GONZÁLEZ DE SANTALLA, Tirso. - Moralist, fierce opponent of probabilism and thirteenth General of the Society of Jesus, b. at Arganza (diocese of Astorga) on 18 Jan. 1624, d. at Rome on 27 Oct. 1705. Professor of philosophy and theology at Salamanca (1655-65 and 1676-87); in the intervening period (1655-1676) he was a preacher of popular missions in 24 dioceses of Spain, with notable effectiveness and following. Sent to Rome for the 13th Congregation, he was elected General there (6 July 1687) in deference to the wishes of Innocent XI.
His name is linked to the heated controversy that arose around probabilism. Already during his preaching years, G. had noted the harm caused by overly broad opinions in moral theology; the reading of Fr. M. de Elizade’s work, *De recta doctrina morum* (Lyon 1670), printed without the permission of his superiors, convinced him not only to oppose those particular opinions but the very system of probabilism, which he regarded as the root cause. However, the treatise prepared between 1670 and 1672, *Fundamentum theologiae moralis*, did not receive from the General G. P. Oliva the license to be printed. G. did not alter his views on this account; indeed, once elected General himself, he had printed secretly at Dillingen (1690) another work against probabilism: *Tractatus succinctus de recto usu opinionum probabilium*, which, owing to the opposition of the Assistants of the Order, remained in Dillingen and appears to survive in only a single copy. Seeing the poor reception of this work, he returned to the earlier treatise, previously forbidden to be printed, revised it, and published it with the authorization of Innocent XII, though not without a long struggle against members of his own Order: *Fundamentum theologiae moralis* (Rome 1694), which in that same year went through twelve editions. The replies and counter-replies continued vigorously and unabated. Among his opponents was Fr. Paolo Segneri the orator, who had already used his influence to prevent the printing of the Dillingen work and now entered the fray with three strong and resolute letters in favor of probabilism against probabiliorism and against G.’s assertions: *Massimo degli Afflitti, Lettere sulla materia del probabile*, printed later (Cologne 1703; in *Opere del P. P. Segneri*, IV [Turin 1856], pp. 285-386). The long controversy came to an end only in 1696, when Innocent XII, with the words *Recedant vetera, nova sint omnia*, urged the General Congregation of the Order to cease all disputation.
G. also wrote other works: *Selectae disputationes ex universa theologia* (4 vols., Salamanca 1680-86) against the neo-Thomists and the Jansenists; *Manuductio ad conversionem Mahumetanorum* (2 vols., Madrid 1687); *De infallibilitate Romani Pontificis* (Rome 1681), composed and printed at the order and expense of Innocent XI against the assertions of the Assembly of the French Clergy, though its dissemination was prevented by Alexander VIII out of fear of political disturbances. In his later years he composed an *Opusculum historico-theologicum de ortu et origine probabilismi*, but it remained in manuscript despite his urging his Assistants to publish it after his death (Biblioteca Casanatense, ms. 1361).
G. conducted himself more commendably in the matter raised by Louis XIV, who wished the Jesuit province of Flanders to be placed under the jurisdiction of the French Assistancy. The General firmly opposed this, unwilling that the internal governance of the Order should depend on shifting political fortunes, and he did not yield despite persecution and threats of schism; thus the King finally withdrew his pretensions.
During his generalship, the missions in Spanish America, China, and India flourished greatly.