LAÍNEZ, DIEGO. - Theologian, second General of the Society of Jesus, b. in 1512 at Almazán (Castile), d. January 19, 1565 in Rome. Of great speculative intellect and no lesser gifts of government and practical ability, he completed his humanistic studies at Soria and Sigüenza, and his philosophical studies at the University of Alcalá (1532 master of Arts); he then moved to Paris for the study of theology, drawn there also by the desire to know Ignatius of Loyola, of whom he soon became an admirer and disciple. Having received the Spiritual Exercises (late 1533), he resolved upon the master's ideals of poverty, apostolic preaching and the active life, pronouncing his vows on August 15, 1534 at Montmartre among the eight companions, the first seed of the Society of Jesus.
In Nov. 1536, without obtaining the degree in theology because of the outbreak of the war between France and Spain, he traveled with his companions to Venice, where Ignatius was waiting for them for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On June 24, 1557, he was ordained a priest there. Prevented from making the journey to Palestine, after preaching in the Veneto, he presented himself to Paul III and was charged by him with teaching scholastic and positive theology at the Sapienza in Rome, then sent to preach reform in Parma and Piacenza.
He was present at the Roman deliberations of Lent 1539 from which arose the draft of the Rule later approved by bull by Paul III in 1540. Sagacious, learned and studious, he was willingly listened to by the founder, but his influence in the genesis and elaboration of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus went no further than generic advice and proposals of concrete solutions, among them the very important one of founding internal colleges for the young candidates of the Order lacking in studies. His initial positions, unfavorable to humanistic studies, were expressly rejected by St. Ignatius.
When the Council of Trent opened (1545), he was sent there by Paul III as papal theologian and consultant to the cardinal legates presiding, and there he made his sure scholastic doctrine shine, joined to a prodigious knowledge of the Holy Fathers and of the Protestant writers. Active in the elaboration of the decrees on Justification, he was no less so in preaching and in giving spiritual exercises to prelates according to the instruction received from St. Ignatius. Active still at Bologna, and then in the second period of the Council under Julius III, he employed the intervening years in preaching at Venice, Florence, Sicily, Padua, etc., obtaining extraordinary successes.
Elected vicar general upon the death (1556) of the founder, he succeeded in overcoming internal difficulties for the convocation of the General Congregation which elected him provost (1558), but he immediately found himself imposed upon by Paul IV with the choir and the three-year term of the office of general. He obeyed, but obtained again from Pius IV the friendly concessions, abolishing the choir, and in 1561, at the end of the three-year term, wishing to resign, against the opinion of the Order, the generalship, he was ordered by Pius IV to continue to hold it, thus suppressing the command of Paul IV.
Sent by the same Pope in the retinue of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este to the colloquy of religion at Poissy (1561), organized by Catherine de' Medici between Catholics and Huguenots, shining for energy and learning, he took the opportunity to expand the Order in Piedmont, France, Flanders, and then passed in 1562 by command of the Pope to Trent, to the Council, as papal theologian and general of the Order. He intervened with singular force in the debates on reform and on the jurisdiction of bishops, obtaining for the Society a singular honorable mention (sess. XXIV, ch. 16).
His government was gentle and energetic, especially in eliminating less suitable subjects. Besieged by requests for colleges and houses to be opened everywhere, he had to refuse very many, and accepted many, perhaps straining the forces of the young Order, still in fervent development, which he found (1556) with about 1000 members and left with 3500 in 130 houses, with an increase of provinces. His personality was of help to him, as was the favor encountered everywhere by the activity of the Order and singularly the full trust of Pius IV and of the cardinal nephew Carlo Borromeo.
He resolutely supported the integral execution of the Ignatian Constitutions, approved with the force of law by the First General Congregation. Absorbed by his offices and by government, he left only occasional writings and could not carry out the project dreamed for him by St. Ignatius of a Summa theologica adapted to the needs of the times. To these he was open and did not spare himself in persuading kings and prelates of them. Death at only 53 years of age was caused by the enormous quantity of work, entrusted and assumed, beyond his delicate constitution.
