Caspar Hurtado

Hurtado, CASPAR, a Spanish Jesuit and theologian, b. at Mondejar, New Castile, in 1575; d. at Alcala, August 5, 1647. He studied at the University of Alcala de Henares, where in the examination for the doctorate he won the highest place from numerous competitors. He was at once appointed professor in the university, and was winning fame as a lecturer, when at the age of thirty-two, he resigned his chair and entered the Society of Jesus (1607). His talents lying mostly in the direction of theology, he lectured on this subject successively at Murcia, Madrid, and Alcala. He died in 1647 as dean of the faculty of Alcala, where he had professed for thirty years. His principal works are: “De Eucharistic, sacrificio miss et ordine” (Alcala.. 1620); “De matrimonio et censuris” (Alcala, 1627); “De incarnatione Verbi” (Alcala, 1628); “De Sacramentis in genere et in specie, i.e. Baptismo, Confirmatione, Poenitentia et Extrema Unctione” (Alcala, 1628); “De beatitudine, de actibus humans, bonitate et malitia, habitibus, virtutibus et peccatis” (Madrid, 1632); “Disputationes de sacramentis et censuris” (Antwerp, 1633); “De Deo” (Madrid, 1642). Of the Jesuits, Hurtado is one of the most distinguished for learning and piety. He was among the earliest to deviate from the method of St. Thomas, which till then had been followed by the majority of theologians, and he devised a system of his own. He is noted for the brevity, conciseness, and clearness of his exposition. He was a great orator and preached with abundant success before the Spanish Court.

A. FOURNET