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Diego Alvarez

Spanish theologian (about 1550-1635)

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Alvarez, DIEGO, Spanish theologian, b. at Medina de Rio-Seco, Old Castile, about 1550; d. at Trani, Kingdom of Naples, 1635. He entered the Dominican Order in his native city, and taught theology for twenty years in the Spanish cities of Burgos, Trianos, Plasencia, and Valladolid, and for ten years (1596-1606) at the Minerva, in Rome. Shortly after his arrival in Rome (November 7, 1596) he presented to Clement VIII a memorial requesting him to examine the work “Concordia liberi Arbitrii”, by Ludovicus Molina, S.J., which, upon its publication in 1588, had given rise to bitter controversy. Before the Congregation (Congregatio de Auxiliis), appointed by the Pope to settle the dispute, he defended the Thomistic doctrines of grace, predestination, etc., alone for three years, and, thereafter, conjointly with Thomas de Lemos, O.P., to whom he gave the first place, until the suspension of the Congregation (1606). He was appointed. March 19, 1606, by Paul V, to the Archbishopric of Trani, where he passed the remainder of his life. Besides (I) a commentary on Isaias, and (2) a manual for preachers, he published: (3) “De auxiliis divine gratis et humani arbitrii viribus et libertate, ac legitima ejus cum efficacia eorumdem auxiliorum concordia libri XII” (Rome, 1610; Lyons, 1620; Douai, 1635); (4) “Responsionum ad objectiones adversus concordiam liberi arbitrii cum divina praescientia, providentia, et praedestinatione, atque cum efficacia praevenientis gratiae, prout a S. Thoma et Thomistis defenditur et explicatur, Libri IV (Trani, 1622; Lyons, 1622); (5) “De origine Pelagianae haeresis et ejus progressu et damnatione per plures summos pontifices et concilia fact’ Historia ex annalibus Card. Baronii et aliis probatis auctoribus collecta” (Trani, 1629); (6) “Responsionum liber ultimus hoc titulo: Opus praeclarum nunquam hactenus editum, in quo argumentis validissimis concordia liberi arbitrii cum diving praescientia, praedestinatione, et efficacia gratiae praevenientis ad mentem S. Thomae et omnium Thomistarum contra eos qui earn impugnare volunt defenditur et explicatur” (Douai, 1635); (7) “Operis de auxiliis divine gratiae et humani arbitrii viribus et libertate, ac legitima ejus cum efficacia eorumdem auxiliorum concordia summa, in IV libros distincta” (Lyons, 1620; Cologne, 1621; Trani, 1625); (8) “De incarnatione divini verbi disputationes LXXX, in quibus explicantur et defenduntur, quae in tertia parte summw theologicae docet S. Thomas a Q. 1 ad 24” (Lyons, 1614; Rome, 1615; Cologne, 1622); (9) “Disputationes theologicae in primam secundw S. Thom, in quibus praecipua omnia quae adversus doctrinam ejusdem et communem Thomistarum a diversis auctoribus impugnantur, juxta legitimum sensum praeceptoris angelici explicantur et defenduntur” (Trani, 1617; Cologne, 1621).

A. L. MCMAHON


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