ideas, deciding on the foundation of seminaries in Alsace
and the County of Tyrol
. Even if not all of his ideas were always carried through, Ninguarda remained a fervent supporter of radical change within the Catholic church and was deeply knowledgeable about the reforms of Luther
, Zwingli and Calvin
, focussing his efforts on the areas they identified as in need of reform.
In 1577 Ninguarda was made bishop of Scala and in 1583 was transferred to be bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti. His fellow-Dominican pope Pius V
(who had visited the convent of Sant'Antonio at Morbegno and had a profound knowledge of the Valtellina and its frictions between Protestant and Catholic) and then pope Gregory XIII
(of whom Ninguarda was a confidant) then utilised him for the difficult beginnings of the Counter Reformation in Germany, Austria and Bohemia, at first as visitor to the convents of all orders, then as papal nuncio to mid Germany (1578–82) and Switzerland (1586–88). As nuncio he travelled through Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland.
Between 1588 and 1595 he was bishop of Como, a diocese which included Valtellina
and Valposchiavo, then both under the political control of the Three Leagues
- in these Alpine borderlands with the Protestant world, Ninguarda tried to stop the spread of Protestantism. The reports from his apostolic visits to these towns in summer 1589 are historically important - they were the first apostolic visits by a Catholic bishop after a ban of many years by the Swiss authorities and the reports describe the parishes' and churches' states, the situation in other countries, the names of some priests and the numbers of Protestant residents and also include several theological and pastoral publications. On 13 June 1580 Gregory made him governor of the diocese of Regensburg, who bishop Philipp of Bavaria
was still in his minority - he had been papal visitor to that diocese since 1574. He died in Como
.
Life
Feliciano Ninguarda was born at MorbegnoMorbegno
Morbegno is a little town in the low Valtellina Valley in Italy, on the left side of the Adda river. It is part of the province of Sondrio of Lombardy. In 2007, Morbegno started a project to become a leader in sustainability, by involving the population in a participatory design process,...
. He entered the Dominican order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
and studied theology in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. In 1554 he was made vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the order for the German-speaking lands, as well as professor of theology at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. As procurator to the Archbishop of Salzburg he represented him in 1562 at 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...
and was in line with the thinking of the German bishops in backing a reforming position against the existing church - he supported the foundation of seminaries to train priests, stricter enforcement of clerical celibacy, regular visits by bishops to their dioceses and the unification of liturgy. A series of synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
s in mid Germany from the 1570s onwards confirmed Ninguarda's reforming ideas, deciding on the foundation of seminaries in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and the County of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. Even if not all of his ideas were always carried through, Ninguarda remained a fervent supporter of radical change within the Catholic church and was deeply knowledgeable about the reforms of Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, Zwingli and Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, focussing his efforts on the areas they identified as in need of reform.
In 1577 Ninguarda was made bishop of Scala and in 1583 was transferred to be bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti. His fellow-Dominican pope Pius V
Pope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
(who had visited the convent of Sant'Antonio at Morbegno and had a profound knowledge of the Valtellina and its frictions between Protestant and Catholic) and then pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
(of whom Ninguarda was a confidant) then utilised him for the difficult beginnings of the Counter Reformation in Germany, Austria and Bohemia, at first as visitor to the convents of all orders, then as papal nuncio to mid Germany (1578–82) and Switzerland (1586–88). As nuncio he travelled through Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland.
Between 1588 and 1595 he was bishop of Como, a diocese which included Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
and Valposchiavo, then both under the political control of the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
- in these Alpine borderlands with the Protestant world, Ninguarda tried to stop the spread of Protestantism. The reports from his apostolic visits to these towns in summer 1589 are historically important - they were the first apostolic visits by a Catholic bishop after a ban of many years by the Swiss authorities and the reports describe the parishes' and churches' states, the situation in other countries, the names of some priests and the numbers of Protestant residents and also include several theological and pastoral publications. On 13 June 1580 Gregory made him governor of the diocese of Regensburg, who bishop Philipp of Bavaria
Philipp of Bavaria
Philipp Wilhelm of Bavaria was a German cardinal.-Life:The son of William V, Duke of Bavaria and Renata of Lorraine, he studied theology and philosophy at Ingolstadt University with his younger brother Ferdinand...
was still in his minority - he had been papal visitor to that diocese since 1574. He died in Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
.