Thomas Lister (Jesuit) facts for kids

Thomas Lister (also known as Thomas Butler) was an English writer and a member of the Jesuit order. He was born around 1559 and likely passed away before 1628. Lister is known for his writings during a time of disagreement among English Catholic leaders in England.

The Life of Thomas Lister

Thomas Lister was born in Lancashire, a county in northern England, around the year 1559. His father was Christopher Lister.

Early Education and Joining the Jesuits

In 1576, Thomas Lister began his studies at Douai College. He had to return to England for a time, where he was arrested and put in prison. However, he was later set free.

In 1579, he joined the English College, Rome. Three years later, in February 1583, he became a member of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. The Jesuits are a religious order within the Catholic Church.

Later Years and Imprisonment

Lister continued his education and earned a degree in Divinity from Pont-à-Mousson in 1592. In 1596, he went to work for the Catholic Church in England. However, he was arrested again in 1598 and spent a long time in prison.

It seems Thomas Lister lived in England continuously after that. He probably died sometime before the year 1628.

Thomas Lister's Writings

Thomas Lister became involved in a big disagreement among English Catholic priests. This argument was called the archpriest controversy. It was about whether some priests would accept the authority of a newly appointed leader, Dr. George Blackwell, who was called the archpriest.

The Adversus factiosos Treatise

One of the priests asked Lister for his opinion on those who refused to obey the archpriest. Lister wrote a short paper called Adversus factiosos in ecclesia. In this paper, he strongly criticized the priests who would not obey. He said their actions meant they had separated from the Church.

It is not clear if this paper was officially published. However, many copies were passed around by hand. This caused even more arguments among the priests.

The Pope's Decision

The priests who disagreed with Lister's paper asked Archpriest Blackwell to stop its circulation. Blackwell refused, saying the paper was like medicine for a problem that needed to be fixed.

Because of Blackwell's actions regarding Lister's paper, 33 clergymen appealed to Rome. The Pope listened to their concerns. In May 1601, the Pope ordered Lister's paper to be stopped. Archpriest Blackwell was also told off for how he handled the situation.

Lister's paper, Adversus factiosos, was later included in another book called Relatio compendium turbarum by Christopher Bagshaw.