TOLEDO, FRANCISCO de. - Jesuit cardinal and theologian, b. at Córdoba on 4 Oct. 1532, d. at Rome on 14 Sept. 1596.
He studied philosophy at Valencia and theology at Salamanca, where he earned the degree of doctor and a chair in philosophy; in 1558 he entered the Society of Jesus; in 1559 he went to Rome as lecturer in philosophy (1559–63), then in theology (1563–69) at the Roman College, where he was the first to teach the doctrine of predestination post praevisa merita; in 1569 he became theologian of the Sacred Penitentiary (for 24 years) and apostolic preacher; in 1593 he was created cardinal. While he brought renown to the Society, he also caused it serious difficulties by exempting himself from the authority of his superiors through a secret dispensation from the Pope and by supporting the Spanish revisionist movement against the General C. Acquaviva. He rendered great service to the Holy See both in his diplomatic missions to Poland at the court of Sigismund II (1572), in Germany and Belgium (1580)—where he received the abjuration of Baius—and through his good offices with Henry IV of France.
Besides his sermons, letters, opinions, and short treatises, which remain in manuscript, he published extensive commentaries on various works of Aristotle: Dialectics (Rome 1561), Logic (ibid. 1572), Physics (Venice 1573), and On the Soul (ibid. 1574). More widely remembered and cited are: In Summam theologica s. Thomae (4 vols., posthumous, Rome 1869, ed. Fr. G. Paria); In sacrum Joannis Evangelium commentarium (ibid. 1592); In prima 12 capita... Evangelii secundum Lucam (ibid. 1600, posthumous, ed. M. Vázquez). He enjoyed a reputation as one of the foremost theologians alongside Fr. Suárez, Vázquez, and Molina.