CARRANZA, BARTOLOMEO. – Learned theologian, b. at Miranda (Navarre) in 1503, d. in Rome on 2 May 1576. He became a Dominican in 1520 and taught at the Order’s school in Valladolid, where his fellow religious Melchior Cano was his opponent. Promoted master of theology in 1539, he took part as a theologian in the Council of Trent (1546–48; 1551–52) and was one of the principal supporters of the obligation of bishops’ residence iure divino. He was prior at Valencia (1546–50) and provincial of the province of Spain (1550–54); in 1554 he accompanied the infante Filippo to England, where, together with other Dominicans, he worked for the Catholic restoration (1554–57). After refusing the episcopate of Cuzco (1540) and of the Canary Islands (1549), he was obliged, at the insistence of Filippo II, to accept the archbishopric of Toledo (1557).
In 1558 he published his Comentarios sobre el catecismo christiano at Antwerp. This work, certainly orthodox, aroused suspicions of heresy because of some of his excessively severe judgments against the abuse of indulgences and his outspoken condemnation of the conduct of the clergy. On 22 Aug. 1559 he was imprisoned by order of the inquisitor Ferdinando Valdés, who had succeeded in extracting authorization from the aged and ailing Paolo IV. The entire trial was a collection of usurpations by the Spanish government. Pio IV and the Council of Trent tried in vain to transfer the trial to Rome; several times the special commissions established within the Council itself declared themselves in favor of C. The Spanish Inquisition, supported by Filippo II, refused to yield; it was fighting to defend its prestige, while Filippo II was moved by particular political and economic interests: he was concerned to reserve for himself the revenues of the archbishopric of Toledo and to assert his authority more strongly, so as to make the bishops increasingly obedient. Pio V succeeded in bringing C. to Rome (28 May 1567), took direct charge of the trial, and recognized the accused’s innocence; but the hostility of the Spaniards once again prevented a favorable resolution. The trial was concluded only under Gregorio XIII (14 Apr. 1576). C. was not condemned for heresy; but, given the delicacy of the moment, he had to retract certain suspect propositions and was suspended for two years from the exercise of episcopal ministry. The humiliation was too great for one who had always fought for the integrity of the Catholic faith. He accepted the sentence, but a few days later died, forgiving all his adversaries. He was buried in the church of the Minerva, and the same Pontiff wished to compose his epitaph. In addition to the aforementioned Comentarios, he wrote Summa Conciliorum (Venice 1546); Controversiae quattuor (ibid. 1546); Controversia de necessaria residentia personali episcoporum etc. (ibid. 1547; Lyon 1550; Antwerp 1554; Venice 1562).