Juan Tomás de Rocaberti (Joan Tomàs de Rocabertí in Catalan, 4 March 1627 – 13 June 1699) was a Catalan theologian.

Biography

Rocaberti was born into a noble family at Perelada, in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

. Educated at Girona, he entered the Dominican convent there, receiving the habit in 1640. His success in theological studies at the convent of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

secured for him the chair of theology in the

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ), shortened to UV, is a public research university in Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Valencian Community. It is regarded as one of Spain's leading academic i ...

. In 1666 he was chosen provincial of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

, and in 1670 the General Chapter elected him general of the order. The Dominican Vincent Contenson dedicated to him his ''Theologia mentis et cordis''. In 1676 he was appointed by Carlos II of Spain first Archbishop of Valencia, and then governor of that province. In 1695 he was made inquisitor-general of Spain. He obtained the canonization of Louis Bertrand and Rose of Lima, the solemn beatification of Pius V, and the annual celebration in the order of the feast of Albert the Great and others. Historian John Langdon-Davies described Rocaberti as a "fanatical ascetic, he never wore linen or silk, he only ate vegetables and fish, his bed was more like a martyr's rack than a high ecclesiastic's resting place."Langdon-Davies, John. (1962). ''Carlos: The Bewitched, the Last Spanish Hapsburg, 1661-1700''. J. Cape. p. 204 Rocaberti died at Madrid.

Doctrine

Rocaberti is best known as an active

apologist Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their fa ...

of the

papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, against Gallicans and

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

s. His first work in the sense was ''De Romani pontificis in temporalibus auctoritate'' (3 vols., Valentia, 1691–94). His most important work is the ''Bibliotheca Maxima Pontificia'' (21 vols., Rome, 1697–1700). In this monumental work the author collected and published in alphabetical order, and in their entirety, all the important works dealing with the primacy of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

from an orthodox point of view, beginning with Abraham Bzovius and ending with Zacharias Boverius. A summary is given in Hurter's ''Nomenclator''.

Works

*''De Romani pontificis in temporalibus auctoritate'', 3 vols., Valentia, 1691–94. ** ** ** *''Bibliotheca Maxima Pontificia'', 21 vols., Rome, 1697–1700.

References

* Sources: ** Quétif and Jacques Échard, , II (Paris, 1721), 630, 827; ** Touron, Hist. des hom. Ill. De l'ordre Dom., V (Paris, 1748), 714–26; ** Hugo von Hurter, ''Nomenclator literarius recentioris theologiae catholicae'', II: Année Dominicaine, XIII, 785.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocaberti, Juan Tomas de 17th-century Spanish Roman Catholic theologians Spanish Dominicans Masters of the Order of Preachers Archbishops of Valencia 17th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Spain Grand Inquisitors of Spain 1627 births 1699 deaths People from Alt Empordà