LAÍNEZ, DIEGO. — Theologian, second General of the Society of Jesus, b. in 1512 at Almazán (Castile), d. 19 Jan. 1565 at Rome. Gifted with a keen speculative mind and no lesser talents for government and practical ability, he completed his humanistic studies at Soria and Sigüenza, and studied philosophy at the University of Alcalá (1532).
He then moved to Paris to study theology (1533, master of Arts); there he was drawn by the desire to meet Ignatius of Loyola, soon becoming his admirer and disciple. Having received the Spiritual Exercises (late 1533), he embraced the ideals of poverty, apostolic preaching, and active life of his master, and on 15 Aug. 1534 pronounced his vows at Montmartre among the eight companions, the first seed of the Society of Jesus.
In Nov. 1536, prevented from obtaining his degree in theology by the outbreak of war between France and Spain, he went with his companions to Venice, where Ignatius awaited them for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On 24 June 1537 he was ordained priest. Prevented from traveling to Palestine, after preaching in the Veneto, he presented himself to Paul III, who commissioned him to teach scholastic and positive theology at the Sapienza in Rome, then sent him to preach reform in Parma and Piacenza.
He was present at the Roman deliberations of Lent 1539, which gave rise to the draft of the Rule later approved by Paul III in 1540 with a bull. Sagacious, learned, and studious, he was willingly listened to by the founder, but his influence on the genesis and drafting of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus did not go beyond general advice and proposals for concrete solutions, including the very important one of founding internal colleges for young candidates of the Order lacking studies. His initial positions, unfavorable to humanistic studies, were expressly rejected by St. Ignatius.
When the Council of Trent opened (1545), Paul III sent him as papal theologian, consultant to the cardinal legates presiding, and there he displayed sure scholastic doctrine united with prodigious knowledge of the Fathers and Protestant writers. Active in drafting the decrees on Justification, he was no less active in preaching and giving spiritual exercises to prelates according to the method bequeathed by St. Ignatius. He was still active in Bologna, and then in the second period of the Council under Julius III, spending the intervening years in preaching at Venice, Florence, Sicily, Padua, etc., with extraordinary success.
Elected vicar general at the death (1556) of the founder, he succeeded in overcoming internal difficulties for the convocation of the General Congregation, which elected him Prepositus (1558), but was immediately constrained by Paul IV to the choir and the triennial term of the office of General. He obeyed, but resisted Pius IV’s abolition of the choir and, in 1561, at the end of the triennium, wishing to resign the generalship against the opinion of the Order, he was ordered by Pius IV to continue in office, thus suppressing the command of Paul IV.
Sent by the same Pope in the retinue of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este to the Colloquy of Poissy (1561), organized by Catherine de’ Medici between Catholics and Huguenots, he distinguished himself by his energy and learning, taking the opportunity to expand the Order in Piedmont, France, and Flanders, and then in 1562, by papal command, he went to Trent for the Council as papal theologian and General of the Order. He intervened with singular force in the debates on reform and on episcopal jurisdiction, obtaining for the Society a singular honorable mention (session XXIV, c. 16).
His government was gentle yet energetic, especially in eliminating unsuitable subjects. Besieged by requests to open colleges and houses everywhere, he had to refuse many, though he accepted many others, perhaps overburdening the forces of the young Order, which was nevertheless in fervent development: when he took office (1556) it had about 1,000 members, and when he left it had 3,500 in 130 houses with an increase in provinces. He was aided by his personality, the favor encountered everywhere by the activity of the Order, and notably by the full trust of Pius IV and Cardinal-nephew Carlo Borromeo.
He resolutely supported the full execution of the Ignatian Constitutions, approved with the force of law by the First General Congregation. Absorbed by his duties and governance, he left only occasional writings and was unable to carry out the project, dreamed of by St. Ignatius, of a Summa of theology adapted to the needs of the times. He was open to these needs and spared no effort to persuade kings and prelates. His death
LAÍNEZ DIEGO — LA LEGNAME GIOVANNI FILIPPO
Comté, pendant le XVe siècle (Dôle 1785); Serie delle edizioni aldine (Pisa 1790); Index librorum ab intenta typographia usque ad annum 1500, chronologice dispositus (2 voll., Sens 1791). He also left many manuscripts.