Girolamo Aleandro (also Hieronymus Aleander; 13 February 14801 February 1542) was an Italian
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Aldus Manutius
Aldus Pius Manutius (; it, Aldo Pio Manuzio; 6 February 1515) was an Italian printer and humanist who founded the Aldine Press. Manutius devoted the later part of his life to publishing and disseminating rare texts. His interest in and preserv ...
, and at an early age was reputed one of the most learned men of the time. In 1508 he went to Paris on the invitation of Louis XII as professor of ''belles lettres,'' and held for a time the position of Rector of the University of Paris. He was an early teacher of Greek at the University and edited texts by
Isocrates
Isocrates (; grc, Ἰσοκράτης ; 436–338 BC) was an ancient Greek rhetorician, one of the ten Attic orators. Among the most influential Greek rhetoricians of his time, Isocrates made many contributions to rhetoric and education throu ...
Gilles de Gourmont
Gilles de Gourmont (fl. 1499–1533), ''Egidius Gormontius'' in Latin, was a Parisian bookseller and printer active in Paris between 1499 and 1533.
He was one of three brothers engaged in the book trade in Paris. He, Robert de Gourmont and J ...
in 1509/1510. Entering the service of Érard de La Marck, prince-bishop of Liège, he was sent by that prelate on a mission to Rome, where Pope Leo X retained him, giving him (1519) the office of librarian of the Vatican. In the following year he went to Germany to be present as papal
nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...
at the coronation of Emperor Charles V, and was also present at the
Diet of Worms
The Diet of Worms of 1521 (german: Reichstag zu Worms ) was an imperial diet (a formal deliberative assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire called by Emperor Charles V and conducted in the Imperial Free City of Worms. Martin Luther was summoned to t ...
, where he headed the opposition to Martin Luther, advocating the most extreme measures to repress the doctrines of the reformer. His conduct evoked the fiercest denunciations of Luther, but it also displeased more moderate men, especially Erasmus. The edict against the reformer, which was finally adopted by the emperor and the diet, was drawn up and proposed by Aleandro. After the close of the Diet, the papal nuncio went to the Netherlands, where he instigated the executions of two monks of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
due to their embrace of the Reformation, resulting in their being burnt in Brussels.
In August 1524 Pope Clement VII appointed Aleandro the
Archbishop of Brindisi
The Italian Catholic Archdiocese of Brindisi-Ostium ( la, Archidioecesis Brundusina-Ostunensis) in Apulia, has carried its present name since 1986. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Lecce.ordained to the priesthood two months later. The pope then sent him as nuncio to the court of King Francis I of France. He was taken prisoner along with that monarch at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, and was released only on payment of a heavy ransom. He was subsequently employed on various papal missions, especially to Germany, but was unsuccessful in preventing the German princes from making a truce with the reformers, or in checking to any extent the progress of the reformers' doctrines.
Aleandro was eventually
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
a bishop on 28 February 1528 to fulfill the duties of his office. He was created a cardinal ''
in pectore
''In pectore'' (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals wit ...
'' on 22 December 1536 by
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549.
He came to ...
(at the same time as Reginald Pole), which was published (i.e., publicly announced) only on 13 March 1538, at which time he was able to assume that office. He was given the rank of Cardinal Priest, with his titular church in Rome as
San Ciriaco alle Terme Diocleziane
San Ciriaco alle Terme Diocleziane was a church in the Baths of Diocletian in Rome. It was made a titulus by the Roman synod of 1 March 499. According to a list written by Pietro Mallio during the pontificate of pope Alexander III, it was linke ...
, which was changed a week later to the Church of San Crisogono.
Aleandro resigned as Archbishop of Brindisi on 30 January 1541. He died at Rome on 1 February 1542. His remains were initially buried in his titular church, but later were transferred to his hometown and re-buried there in the Church of San Niccolò.
Writings
Aleandro compiled a ''Lexicon Graeco-Latinum'' (1512), and wrote Latin verse of considerable merit inserted in the ''Carmina Illustrium Poetarum Italiorum'' of Joannes Matthaeus Toscanus. The Vatican Library contains a volume of manuscript letters and other documents written by him in connection with his various missions against Luther. They were used by Pallavicino in his ''Istoria del Concilio Tridentino'' (i. 23‑28), who gives a very partial account of the Worms conference.
In popular culture
Aleandro is depicted by Jonathan Firth in the 2003 film '' Luther'' as the main antagonist. In the film, his name is seen as Girolamo Aleander.
See also
*
Hochstratus Ovans
''Hochstratus Ovans'' is a dialogue published in Cologne in 1520 referring to Jacob van Hoogstraten. In it, Johann Maier Eck and Girolamo Aleandro are reproached for burning Martin Luther's books.
Martin Bucer had read the pamphlet and suspected ...