Henricus Gravius

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Henricus Gravius (Dutch Hendrik van Grave or Grauwe ; French Henri de Grave ; * 1536 in Leuven , † April 2, 1591 in Rome ) was a Dutch theologian .

Life

Henricus Gravius ​​was a son of the respected printer Barthélemi Gravius ​​and was not inexperienced even in his father's art. After attending the grammar school he studied philosophy at the preparatory to the high school Paedagogium Porci the University of Leuven . From 1556 he studied theology and achieved the degree of a baccalaureus . He also acquired a thorough knowledge of mathematics . In 1569 he became a full professor at the theological faculty and canon of the Saint-Pierre church in Leuven. On May 30, 1570 he confidently passed the exams for the doctorate in theology . Soon afterwards he took over the management of the small Holy Spirit College at the University of Leuven. Instead of his previous theological professorship, he was given a chair in catechesis in November 1572 . In 1578 he became head of the great Holy Spirit College and held this position as well as his professorship until 1590.

Gravius' reputation spread to Italy , so that Pope Sixtus V sent him to Rome in 1590 on the recommendation of learned men to get the edition of the Vulgate and the works of several church fathers he intended and to supervise the printing as an expert. At the same time he made him responsible for the Vatican library and the papal printing house. Gravius ​​left Leuven at the beginning of September 1590 and learned of the death of Sixtus V on his arrival in Liège . Nevertheless, he continued his journey and arrived in Rome in mid-October 1590, where a conclave was just being held to elect a successor to the pontificate, who had died after only two weeks Urban VII. Was held. The Bishop of Aquino , a friend of the University of Leuven, warmly welcomed Gravius, who was waiting for the conclave to end.

On December 5, 1590, Gregory XIV was elected. This accepted Gravius ​​with great honors and the Cardinals Antonio Carafa , Federico Borromeo , Marcantonio Colonna and Cesare Baronio also treated him with distinction. Baronio in particular made closer acquaintance with him. Gravius, whose health had been in poor health before he left Belgium, felt uncomfortable in Rome because he could not stand the southern climate. He soon fell ill and died six months after his arrival in Rome on April 2, 1591. The aforementioned cardinals attended Gravius' funeral in the national church of Santa Maria dell'Anima . His body was found next to Hadrian VI's mausoleum . buried. Cardinal Baronio had a monument erected for his deceased friend at his own expense and an epitaph in recognition of his merits . He also sent a letter to the theological faculty of Leuven, regretting the heavy loss. At the University of Leuven, Gravius' death was also received with sadness. On May 18, 1591, a funeral service was held for the deceased, during which the theology professor Jacques Janssonius gave the funeral oration. This was printed in the same year by Gisbert Masius in Löwen.

Gravius ​​also emerged as a writer. The notes in the seventh volume of the Plantinian edition of the works of St. Augustine ( Annotationes in tomum VII B. Augustini, Hipponensis episcopi, ... , Antwerp 1577), which contains the writings of this church father against the heretics , are from Gravius' pen. Gravius ​​was particularly concerned with this part of theological literature and had already started working on a work on the history of Donatism ( Commentarii rerum donatisticarum ) when his trip to Rome interrupted the further writing of this book. Gravius ​​left behind as a manuscript a sermon he gave in 1586 on Lk 17.10  EU ( Oratio qua tractatur dictum illud Christi, Luc. XVII ... ).

literature

personal data
SURNAME Gravius, Henricus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grave, Hendrik van; Grave, Henri de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch theologian
DATE OF BIRTH 1536
PLACE OF BIRTH Lions
DATE OF DEATH April 2, 1591
Place of death Rome