Diego Laynez
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Several spellings of his names (James, Jacob; Laines, Laynez, Lainez) are in use and some of them can be found in other Wikipedia articles
Diego Laynez (or Lainez), (1512-19 January 1565) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian, and the second general of the Society of Jesus.
He was born in Almazon in Castile. He came from a Catholic family that had once been Jewish. He graduated from the University of Alcalá, and then continued his studies in Paris, where he came under the influence of Ignatius of Loyola. He was one of the six men who, with Loyola, formed the original Society of Jesus, taking the vow of missionary work in Palestine in the Montmartre church.
This plan fell through, and Laynez became professor of scholastic theology at La Sapienza. After the order had been definitely established (1540) Laynez was sent to Germany. He was one of Pope Paul III's theologians at the Council of Trent, where he played a major part. Laynez retired to Rome at the conclusion of the Council of Trent and died two years later.
When Loyola died in 1556 Laynez had acted as vicar of the society, and two years later became general. Before his death at Rome, he had strengthened the constitution of the order and developed its educational activities.
After the death of Ignatius he became the second Superior-General of the Society of Jesus, in 1558. On the death of Pope Paul IV, many cardinals wished to elect Laynez pope, but he fled from them in order to avoid this fate.
[edit] References
- His Disputationes Tridentinae were published in 2 volumes in 1886.
- Lives by Michel d'Esne (Douai, 1597) and Pedro de Ribadeneira (Madrid, 1592; Lat. trans. by A. Schott, Antwerp, 1598).
- H. Muller, Les Origines de la Compagnie de Jesus: Ignace et Lainez (1898).
[edit] External link
| Preceded by: Ignatius of Loyola |
Superior General of the Society of Jesus 1558–1565 |
Succeeded by: Francis Borgia |
