Henricus Calenus or Henri van Caelen (1583–1653) was a clergyman in the

Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...

, closely involved in the early history of

Jansenism Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by t ...

Career

Born in 1583 at Beringen (in the

county of Loon The County of Loon ( , , ) was a county in the Holy Roman Empire, which corresponded approximately with the Belgian province of Limburg. It was named after the original seat of its count, Loon, which is today called Borgloon. During the middle ag ...

), Henri was the son of Jan van Caelen, a local magistrate, and Catherine Gevaerts. He studied philosophy and theology at Leuven University, enrolling in Pope's College in 1604 and graduating STL in 1615. In the meantime, he had been ordained to the priesthood on 27 December 1607 and appointed parish priest of

Asse Asse () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. As of 2020, Asse had a total popula ...

on 31 January 1609. Calenus went on to be appointed

archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...

of Aalst in 1612, and in 1624 parish priest of St Catherine's in the

City of Brussels The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical City centre, centre of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, as well a ...

, and archpriest of Brussels. In Brussels he worked to improve the provision of primary education. He was later appointed a canon of Mechelen Cathedral. By 1635, Calenus had been appointed a diocesan censor, on 24 October approving publication of

Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz (Juan Caramuel de Lobkowitz, 23 May 1606 in Madrid — 7 or 8 September 1682 in Vigevano) was a Spanish Catholic scholastic philosopher, ecclesiastic, mathematician and writer. He is believed to be a great-grandson of J ...

's ''Declaración Mystica de las Armas de España''. In 1638 it was he who passed

Cornelius Jansen Cornelius Jansen (, ; Latinized name Cornelius Jansenius; also Corneille Jansen; 28 October 1585 – 6 May 1638) was the Dutch Catholic bishop of Ypres in Flanders and the father of a theological movement known as Jansenism. Biography He wa ...

’s '' Augustinus'' for publication, not only declaring it free of anything contrary to faith and morals but writing a glowing recommendation that publication be allowed. J. J. Thonissen, "Caelen (Henri van)", ''

Biographie Nationale de Belgique The ''Biographie nationale de Belgique'' ( French; "National Biography of Belgium") is a biographical dictionary of Belgium. It was published by the Royal Academy of Belgium in 44 volumes between 1866 and 1986. A continuation series, entitled the ' ...

''
vol. 3
(Brussels, 1872), 238-241. In 1644 he was named bishop of the vacant see of Roermond, but the pope refused to confirm his appointment, and he relinquished all claim to the nomination in 1648. He died in Brussels on 1 February 1653 and was buried in the church of St Catherine, where he had been parish priest.

Writings

*''Kort verhael van den eersten oorsprong van twee miraculeuse crucifixen berustende in de parochiekerk der vrijheyt Assche'' (Brussels, 1615)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calenus, Henricus 1583 births 1653 deaths People from Beringen, Belgium Clergy from the Spanish Netherlands Old University of Leuven alumni Jansenists