John of Segovia facts for kids

John of Segovia, or in Spanish Juan de Segovia (around 1395 – May 24, 1458), was an important Spanish church leader and thinker. He played a big role in a major church meeting called the Council of Basle. He also knew many smart people of his time, like Nicholas of Cusa. Towards the end of his life, he lived away from Spain in a place called Savoy. There, he asked for a very accurate translation of the Koran (the holy book of Islam) into Spanish, which he then translated into Latin.

Biography: John's Life and Work

John of Segovia was born in a city called Segovia in Spain, probably near the end of the 1300s. In old papers, his name is written as Ioannis de Segovia and Joannes Alfonsi. We don't know much about his early life. Before he joined the Council of Basle, he was a church official (an archdeacon) in Villaviciosa de Odón. He was also a canon (another church official) in Toledo and a professor of theology (someone who teaches about religious ideas) at the University of Salamanca.

John at the Council of Basle

In 1432, the University of Salamanca and the King of Castile, John II of Castile, sent John of Segovia to the Council of Basle. This was a very important meeting of church leaders. At the council, John was one of the best at arguing that the council had more power than the Pope.

At first, he tried to help solve the disagreements between the council and Pope Eugene IV. He even spent some time with the Pope in Florence in 1435. But later, John became a strong supporter of the group at the council that wanted big changes. He was part of the meeting on October 1, 1437, where Pope Eugene IV was declared disobedient. He also took part in the meeting on May 16, 1439, where the Pope was called a heretic (someone who goes against church teachings). In March 1439, John of Segovia represented the council at a meeting in Mainz, Germany.

Choosing a New Pope

After Pope Eugene IV was removed from his position by the council on June 25, 1439, John of Segovia was chosen for a special committee. This committee's job was to pick theologians (religious scholars) to elect a new Pope. On November 5, 1439, John was one of the thirty-three people who elected antipope Felix V. An "antipope" is someone who claims to be Pope but is not recognized by everyone.

To thank him for his work, Felix V made John a cardinal on October 12, 1440. John then represented Felix V at several important meetings: in Bourges, France, in 1440, and in Mainz and Frankfurt, Germany, in 1441 and 1442.

Later Life and Retirement

The disagreement in the church (called a "schism") ended in 1449. John of Segovia then gave up his cardinal position. He was made a bishop (a church leader) of Caesarea by Pope Eugene IV, and he went to live in a monastery.

John spent much of his retirement in a place called Aiton. He strongly believed in peaceful talks with the Islamic world. He also thought it was important to translate the Koran into Western languages, like Spanish. He worked with an Islamic scholar named ʿĪsā ibn Jābir to translate the Koran into Spanish.

John of Segovia passed away in 1458.

Writings: John's Books and Ideas

John of Segovia wrote many important works. His most important book was a long history of the Council of Basle, which he wrote between 1449 and 1453.

Here are some of his other works:

• A book supporting the idea of the Immaculate Conception (a religious belief about Mary, the mother of Jesus). This book was printed in Brussels in 1664.
• A book arguing against the Koran, called "De mittendo gladio in Saracenos" (which means "On sending the sword against the Saracens").
• A defense of the "Filioque" (a religious idea about the Holy Spirit) against the Orthodox Church. This book was called "De processu Spiritus Sancti" and was printed in Basle in 1476.
• A Biblical concordance, called "Concordantiae biblicae vocum indeclinabilium" (a guide to words in the Bible). This was also printed in Basle in 1476.
• Several books that argued for the idea that a general church council had more power than the Pope.

See also

In Spanish: Juan de Segovia (teólogo) para niños