HUYGENS, GOMMAIRE. — Theologian, born at Lierre on 26 Feb. 1631, died at Louvain on 27 Oct. 1702. Having taken a degree in theology at the University of Louvain, in 1668 he was sent to Rome together with Ulderico Randaxhe to defend, before Clement IX, certain ancient privileges of that University. The two delegates succeeded in bringing their mission to a happy conclusion after three years of negotiations. Appointed professor of theology at the Collegio Adriano VI, in 1687 he also became a member of the University council. This appointment was not recognized either by the Holy See or by the Belgian government because of the Jansenist errors which H. had defended in his writings (cf. his Mémoire sur l'affaire di Monsieur H., Louvain 1688). Intolerant of the decrees of the Holy See, in 1697 he was deprived by the Bishop of Mechelen of the faculty to hear confessions and to preach.
An indefatigable worker and forceful writer, H. left numerous theological and religious controversy writings; notable among them are: Methodus remittendi et retinendi peccata (Louvain 1674), condemned by the Spanish Inquisition on 28 Aug. 1681 “because it contains propositions of Jansenius already condemned or rash”; Compendium theologicum (ibid. 1679), placed on the Index on 17 Jan. 1691; Instructio theologica valde utilis ac salutaris pastoribus et confessariis (ibid. 1687).