GAGLIARDI, ACHILLE. — Jesuit, theologian, and writer on asceticism, born at Padua in 1538, died at Modena on 6 July 1607. Having entered the Order after university studies in his native city, together with his two younger brothers, Lionetto and Ludovico, he was professor of philosophy (1563–66) and theology (1567–68) at the Roman College; then rector at Turin (1568–75), where, with the support of Duke Emanuele Filiberto, he promoted the teaching of the catechism to children of the upper classes; later, after several years teaching theology at Rome and Padua, he was rector at Milan, Brescia, and Venice. From 1606 he retired to Modena.
Learned and full of zeal, and an indefatigable preacher, he was on close and friendly terms with s. Carlo Borromeo, whom he accompanied on his pastoral visitations and at whose request he composed a Catechismo della fede cattolica con un compendio per i fanciulli (Milan 1584). The following year he prepared an edition of it for the diocese of Crema (there, 1583). The other works, which assign him a distinguished place in the field of asceticism, were published posthumously: Ad Patres et Fratres S. I. de plena cognitione Instituti, edited by Fr. G. Boere (Rome 1841); S. p. Ignatii de Loyola de discretione spiritum regularum explanatum (Naples 1851); Commentarii seu Explanationes in Exercitia spiritualia s. p. Ignatii de Loyola, edited by Fr. C. van Haken (Bruges 1882).
As for the Breve compendio intorno alla perfezione cristiana (Brescia 1611, and subsequently reprinted and translated repeatedly), attributed to him by many, although others assigned it to a “Milanese lady,” in substance and ideas it is due to Isabella Cristina Bellinzaga Lomazzi, a Milanese woman; Fr. G., her spiritual director, certainly collaborated in it, however, by revising and correcting it and introducing various developments: how much part he actually played in it remains difficult to determine. This is all the more so because the direction of that soul caused Fr. G. various serious difficulties; he had great trouble recognizing the element of illusion contained in the Vita he had written about the Milanese lady, and understanding that several supporters of her mystical doctrine, who wished to introduce changes into the Institute of the Order, were exploiting her ingenuousness. Fortunately, the counsel of s. R. Bellarmino averted the danger, preserving the reputation and good faith of both the director and the directee.