BATTISTA DA CREMA. — Dominican ascetic writer and spiritual director, in the world Carioni, born in Crema probably around 1460. He seems to have been MAGI (v.). The austere Dominican began to become known in 1519, when s. Gaetano Thiene, after having cooperated in Rome in the foundation of the Confraternity of Divine Love, chose him at Vicenza, where he was staying, as his spiritual director. Out of obedience he first sent Thiene to Venice, and in 1523 to Rome, where he seems to have urged him to found the Theatines. Chosen as confessor by Ludovica Torelli, countess of Guastalla, who had converted to a spiritual life, Fra' B. went, with the indult of Clement VII, to live at Guastalla near the
Countess, assuming her spiritual direction (1529). On his advice the countess chose as her chaplain s. Antonio Maria Zaccaria, founder of the Barnabites (May 1530?), whom B. had met at Cremona and had directed since 1528. In 1529 Countess Torelli and Fra' B. moved to Milan, where they laid the foundations of two pious associations, one of women and the other of priests, which followed a rigorous ascetic method according to Fra' B.’s spiritual teachings. Through successive developments, the Angelics and the Barnabites originated from these pious associations. Fra' B.’s stay with the countess of Guastalla was harshly criticized by his Dominican confrères and by others, including Gian Pietro Carafa (later Paul IV), but in the proceedings brought against him in 1530 his innocence was established. He died during the night between 2 and 3 January 1537, assisted by s. Antonio Zaccaria.
Fra' B. is known not only as a director of souls but also as an outstanding writer of spiritual works that were widely read in his time: La Via di aperta verità, first published in Venice in 1523, without the author’s knowledge, by one of his admirers, the hermit Gerolamo Regino, filled with errors and distortions of the author’s thought, and republished in corrected form by B. himself, probably at the end of 1524 (reprinted in 1544–47); Della cognitione et vittoria di se stesso, Milan 1531; Philosophia Divina, there 1531; Lo specchio interiore, there 1540. The Detti notabili, published in Venice in 1583 and previously attributed to s. Antonio Zaccaria, also seem to be attributable to him.
B.’s asceticism is austere, animated by a strong combative spirit toward himself and his passions, free of compromises with human frailty, and eminently anti-egoistic. It does, however, seem to leave the work of grace somewhat too much in the shadows, in order to bring out the active and constructive work of free will. Also because B. praised Cassian’s doctrine, perhaps too insistently, his spirituality was accused of Semi-Pelagianism, indeed of Pelagianism. The doctrine is substantially orthodox and pure, but certain expressions that are not altogether felicitous may be criticized, and it became suspect to the Holy Office because of the abuse made of it NEGRI, ADA (v.).
The writings of Father B. were placed on the Index by Paul IV Carafa in 1559, a condemnation confirmed by the Council of Trent, though with the mildest of clauses. Reissued in abridged form by Serafino da Fermo, a Lateran canon, and preceded by an Apologia, itself condemned, which was recovered and published by Fr. Orazio Premoli, B.’s works were removed from the Index in 1900.