GENTILINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. – Jesuit, controversialist, born at Vesio di Tremosine (Brescia) on 26 Nov. 1745, died at Rome on 16 Dec. 1816 while delivering his scriptural lectures at the Gesù. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1765, but was soon overtaken by the suppression of the Order (1773) and remained in the diocese of Brescia, first as parish priest at Portese, then as archpriest and vicar forane at Lonato. When the Society was restored (1814), he rejoined his brethren and was made superior at Naples.
He took a very active part in all the religious discussions of his time, defending sound doctrine and refuting prevalent errors, especially on the civic oath (against Fr. G. V. BOLSENA), the sale of ecclesiastical goods confiscated by the Spanish Republic, the value of attrition, and the limits of civil power in matrimonial causes.
Principal works: *Confutazione della lettera di un cittadino prete riguardante le cause matrimoniali* (Mantua 1797); *Riflessioni teologiche intorno al giuramento civico contro il parere di un teologo romano e sopra la vendita dei beni ecclesiastici* (Verona 1798); *La pazzia di chi difende il giuramento civico* (Brescia 1799); *All'anonimo autore del libro del diritto della civile sovranità sopra il matrimonio* (Verona 1798); *Sopra il valore dell'attrizione e la virtù della carità* (Brescia 1802); *La devozione al S. Cuore di Gesù* (Verona 1803).