Pedro de Soto facts for kids
Pedro de Soto (born in 1493, died in 1563) was a Spanish Dominican priest and a very smart theologian. A theologian is someone who studies religion and God.
Pedro de Soto's Life
Pedro de Soto, also known as Petrus a Soto in Latin, was an important advisor to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He was like a spiritual guide and trusted friend to the Emperor.
Later, for six years, he became a top professor of theology at the University of Dillingen. Here, he had many debates with Protestants. Protestants were a group of Christians who had different ideas from the main Catholic Church at that time. Pedro de Soto worked with the Bishop of Augsburg to make the university a strong place for Catholic teachings.
In 1555, he went to London to help with England's return to Catholicism. This was happening under Queen Mary I. He also taught theology at the University of Oxford for about a year. He taught about the Sentences of Peter Lombard, which was a famous book of theological ideas.
Pedro de Soto was also a key theologian for Pope Pius IV at an important meeting called the Council of Trent in 1559. This council was a big meeting of Catholic leaders to discuss and clarify church teachings.
In 1560, he faced some challenges. The Spanish Inquisition (a church court) in Valladolid thought he might be influenced by Lutheranism. Lutheranism was another Protestant movement. This was mainly because he supported a book called Catechism by Bartolomé Carranza. He also made some comments at the Council of Trent that were misunderstood.
During the Council, Pedro de Soto wrote poems based on the Bible. A composer named Jacobus de Kerle set these poems to music. It is said that this music helped influence the discussions at the Council about sacred music in churches. Pedro de Soto passed away in Trent in 1563 while his trial was still ongoing.
