GIOVANNI di MONTESONOS. — Dominican theologian, born at Monzon (Aragon) around the middle of the fourteenth century, died after 1412. At Barcelona in 1372 he commented on the Sentences; in 1383 he taught theology at Valencia; in 1387 he was promoted to master at Paris. In his first lecture as master, he upheld erroneous philosophical and theological propositions, among them the claim that it was heretical to maintain the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, alleging that he based his assertion on the doctrine of St. Thomas. The entire University of Paris was thrown into agitation. A commission of masters examined his doctrine and condemned 14 propositions. The archbishop of Paris excommunicated anyone who supported them (23 Aug. 1387).
The part of the Dominican Order subject to Avignon, falsely believing that St. Thomas had been condemned, sided with him and appealed to the antipope Clement VII (1388). When the case began, G., fearing condemnation, fled to Aragon (Jan. 1389), going over to the side of Urban VI. He then went to Sicily. On 17 July 1393 he was appointed apostolic collector by the bishop of Catania. After returning to his homeland, he was still living in 1412.
Besides a Tractatus de Conceptione B. Virginis, he wrote in defense of Urban VI and Boniface IX: Tractatus brevis de electione papae... qui dicitur informatorium (1389, Paris, National Library, cod. lat. 1466, ff. 611-707); Correptorium contra epistolam fundamenti schismatis, Dialogus ad card. B. (Bartolomeo Mezzavacca) super schismate Ecclesiae (Paris, there, ff. 1-610); Opus quod dicitur Scopos 72 conclusionum ad peragrandam viam Ecclesiae a devio triviali ad papam Bonifacium IX.
Alfonso D'Amato