Balthazar Alvarez facts for kids

Balthazar Alvarez (born April 1534 – died July 25, 1580) was a Spanish Catholic priest and a special kind of spiritual guide. He is best known for being the spiritual director for Saint Teresa, a famous nun and mystic.

Life of Balthazar Alvarez

Early Life and Studies

Balthazar Alvarez was born in Cervera del Río Alhama, Spain, in April 1534. He came from a noble family. He went to the University of Alcalá to study philosophy and theology.

At first, he was interested in joining the Carthusians. This group of monks lived a very quiet life focused on prayer. However, in 1555, he decided to join the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. This was only 15 years after the Jesuits were founded.

Joining the Jesuits

Alvarez joined the Jesuits in Alcalá. During his training period, called the novitiate, he met St. Francis Borgia. They became very good friends. Alvarez continued his studies in philosophy and theology. He studied at Alcalá and Ávila. At that time, the Jesuits in Spain did not yet have their own colleges for theology. So, Alvarez studied under the guidance of the Dominicans.

Even though his studies were often interrupted, he became very good at understanding spiritual matters. He learned a lot about how people can connect with God.

Becoming a Priest and Spiritual Director

Alvarez became a priest in 1558. When he was 26 years old, he was sent to Avila. There, he became a spiritual director for many people. A spiritual director is someone who guides others in their religious life and helps them grow closer to God.

One of the people he guided was Saint Teresa. At first, he was quite strict with her. He thought she might be too playful or not serious enough. He also doubted her stories of deep spiritual experiences. But later, he had similar experiences himself. This helped him understand her better.

Because he was connected to Saint Teresa, some of the problems she faced also affected him. She was trying to reform her religious order, and not everyone agreed with her changes.

Guiding Saint Teresa

Alvarez did more than just guide Saint Teresa in her spiritual journey. He also defended her when people criticized her. He encouraged her in her important work of reforming the Carmelite Order. He also helped a lot in writing the rules for the new Carmelite convents.

Alvarez guided Saint Teresa for seven years. She believed that God had shown her that he was one of the holiest people in the world. They continued to write letters to each other when he was away.

Later Life and Challenges

In 1567, Alvarez reportedly received a special gift called "infused contemplation." This is a deep form of prayer where God fills a person with spiritual understanding. After this, he became more peaceful about his own mistakes and more understanding of others.

In 1574, he became the rector (leader) of the Jesuit college in Salamanca. He also became a "visitor" for the Aragon Province, which meant he checked on other Jesuit communities. In 1579, he was almost sent to Peru to be a provincial leader there, but this plan did not happen.

Later in his life, some people questioned his way of prayer. Some even thought it might be a trick from the devil. Alvarez had to write a detailed explanation of his prayer method to the General of the Society of Jesus, Everard Mercurian. The General approved of Alvarez's method. However, he did not recommend it for everyone. Still, he respected Alvarez greatly and gave him important jobs.

Balthazar Alvarez passed away in Belmonte in 1580.

See also

In Spanish: Baltasar Álvarez para niños