ARMANIA Y FONT, FRANCISCO. - Spanish Augustinian, b. 3 June 1718 at Villanueva y Geltrú (Barcelona), d. at Tarragona 4 May 1803. He was master of novices for 25 years, bishop of Lugo in 1768 and archbishop of Tarragona in 1785.
A preacher of merit, he opposed the Jesuits on the question of probabilism and was accused of leaning towards Jansenism and Enlightenment thought. He promoted many charitable institutions. Notable and widely known are his Pastoral Letters on the infallible truth of the Christian religion (Madrid 1783) and his Sermons (Tarragona 1796).
The name of A. is linked to the question of the beatific vision, debated in 1331 following the well-known sermon of Pope John XXII. The Master of the Sacred Palace was forced to break his silence and take a position. And he did so in
APPENDIX... Foliino 1732); Catalogi tres episcoporum, reformatorum et virorum sanctitate illustrium e congregatione Casinensi, Assisi 1733 (the third catalogue, however, from the letter C onward was reissued under the title: Continuatio catalogi virginum sanctitate illustrium... Rome 1734); Additiones et correctiones Bibliothecae Benedictino-Casinensis, Foliino 1735, with a 20-page appendix: Appendix de quibusdam aliis per Italiam O. S. B. congregationum... vitis. Other works remained in manuscript.
Though later additions give this extensive collection of memoirs on illustrious men of the Cassinese Congregation, from its origins (15th century) to the author’s own day, a somewhat cumbersome aspect, its value is considerable both for its accuracy and for the number of facts rescued from oblivion. Consultation is facilitated by various indices, and the persons are listed under their personal names.