Crespí De Valdaura Y Borja, Lluís

CRESPÍ DE VALDAURA Y BORJA, Luís. - Spanish theologian and bishop, born at Valenza on 2 May 1607, died there on 19 Apr. 1663. Ordained priest in 1631, he taught theology at Valenza for 22 years. He translated the Vita di s. Filippo del Bochi (Valenza 1651). In 1633 he went to Rome, where he made contact with the fathers of the Oratory of S. Filippo Neri, and on his return to his homeland he founded the first Oratorian Congregation in Spain, associating with himself several fellow priests. In 1648 he was elected bishop of Orihuela and in 1658 transferred to Placencia; he was most pious and promoted many charitable works.

He was ambassador of King Filippo IV to advocate the cause of the Immaculate Conception before Alessandro VII, to whom he presented his Propugnaculum theologicum

definibilitatis proximae sententiae piae negantis B. V. M. in suae conceptionis primo istanti originali labe fuisse infectam (Valenza 1653); the Pope was induced by C. to issue the constitution « Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum ». C. also published a severe condemnation of the theatre (there, 1649), and Quaestiones selectae morales, in quibus novae aliquae doctrinae Ioan. Caramnelis episc. missiensis refutantur (Lyon 1658).