Cornelius Jansen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cornelius Jansen
Bishop of Ypres
Painting of Cornelius Jansen.
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Diocese of Ypres
Enthroned	1635
Reign ended	1638
Predecessor	Georges Chamberlain
Successor	Josse Bouckaert
Personal details
Born	28 October 1585 Acquoy, County of Holland, Dutch Republic
Died	6 May 1638 Ypres, Spanish Netherlands
Education	University of Leuven

Cornelius Jansen (born October 28, 1585 – died May 6, 1638) was a Dutch Catholic bishop. He served as the bishop of Ypres in Flanders. He is known as the founder of a religious movement called Jansenism.

Who Was Cornelius Jansen?

Cornelius Jansen was an important religious figure. He was a bishop and a professor. His ideas started a big debate in the Catholic Church. This debate lasted for many years after his death.

Early Life and Studies

Cornelius Jansen was born in 1585 in a small town called Acquoy in the Netherlands. His family was Catholic but not wealthy. In 1602, he started studying at the Old University of Leuven. This university was a very important place for learning.

At Leuven, Jansen became very interested in the teachings of Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine was an early and very influential Christian thinker. Jansen also became good friends with Jean du Vergier de Hauranne. They both believed the Church needed to be reformed.

A Teacher and Reformer

After finishing his studies, Jansen moved to Paris. He then joined his friend Du Vergier near Bayonne. For several years, they studied old Christian writings together. They also made plans to improve the Church.

In 1616, Jansen returned to Leuven. He became the head of a college for Dutch theology students. He was known as a strict teacher. He also spent a lot of time studying alone.

Jansen was very active in the university's disagreements with the Jesuits. The Jesuits had their own theology school in Leuven. This school was becoming a strong competitor to the university's official program. Jansen traveled to Madrid twice to try and stop the Jesuits' influence. He even faced danger from the Inquisition, a powerful Church court.

He also supported the Catholic leader Philippus Rovenius. Rovenius was trying to spread the Catholic faith in the Dutch Republic. Jansen also debated with Gisbertus Voetius, a leader of the Calvinist church.

Becoming a Bishop

Jansen wanted to show that Catholics could also interpret the Bible in a deeply spiritual way. This became the main goal of his lectures. In 1630, he became a professor of Bible studies at Leuven.

He also worked on his most important book, Augustinus. This book was a huge study of Saint Augustine's ideas. He finished it just before he died. In the book, he strongly criticized the Jesuits.

Jansen also had political ideas. He hoped that Flanders would become an independent Catholic country. To please the Spanish rulers, he wrote a strong attack on French politics called Mars gallicus in 1635. This book helped him gain favor with Spain. In 1636, he was appointed bishop of Ypres by the Pope and the Spanish Court.

Sadly, Cornelius Jansen died suddenly in 1638 at the age of 52. His famous book, Augustinus, was published after his death in 1640.

The Jansenist Controversy

Jansen's book, Augustinus, caused a lot of debate. A group of scholars from the Sorbonne found five statements in his book. They believed these statements were wrong. They said Jansen had misunderstood Saint Augustine. They also compared Jansen's ideas to those of Lutherans, a Protestant group.

What Was Jansenism?

Jansenism was a religious movement based on Cornelius Jansen's ideas. It focused on the importance of God's grace. It also emphasized human sinfulness and the need for deep repentance. Jansenists believed that humans could not do good without God's special help.

Popes and Condemnations

In 1653, Pope Innocent X officially condemned the five statements. He did this in a special letter called a papal bull named Cum Occasione. Three years later, Pope Alexander VII condemned them again.

The Jesuits, who were very powerful at the time, convinced the Pope to make all Jansenists sign a special document. This document would make them agree with the Pope's condemnation. This led to a big argument known as the formulary controversy.

During this time, Blaise Pascal, a famous French writer and scientist, wrote his Lettres provinciales (Provincial Letters). In these letters, he strongly criticized the Jesuits.

The Port-Royal Story

Many Jansenists, especially those from the Port-Royal abbey, were forced to sign the document. However, they added a condition. They said they would only agree if the five statements were actually in Jansen's book. They argued that the Pope could condemn ideas, but he couldn't make something appear in a book if it wasn't there. This argument led to many years of religious debates.

Pascal and some other Jansenists refused to sign the document at all. They believed that condemning Jansen was like condemning Saint Augustine himself. This made the King of France, Louis XIV, and the Jesuits even angrier. In 1661, the Port-Royal abbey was closed. Later, in 1710, it was completely destroyed by order of Louis XIV.

The End of Jansenism

Another important papal bull, Unigenitus, was issued by Pope Clement XI in 1713. This bull condemned 101 more statements. It marked the end of the Catholic Church's tolerance for Jansenist ideas.

Despite this, Jansenism continued to be a political force in France. Jansenists published a magazine that often criticized the Jesuits. Eventually, Jansenists worked with other groups to have the Jesuits expelled from France in 1764.

See also

In Spanish: Cornelio Jansenio para niños