Francis Sylvius
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Francis Sylvius (1581, in
Braine-le-Comte Braine-le-Comte (; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Braine-le-Comte had a total population of 21,649. The total area is which gives a population density of 260 inhabi ...
, Hainault, now in Belgium – 22 February 1649, at
Douai Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
) was a
Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
theologian.


Life

After completing his course of humanities at
Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...
, he studied philosophy at the
Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (; ) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) * Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KU Leuven (1968 ...
and theology at
University of Douai The University of Douai (; ) was a historic university in Douai, France. With a medieval tradition of scholarly activity in the city, the university was established in 1559, and lectures began in 1562. It ceased operations from 1795 to 1808. In ...
, in a seminary founded by the
bishop of Cambrai This is a List of bishops and archbishops of Cambrai, that is, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cambrai. Bishops For the first bishops of Arras and Cambrai, who resided at the former place, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras. On the death ...
in connection with the faculty of theology. While studying theology he taught philosophy at the royal college. On 9 November 1610, he was made doctor of theology with the highest honours. The faculty of theology wished to retain this promising scholar, but there was no chair vacant. A professor, Barthélemy Pierre de Lintra, resigned his position in favour of Sylvius, but, upon the death of Estius (20 September 1613), of the
University of Douai The University of Douai (; ) was a historic university in Douai, France. With a medieval tradition of scholarly activity in the city, the university was established in 1559, and lectures began in 1562. It ceased operations from 1795 to 1808. In ...
, Sylvius succeeded him and later was called to direct the episcopal seminary in which he had been a student. He was appointed (1 February 1618) canon of the collegiate Church of St. Amat, and finally dean (28 January 1622), and to this title was added that of vice-chancellor of the university. When in 1648 the theologians of Leuven sought to win the University of Douai over to
Jansenism Jansenism was a 17th- and 18th-century Christian theology, theological movement within Roman Catholicism, primarily active in Kingdom of France, France, which arose as an attempt to reconcile the theological concepts of Free will in theology, f ...
, Sylvius opposed them vigorously; but throughout the controversy he preserved the moderation of his character. Absorbed by study and his duties, his life was largely undisturbed for thirty years until his death. He was buried in the choir of the Church of St. Amat, and an epitaph engraved on his tomb recalled, with his titles and qualities, his attachment to
Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
and
Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...
as a faithful disciple of one and a lucid interpreter of the other, also his liberality towards the poor and religious, whom he made his heirs.


Works

At the commencement of his works, as at the beginning of his lectures, he professed his intention to remain submissive to the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. He gained his reputation as a theologian chiefly through his commentary on the ''Summa'' of Thomas Aquinas. It contained four folio volumes, which he was prevailed upon to publish. He wrote also several treatises on dogmatic theology and controversy, and some on moral theology. Among his other works may be mentioned: * an edition with notes, of
Binsfeld Binsfeld near Wittlich in the Eifel is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Nearby is the American ...
's "Enchiridion theologiae pastoralis", which had great success in Belgium and France, where it was the first manual of theology used by seminarians; * resolutions of cases of conscience, in which he showed himself a moderate Probabilist. He wrote also commentaries on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, which were praised by Calmet. He adapted the ''Instructions'' of
Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo (; ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in 156 ...
for use of the Church in Belgium, and he made additions to the ''Summa Conciliorum'' of Carranza. His complete works were published by Norbert d'Elbecque at Antwerp in 1698, in six folio volumes, the first of which contains the life of Sylvius. This edition was reproduced at Venice in 1726; the editor omitted the works of Sylvius against Jansenism.


References

;Attribution * The entry cites: ** Johannes Franciscus Foppens, ''Bibliotheca Belgica'' (Brussels, 1739), t. IV, 309 **
Hugo von Hurter The von Hurter family belonged to the Swiss nobility; in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries three of them were known for their conversions to Roman Catholicism, their ecclesiastical careers in Austria and their theological writings. Friedric ...
, ''Nomenclator'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvius, Francis 1581 births 1649 deaths Roman Catholic theologians from the Spanish Netherlands Old University of Leuven alumni