Peter Wadding facts for kids

Peter Wadding (born around 1581 – died 1644) was an important Irish Jesuit scholar. Jesuits are a group of Catholic priests and brothers known for their work in education and missionary activities. Peter Wadding became a professor and leader at several famous universities in Europe.

Peter Wadding's Life and Education

Peter Wadding was born in Waterford, Ireland, either in 1581 or 1583. His parents, Thomas Wadding and Mary Walsh, came from well-known families. Peter had five brothers who also became Jesuits: Luke, Thomas, Michael, Daniel, and Walter. His cousins, Luke Wadding (a Franciscan) and Ambrose Wadding (a Jesuit), were also religious figures.

Peter studied in Ireland for seven years, focusing on subjects like history and literature. After that, he went to the University of Douai in France. There, he earned a Master of Arts degree. He later became a doctor in both law and theology.

On October 24, 1601, Peter joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He began his training period, called a novitiate, in Tournai on November 23, 1601. During this time, he stated his birth year was 1583.

A Professor and Chancellor

Peter Wadding became a professor of theology. He taught first at the University of Louvain in Belgium, and then at Antwerp. In 1629, he moved to Prague, where he continued to teach theology. He also became the chancellor of the university, which means he was a high-ranking official in charge of its operations.

The last years of his life were spent at the University of Graz in Austria. There, he was also a professor of theology and the chancellor. He passed away in Graz on September 13, 1644.

Peter Wadding's Writings

While he was in Antwerp, Peter Wadding had a discussion with a famous scholar named Simon Episcopius. Their debates were later published in Dutch after they both died. The book was called Twee brieven van den gelerden Peter Wading (Two letters from the learned Peter Wadding).

In 1632, Wadding finished a work called Brevis Refutatio Calumniarum. This book defended the Jesuit college in Prague against some false accusations. In 1636, he published a large book of 656 pages titled Tractatus de Incarnation. This was a detailed work on theology. The next year, he wrote a speech called Oratio Pragæ dicta, celebrating Ferdinand III becoming emperor.

Other Works and Manuscripts

An updated list of Jesuit writings from 1643, by Pedro de Ribadeneira, mentions that Wadding also published under a different name, or pseudonym. These works included Carmina varia (various poems) and Tractatus aliquos contra Hæreticos (treatises against heretics).

A collection of his handwritten papers can be found in the Bodleian Library in England.

According to Edmund Hogan, a Jesuit historian, Peter Wadding wrote several important works:

• Carmina varia et alia spectantia ad Disciplinas Humaniores (Various poems and other works on humanities)
• Tractatus aliquot contra Haereticos (Several treatises against heretics)
• Brevis Refutatio Calumniarum quas Collegio Societatis Jesu Pragensi impegit Scriptor famosi libelli cui titulus "Flagellum Jesuiticum," praesertim in negotio Academiae Pragensis, published in 1634.
• De Incarnatione, published in 1634.
• Oratio Pragae dicta in Ferdinandi III. Ratisbonensibus Comitiis in Caesarem electi Inauguratione (A speech given in Prague for Ferdinand III's election as Emperor).
• De Contractibus, published in 1644.
• Epistola de Regula Fidei (Letter on the Rule of Faith), published in Latin and translated into Dutch.
• Epistola de Cultu Imaginum (Letter on the Worship of Images), published in Latin and translated into Dutch.

He also had several handwritten works, including:

• Thirty-six different treatises in the Bodleian Library.
• Examen et Purgatio Petri Wadingi (Examination and Purification of Peter Wadding), found in the Imperial Library at Vienna.