Alfonso Salmeron Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Alfonso Salmeron (September 8, 1515 - February 13, 1585) was a biblical scholar and one of the first Jesuits.
Born at Toledo, he studied literature and philosophy at Alcala, and thereafter went to Paris for philosophy and theology. Here, through James Lainez, he met Ignatius of Loyola. Together with Lainez, Peter Faber, and Francis Xavier he enlisted in 1536 as one of the first companions of Loyola.
The small company left Paris on November 15, 1536, and reached Venice on January 8, 1537, and during Lent of that year went to Rome. He delivered a discourse before the Holy Father and was, in return, granted leave to receive Holy orders so soon as he should have reached the canonical age. About September 8, all the first companions met at Vincenza, and all, save Ignatius, said their first Mass. The plan of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land was abandoned.
Salmeron devoted his ministry in Siena to the poor and to children. On April 22, 1541, he pronounced his solemn vows in St. Paul outside the Walls, as a professed member of the newly-established Society of Jesus. The autumn of that year, Paul III sent Salmeron and Broët as Apostolic nuncios to Ireland. They landed, by way of Scotland, February 23, 1542. Thirty-four days later they set sail for Dieppe and went on to Paris. For two years Salmeron preached in Rome; his exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians thrice a week in the church of the Society effected much good (1545).
After preaching the Lent at Bologna, he went with Lainez to the Council of Trent (May 18, 1546) as theologian to Paul III. The Dogma of Justification was under discussion. The two Jesuits at once won the hearts and respect of all; their discourses had to be printed and distributed to the bishops. Both set out for Bologna (March 14, 1547) with the Council. After serious sickness at Padua, Salmeron once again took up his council work. The next two years were in great part spent in preaching at Bologna, Venice, Padua, and Verona.
On October 4, 1549, Salmeron and his companions, Le Jay and Canisius, took their doctorate in the University of Bologna, so that they might, at the urgent invitation of William IV of Bavaria, accept chairs in Ingolstadt. Salmeron undertook to interpret the Epistle to the Romans. He held the attention of all by his learning and grace of exposition. Upon the death of Duke William, and at the instigation of the Bishop of Verona, much to the chagrin of the faculty of the Academy of Ingolstadt, Salmeron was returned to Verona (September 24, 1550). That year he explained the Gospel of Matthew.
The following year (1551) he was summoned to Rome to help Ignatius in working up the Constitutions of the Society. Other work was in store. He was soon (February 1551) sent to Naples to inaugurate the Society's first college there, but after a few months was summoned by Ignatius to go back to the Council of Trent as theologian to Julius III. It was during the discussions preliminary to these sessions that Lainez and Salmeron, as papal theologians, gave their vota first. When the Council once again suspended its sessions, Salmeron returned to Naples (October 1552).
Paul IV sent him to the Diet of Augsburg (May 1555) with the nuncio, Lippomanus, and thence into Poland; and later (April 1556) to Belgium. Another journey to Belgium was undertaken in the capacity of adviser to Cardinal Caraffa (December 2, 1557). Lainez appointed Salmeron first Provincial of Naples (1558), and vicar-general (1561) during the former's apostolic legation to France. The Council of Trent was again resumed (May 1562) and a third pontiff, Pius IV, chose Salmeron and Lainez for papal theologians. The rôle was very delicate; the Divine origin of the rights and duties of bishops was the be discussed.
During the years 1564-1582, Salmeron was engaged chiefly in preaching and writing; he preached every day during eighteen Lenten seasons; his preaching was fervent, learned, and fruitful. His writings during this long period were voluminous; Bellarmine spent five months in Naples reviewing them. Each day he pointed out to Salmeron the portions that were not up to the mark, and the next day the latter brought back those parts corrected.
Alfonso Salmeron died at Naples on February 13, 1585.Life