BONACINA, Martino. — Moralist, born in Milan c. 1585. Professor of canon and civil law in the seminary and later rector of the Collegio Elvetico of the same city, founded by St Charles Borromeo. Having gone to Rome, he was called by Cardinal I. Aldobrandini as his personal theologian because of his learning, and Urban VIII appointed him titular Bishop of Utica. He died while traveling to Vienna as nuncio (1631).
His Theologia moralis (Lyon 1624), published many times and also abridged in compendia, remains a classic work for its erudition, depth of doctrine, and clarity. In it he is shown to be an advocate of probabilism.
Bibl.: F. Argelati, Biblioth. Script. Mediolan., I. Milan 1745, col. 188; Mazzuchelli, II, III, pp. 1534 ff.; Hurter, III. Cellestino Tesore