MANCIO DE CORPUS CHRISTI. - Dominican theologian, b. at Becerril de Campos (Palencia) about 1504, d. at Salamanca on 8 July 1576. A disciple of F. de Vitoria, he obtained the master's degree in theology in 1546; he was professor at the University of Alcalá from 1546 to 1564 and then at Salamanca (1564–76), where s. Giovanni della Croce was his pupil. He was unjustly accused twice before the Holy Office by envious adversaries.
Charged with examining the Catechism of his confrère B. Carranza, he approved it, thereby arousing the wrath of the inquisitor general Valdér. Before the Holy Office he also defended Louis de León and the two Augustinians de Greyal and de Martínez de Cantalapiedra. Consulted by Filippo II concerning the advisability of the Crusade, he gave a favorable opinion. He fully approved the Esercizi di s. Ignazio, against others who had found in them certain expressions suspected of heresy. He likewise judged the spirituality of S. Teresa favorably, helping by this judgment to reassure the Saint. A faithful disciple of the Aquinate, whose Summa he commented upon, a lover of truth, learned and humble, he was greatly esteemed by his contemporaries. His works are preserved in manuscript in the Libraries of Palencia, Coimbra, Madrid, and the Vatican (cod. Ottob. 1958).