VALENCIA (Valentinus, Valentianus), GREGORIO de. — Jesuit, one of the most distinguished theologians of Germany in the first post-Tridentine period, b. at Medina del Campo (Castile) in March 1545, d. at Naples on 25 April 1603.
He entered the Order in 1565 and, as soon as he was ordained a priest, went to Germany to occupy a chair of dogmatic theology, first at the University of Dillingen (1573–75), then at that of Ingolstadt (1575–92). A six-year period away from teaching followed, during which he devoted himself to publishing his works; then, in 1598, he was summoned to Rome as professor of dogma and prefect of studies at the Collegio Romano. In 1602, on the orders of the superior general Claudio Acquaviva, he took part in the «de Auxiliis» Congregations, where he proved himself a vigorous defender of Molina (v.) and earned from Clement VIII the title of «doctor doctorum». But he did not long withstand this new exertion and, having been sent to Naples at the end of 1602 to recover his health, died there instead a few months later.
The V.’s principal merit lies in his scholarly defense of the faith, both orally and in writing. Among his works is De rebus fidei hoc tempore controversi (Lyons 1591; Paris 1610), in which he collected 34 monographs previously published separately and revised, adding 13 others that had not yet been published. He deals especially with the veneration of the saints, relics, the Sacrament
of the altar, and the Sacrifice of the Mass. The work may be compared with the Controversiae of St. Roberto Bellarmino; but it contains passages and sallies that are excessively virulent against the Protestants. The most important writings, however, those which give him genuine pre-eminence, are two: Analysis fidei catholicae (Ingolstadt 1585), a methodical treatment dominated by two principles: only in the Roman Church is faith found with infallible certainty, and only union with it assures eternal salvation; assertions that almost literally coincide with those of the First Vatican Council concerning papal infallibility; and Commentarii theologici (4 vols., Ingolstadt 1591–97; published in various editions: 12 in twenty years), a systematic theology that also includes philosophy and follows the order of the questions in the Summa of St. Thomas; within the bounds of each question, however, it treats many other topics more suited to the times and provides a greater wealth of explanation. The work quickly established itself through the acuteness of its observations, its broad erudition, order, and clarity; yet it still suffers too much from the weakness of the older scholasticism, failing to examine the thought of the Fathers in light of the whole body of their works, and at times displaying a rudimentary critical sense when confronted with ancient traditions that cannot withstand scrutiny. In it he also defends, prior to Molina, a particular theory of human freedom and divine concurrence, invoking an «determinatio activa» of the will under the prompting of prevenient Grace; this theory, called «Valencianism», was followed down to our own times by other distinguished Jesuit theologians.
In the economic question, then only in its beginnings, he was among the first to defend, against resolute opponents, the legitimacy of a certain interest on lent capital, and his view ultimately triumphed. In the matter of witches, however, which was then highly explosive and had become almost a phobia, he did not show himself equal to the task; instead, in an «opinion» of 1590 addressed to Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria and in his Commentarii [III, Ingolstadt 1595, pp. 2002–10], he followed the exaggerated and credulous ideas of his age. Obsessed by terror of witches, he was unable either to distinguish or to have others distinguish the few truly guilty persons from the hundreds of innocents whom he ought rather to have saved.
The V.’s merit must instead be recognized in the fact that he formed in Germany a notable group of professors of theology and philosophy, insisting that, in addition to doctrine, they should attend to nobility of style, and awakening a critical sense and a return to the ancient sources.