Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil (anglicised: Hugh McCaghwell) O.F.M.
Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
Aodh "McAingil" MacCathmhaoil (anglicised: Hugh McCaghwell) by an unknown artist, painted sometime between 1596 and 1626.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Armagh
Appointed	17 March 1626
Reign ended	22 September 1626
Predecessor	Peter Lombard
Successor	Hugh O'Reilly
Orders
Consecration	7 June 1626 by Gabriel de Trejo
Personal details
Born	1571 Dunen (Downpatrick), County Down, Ireland
Died	22 September 1626 (aged 55) College of St. Isidore, Ludovisi, Rome
Buried	Church of St. Isidore, Ludovisi, Rome
Nationality	Irish
Denomination	Roman Catholic

Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil (pronounced "Ee Mac Cah-weel"), also known as Hugh MacCaghwell, was an important Irish church leader and scholar. He was a Franciscan friar, which is a type of Catholic priest who belongs to the Order of Friars Minor. He became the Archbishop of Armagh, a very high position in the Catholic Church in Ireland. People who spoke Irish at the time sometimes called him Aodh Mac Aingil, which means "Son of an Angel." He was known for his writings and for helping to set up colleges for Irish students in other countries.

Life of Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil

Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil was born in 1571 in Saul, County Down, Ireland. He started his education in his hometown. He then went to a special school on the Isle of Man. These early schools were called bardic schools, where people learned about Irish history, poetry, and law.

Early Career and Studies

After finishing his studies, Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil became a tutor for the sons of Hugh O'Neill, The O'Neill, a powerful Irish leader. He taught O'Neill's sons, Henry and Hugh.

Later, O'Neill sent Mac Cathmhaoil to Spain as a special messenger. His job was to ask for help for the Irish forces. While in Spain, he studied at the University of Salamanca. He earned advanced degrees in theology, which is the study of religious faith and practice.

Becoming a Franciscan Friar

Soon after his studies, Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil joined the Franciscans. This is a religious order within the Catholic Church. He became very well-known for his deep understanding of theology. His writings about another famous theologian, Duns Scotus, were highly respected.

Mac Cathmhaoil used his influence in Spain to help found the Irish Franciscan College of St. Anthony in Leuven (Louvain), Belgium. This college became a very important place for Irish students and scholars.

Teaching and Papal Missions

After joining the Franciscans, Mac Cathmhaoil taught at the University of Salamanca for a while. He then moved to Belgium to become a leader and teacher at St. Anthony's College in Leuven. Many important Irish scholars, like John Colgan and Patrick Fleming, were his students.

Later, he was called to Rome to teach at a famous convent called Aracoeli. Besides teaching, he also worked for the Pope on several important tasks.

In 1613, he went on a special mission from the Pope to Ulster, Ireland. Over the next 30 years, the college in Leuven produced many important Irish books and religious texts. Mac Cathmhaoil and his friends, like Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, helped save many old Irish manuscripts. They traveled around Ireland to find and copy these important historical documents.

Becoming Archbishop of Armagh

Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil was chosen as the Definitor General of the Friars Minor. This role gave him authority over many friars in Europe. In this position, he helped Friar Luke Wadding establish the College of San Isidore and the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. These colleges were also for Irish students.

On March 17, 1626, Pope Urban VIII chose Mac Cathmhaoil to become the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh. This also made him the Primate of All Ireland, a very high religious leader. He was officially made an archbishop on June 7, 1626, in the church of St. Isidore in Rome.

Final Days and Legacy

Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil's health was not strong. He had worked very hard and lived a strict life, often traveling on foot and spending much time in prayer. While getting ready to leave Rome, he became sick with a fever. He passed away on September 22, 1626, at the age of 55.

He was buried in the Church of St. Isidore in Rome. His friend, John O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, arranged for a special monument to be placed on his grave. A Latin playwright named Nicolaus Vernulæus gave a speech praising Mac Cathmhaoil. He said that the archbishop was known for his good qualities and deep learning, making him "the miracle of his time."

Works and Writings

Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil was a talented writer. He wrote four Christmas carols in the Irish language, including one called A Naoidhe Naoimh (which means "O Holy Child").

Most of his major works were in Latin and focused on theology.

• Scáthán Shacramuinte na hAthridhe: This important work was written in Irish and printed in Leuven in 1618. Its title means The Mirror of the Sacrament of Penance. It was about the sacrament of confession and forgiveness.
• Apologia pro Johanne Duns-Scoto: In this work, he defended the ideas of the theologian Duns Scotus. He argued against other scholars who disagreed with Scotus's teachings.
• Commentaries on Duns Scotus: He wrote several detailed commentaries on Scotus's works, including Scoti Commentaria in quatuor libros Sententiarum and Scoti Commentaria seu Reportata Parisiensia. These showed his deep understanding of theology.

Other works he wrote include:

• Apologiam Apologiae supradictae pro Johanne Scoto Scriptae
• Quæstiones quodilibetales
• Quæstiones in libros de anima
• Quaestiones in Metaphysicam &c