Escobar y, Mendoza Antonio
Escobar y Mendoza, Antonio
Jesuit theologian, born Valladolid, Spain, 1589 ; died there, 1669 . The orthodoxy of his writings is above criticism, hence Pascal’s efforts to fasten the charge of laxism on Escobar’s “Manual of Cases of Conscience” do not merit serious consideration.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Escobar y Mendoza, Antonio
Born at Valladolid in 1589; died there, 4 July, 1669. In his sixteenth year he entered the Society of Jesus. Talent and untiring labour won him distinction for scholarship among the leaders of the ecclesiastical science in his age. His writings are recognized as classical and challenge criticism as far as orthodoxy is concerned. For this reason Pascal’s effort (Fifth and Sixth Provincial Letters) to fasten the charge of laxism on Escobar’s “Manuals of Cases of Conscience”, together with his unscrupulous insinuations of adroit hypocrisy on Escobar’s part, are too base and cowardly to merit serious consideration. At the same time it is only fair to add that Escobar’s writings are not entirely beyond the pale of criticism. Unprejudiced critics find him inexact in quotations, subtle in discussion, obscure and loose in reasoning. Besides the “Manual”, Escobar’s chief works are “Summula Casuum conscientiæ” (Pamplona, 1626); “Examen et praxis confessariorum” (Lyons, 1647); “Theologia Moralis” (Lyons, 1650; Venice, 1652); “Universæ Theolgicæ Moralis receptæ sententiæ” (Lyons, 1663); “De Triplici Statu Ecclesiastico” (Lyons, 1663); “De Justitiâ et de legibus (Lyons, 1663).
Escobar was also a preacher of note. For fifty consecutive years he delivered a series of Lenten sermons with signal success.
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Hurter, Nomenclator, II, 264 sqq.; Bauer in Kirkenlex., IV, 1892; Buchberger, Kirkenliches Handlex, s. v., Cat in Le Grande Encyc., s. v.
J.D. O’NEILL
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VCopyright © 1909 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Escobar y, Mendoza Antonio
a Spanish Jesuit and noted casuist, was born at Valladolid in 1589, and took the vows of the order of Jesuits in 1604. He became very eminent as a preacher, and is said to have preached daily (sometimes twice a day) for fifty years. He was also a prolific writer, leaving more than forty folio volumes of ascetic divinity, sermons, casuistry, etc. His Liber Theologiae Moralis (Lyon, 1646, 7 volumes, 8vo) passed through many (39 in Spain) editions, and was long the favorite text-book of the Jesuits. He also wrote Universae Theologiae Moralis problemata (Lyon, 1652, 2 volumes, fol.): Universae Theol. Moral. receptiores sententiae, etc. (Lyon, 7 volumes, fol.). Escobar became the butt of Pascal’s wit in the Provincial Letters, a fact which will carry his name to the latest posterity. His “liberality” in morals was so excessive that even Rome was compelled to disavow some of his doctrines. His complete works fill 42 volumes. He died July 4, 1669. Hoefer, Nouv. Biogr. Generale, 16:375; Alegambe, Biblioth. Scriptorum Soc. Jesu (Louvain, 1854).