Bartolomé Carranza facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bartolomé Carranza
Born	1503 Miranda de Arga
Died	May 2, 1576(1576-05-02) (aged 72–73) Rome
Alma mater	University of Valladolid
Occupation	Catholic priest, university professor, dominican

Bartolomé Carranza (born 1503 – died May 2, 1576) was a Spanish priest from Navarre. He was a member of the Dominican Order, a smart theologian, and later became the Archbishop of Toledo. He is remembered because the Spanish Inquisition investigated him.

He spent many years in prison because he was accused of heresy. Heresy meant having beliefs that went against the official teachings of the Catholic Church. He was first accused in 1530. Then, he was imprisoned from 1558 to 1576. The final decision said there was no clear proof he was a heretic. However, he was asked to stay in a Dominican monastery in Rome. He died there just seven days later.

Early Life and Education

Bartolomé Carranza came from a noble family. Their lands were in Miranda de Arga, in the Kingdom of Navarre, which is now part of Spain. He was born there in 1503. He was the youngest son of Pedro Carranza.

When he was young, he saw Spain take over his home country, Navarre. This takeover changed the church in Navarre a lot. New church areas were created. There were also efforts to stop European ideas from entering Navarre and Spain.

He studied at the University of Alcalá from 1515 to 1520. His uncle, Sancho Carranza, was a professor there. In 1520, Bartolomé joined the Dominican Order. He then studied at Salamanca and Valladolid from 1521 to 1525.

He got his first education at Alcalá. In 1520, he entered the Dominican monastery of Benalaque. This monastery was near Guadalajara.

Career as a Teacher and Theologian

Teacher and Scholar (1527–1540)

Carranza started teaching theology at Valladolid in 1527. Few Spanish scholars were as learned as he was. Students from all over Spain came to listen to him. In 1530, someone told the Inquisition that he was limiting the Pope's power. They also said he liked the ideas of Erasmus. But the case against him failed. He became a professor of philosophy and a theology leader from 1533 to 1539.

He continued his studies in philosophy and theology at Salamanca. In 1528, he became a master of liberal arts. In 1534, he became a theology lecturer at the College of St. Gregory, Valladolid. He was accused of holding some wrong ideas at this time. But nothing serious came of it.

Carranza's fame as a learned theologian grew quickly. The Inquisition appointed him to check books. He was also asked to prepare opinions and sermons. His religious order also sent him on important missions.

In 1539, he went to Rome to represent his order. There, he became a Master of Theology. This was at the main Dominican school in Rome, which later became a university. He spent time with a group of thinkers who had liberal ideas. But he also had the trust of Pope Paul III.

In 1540, Emperor Charles V offered him a high church position in Peru. Carranza said no. He continued his work as a theology lecturer at Valladolid. He also worked for the Inquisition, checking books, including versions of the Bible. In 1540, he was offered two other bishop positions. He turned down both.

Council of Trent (1545–1552)

In 1545, the Council of Trent began. This was a very important meeting of church leaders. Charles V sent Carranza and another Dominican, Domingo de Soto, as his theologians. By June 1545, Carranza was in Trent. During the first part of the council (1545–47), he was very active. He shared his ideas on many topics. These included sacraments, baptism, and the Mass. He also gave a sermon to the council in March.

He was very keen on reforming church rules. He strongly believed that bishops and clergy must live in their church areas. He wrote a paper about this in 1547. He argued that this was a divine law, meaning it came from God. His sermon on justification also caused much discussion. He was made the leader of his order for Castile.

Carranza also helped write eleven articles proposed by the Spanish. These articles discussed the duty of bishops to live in their areas. They also covered other rules for bishops. When the council moved to Bologna, he stayed in Trent.

In 1548, Charles asked him to go with Prince Philip to Flanders. He was to be Philip's confessor, someone who hears confessions. Carranza said no. In 1549, he again refused to become Bishop of the Canary Islands.

After returning to Spain in 1549, he became the head of a monastery in Palencia. In 1550, he became a provincial leader. In 1551, Pope Julius III reopened the Council at Trent. Carranza went back to take part in the talks. The council stopped again in 1552. Carranza returned to Spain. There, he continued his duties in his order and worked for the Inquisition.

Time in England (1554–1557)

In 1554, Charles V sent Carranza to England. He went with Charles's son, Philip, for Philip's marriage to Queen Mary. Carranza became Mary's confessor. He worked hard to bring back the Catholic religion in England, especially in Oxford.

As Philip's almoner, Carranza was close to the prince. He often preached to Philip and his court. In 1554, Philip was engaged to Queen Mary of England. He sent Carranza and other Spanish priests ahead of him. They were to help the queen bring England back to the Catholic faith.

Carranza stayed in England until 1557. He worked actively with Cardinal Pole. He visited churches and preached. He tried to stop the sale of Protestant books. He preached against what he saw as "false doctrines." He also inspected the University of Oxford. Because of his efforts, some professors were removed from the university.

After Charles V gave up his throne, Philip became king of Spain. Carranza returned to the European mainland in 1557. He went to Flanders, where the new king was living. In Flanders, Carranza continued his efforts. He worked to stop Protestant writings from spreading and to keep the Catholic faith strong.

Archbishop of Toledo (1557–1559)

The position of Archbishop of Toledo became open in 1557. King Philip II chose Carranza for this important role. Carranza tried to get the king to choose someone else, but Philip insisted. So, Carranza finally agreed. Pope Paul IV officially appointed him on December 16, 1557. This made him the Archbishop of Toledo and the most important church leader in Spain.

Carranza became a bishop in Brussels in 1558. He then left Flanders in June with important political instructions. He arrived at the court in Valladolid in August. Soon after, he visited Charles V, who was dying. He stayed with the emperor until Charles V passed away.

A rumor started that Carranza had led Charles V to have heretical views. People said the emperor had not died in the true Catholic faith. This rumor was false. But it gave new reasons for the Inquisition to start a case against Carranza.

Carranza was only able to serve his diocese for about a year. He focused especially on helping the poor. In 1558, he published a book in Antwerp called Commentary on the Christian Catechism. Some ideas in the book were suspected of heresy. The Grand Inquisitor Valdés started a case against Carranza.

Besides this book, Carranza's personal writings, things he said in sermons, and letters were used as evidence. This included a letter from Juan Valdés, who was considered a heretic. Two famous theologians, Melchior Cano and Dominicus de Soto, found many ideas in Carranza's book that they thought were wrong.

Pope Paul IV had given the Grand Inquisitor of Spain power to investigate all Spanish bishops for two years. This was to stop Protestant ideas from spreading. So, with King Philip II's permission, the grand inquisitor arrested Carranza. This happened in Torrelaguna on August 22, 1558. Carranza was taken as a prisoner to Valladolid.

Imprisonment (1559–1567)

In the same year, the Inquisition accused him again because of his Commentary. Even though a council committee had approved the book in 1563, it was placed on the Index. This was a list of forbidden books. Carranza had clearly lost Philip's favor. Philip ordered his arrest in Torrelaguna in 1559. He was imprisoned for almost eight years.

The case went on for a long time. Carranza asked Rome to handle his case. He was taken to Rome in December 1566. He was then held for ten years in the castle of St. Angelo. Two friends from Navarre, Francisco de Navarra and Martin de Azpilcueta, defended him.

Pope Pius IV asked Philip II many times about the case. Members of the Council of Trent also urged the Pope to bring Carranza's case to his court. The group that checked books at the council also gave a good report about Carranza's commentary.

However, the Spanish investigation continued slowly. In 1564, the Inquisition finished its investigation. The king wanted the case to be decided in Spain by judges chosen by the Pope. The Pope agreed and named four judges in 1565. These judges later all became popes. But when they arrived in Spain, they were not allowed to work independently. So, the case was not settled.

Finally, in 1567, Pope Pius V ordered that the case be moved to Rome. The official documents were sent there. Carranza, who had been in prison for eight years, was taken to Rome. He arrived on May 28, 1567.

Trial in Rome (1567–1576) and Death

Carranza lived in the papal rooms in the Castle of Sant'Angelo during his trial. The case lasted a very long time again, nine years in Rome. A final decision was made on April 14, 1576, during the time of Pope Gregory XIII.

Carranza was not found guilty of actual heresy. But he was told to reject sixteen ideas that made him seem suspicious. He was also forbidden from leading his diocese for another five years. He was ordered to live in a monastery near the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. There, he had to do certain religious exercises as a penance.

However, Carranza died in the same year, 1576. He was buried in the choir of the church mentioned earlier. Before he died, he visited seven important churches in Rome. He also celebrated Mass the next day. Gaspar Quiroga, the chief inquisitor, took his place as archbishop.

A theologian named José Tellechea Idígoras studied Carranza's writings. He concluded that Carranza might not have known about his "errors." But he was likely influenced by the ideas of the Protestant reformer Philip Melanchthon.

Later, the group that checked books also condemned Carranza's Commentary. This large book discussed Christian faith and morals. It covered faith, commandments, sacraments, and good works.

Before receiving his last religious rites, Carranza said he had always been a true Catholic. He said he had never meant to hold any wrong ideas. He fully accepted the judgment against him. He had patiently endured nearly seventeen years of imprisonment.

Legacy

According to J. P. Kirsch:

Carranza's sad fate happened mostly because people wanted to keep all Protestant ideas out of Spain. But it is also true that some things he said and wrote could make people think he had heretical ideas.

He was greatly respected in Rome. The Spanish people honored him like a saint. Pope Gregory XIII placed a praising message on his tomb in the church of Santa Maria. He also allowed a monument to be placed over his grave to honor him.

Besides the Commentary, Carranza published a book called Summa Conciliorum et Pontificum a Petro usque Paulum III in 1546. This book has been reprinted many times and added to by later editors. The Summa had four essays at the beginning. These discussed the authority of traditions, the Bible, the Pope, and church councils. He also wrote the book about bishops living in their areas. Another work was an Introduction to the Hearing of the Mass. An edition of this was published in 1555. His Summa Conciliorum et Pontificum has been widely respected for a long time.

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See also

In Spanish: Bartolomé de Carranza para niños