Miguel de Medina
Theologian, born at Belalcazar, Spain, 1489; died at Toledo, May,
1578. He entered the Franciscan order in the convent of S. Maria
de Angelis at Hornachuelos, in the Sierra Morena. After his
profession he went to the college of SS. Peter and Paul at Alcal�.
He received the doctor's degree from the city of Toledo; and in
1550 he was unanimously elected to the chair of Holy Scripture in
the University of Alcal�. In 1560 Philip II sent him to the
Council of Trent; on his return he became superior of St. John's
of the Kings at Toledo. In 1553 the "Commentaries" of John Ferus
were published in Rome after a strict examination. Dominicus a
Soto published at Salamanca a work censuring Ferus's commentaries,
selecting sixty-seven passages as deserving censure, and dedicated
them to Valdes, Archbishop of Seville. Medina took up the defence
of Ferus, which was published at Alcal� (1567, 1578), and Mainz
(1572). This literary controversy -- for no doubts were
entertained of the orthodoxy of Medina --agitated the Spanish
people. A process was instituted against Medina in the tribunal of
the Inquisition at Toledo. He was cast in prison, where for more
than five years he was subjected to great suffering and
privations. His temporal afflictions and the rigour of his life
brought on a severe illness and the inquisitor-general gave orders
that Modina was to be conveyed to the Convent of St.John's of the
Kings, where everything possible was to be done to preserve his
life. Before the Blessed Sacrament, he made his profession of
faith, calling God to witness that he never believed anything or
taught anything opposed to the doctrines of the Church "the pillar
and the ground of truth". His last words were: "In te Domine
speravi non confundar in aeternum"
Soon after his death, the supreme tribunal of the Inquisition
issued a decree declaring that the accusations brought against
Medina were without foundation. His principal works are:
"Christianae paraenesis sive de recta in Deum fide libri septem"
(Venice, 1564); "Disputationes de indulgentiis adversus nostri
temporis haereticos ad PP. s. Concilii Trident." (Venice, 1564);
"De sacrorum hominum continentia libri V" (Venice, 1569j, written
against those who advocated the necessity of permitting the German
priests to follow the example of the Greeks in this matter; "De
igne purgatorio" (Venice, 1569), "De la verdadera y cristiana
humilidad" (Toledo, 1559).
GREGORY CLEARY
Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
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editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
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