Juan González Arintero, OP (24 June 1860 – 20 February 1928) was a Spanish religious priest of the
Order of Preachers
The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius ...
.
Biography
Early life
Arintero was born in Lugueros, León, and entered the convent of the Dominican Order at Corias (
Asturias
Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
) in 1875. He took the religious habit in 1879. In 1881, he entered the
University of Navarra
The University of Navarra is a private Catholic research university located on the southeast border of Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of '' Opus Dei'', as a corporat ...
and was ordained a priest in 1883. In 1886, he completed his studies in physical-chemical sciences and in 1908, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Theology.
As a specialist in the natural sciences, he taught at colleges in Vergara, Corias, Valladolid and later at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, ''Angelicum'' in Rome. In Salamanca, he became friends with
Marie-Joseph Lagrange
Marie-Joseph Lagrange (born Albert Marie-Henri Lagrange; 7 March 1855 – 10 March 1938) was a Dominican priest and founder of the École Biblique in Jerusalem. His cause for beatification has been initiated in 1991.
Life
Albert Marie-Henri ...
.
Career
In Salamanca, Arintero founded the "Scientific-Apologetic Academy of Saint Thomas". In 1921, he founded in
Bilbao
Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...
the magazine ''La Vida Sobrenatural''. He contributed to the restoration of mystical studies in Spain at the beginning of the 20th century and spread many ideas about
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...
,
holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
and perfection that later influenced the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...
.
Arintero excelled in reconciling faith and scientific postulates. He defined his theses on the evolution of species in his eight-volume work entitled ''La Evolución y la Filosofía Cristiana'' ("Evolution and Christian Philosophy"), in which he argues that there are two types of species, "an immutable species whose creation corresponded only to God, and another species, the organic species, which was derived from the first and which, thanks to the accidents explained by scientific evolution, was creating varieties such as genders or races. For Arintero, there was a divine order that always prevailed, and then a game of minor changes."
Arintero died in
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
on 20 February 1928 at the age of 67.
Beatification
His cause for
beatification
Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...
has been initiated by the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Salamanca
The Diocese of Salamanca () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Salamanca in the ecclesiastical province of Valladolid in Spain.
In English translation
* 1949: ''The Mystical Evolution in the Development and Vitality of the Church''
* 1957: ''Stages in Prayer''
See also
*
Marie-Joseph Lagrange
Marie-Joseph Lagrange (born Albert Marie-Henri Lagrange; 7 March 1855 – 10 March 1938) was a Dominican priest and founder of the École Biblique in Jerusalem. His cause for beatification has been initiated in 1991.
Life
Albert Marie-Henri ...
Ramiro de Maeztu
Ramiro de Maeztu y Whitney (4 May 1875 – 29 October 1936) was a prolific Spanish essayist, journalist and publicist. His early literary work adscribes him to the Generation of '98. Adept to Nietzschean and Social Darwinist ideas in his yout ...
References
Further reading
* Bandera, Armando (1987). ''El P. Juan G. Arintero: Renace la Mística''. Avila: Asociación Educativa Signum Christi.
* Bandera, Armando (1989). ''Los Caminos de la Fe: Experiencia Creyente del P. Arintero''. Salamanca: Editorial San Esteban.
* Gorce, M. M. (1937). "Arintero (Juan-Gonzales)." In: M. Viller (ed.): ''Dictionnaire de Spiritualité. Ascétique et Mystique''. Vol. 1, Paris: Beauchesne, pp. 855–859.
* Llamera, Marceliano (1992). ''Los Santos en la Vida de la Iglesia según el P. Arintero''. Salamanca: Editorial San Esteban.
* Lobo, Arturo Alonso (1970). ''El P. Arintero; Precursor Clarividente del Vaticano II''. Salamanca: San Esteban.
* Lohrum, Meinolf (1993). "Arintero, Juan González, OP." In: W. Kasper: ''Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche''. Herder Verlag, Freiburg, Basel, Wien.
* Plaza Aguilar, Saturnino (2004). ''La Evolución Doctrinal de la Iglesia según el P. Juan González Arintero OP''. Madrid: Fundación Universitaria Española.
* Rodríguez González, Valentín (2007). ''María en la Espiritualidad del Padre Juan González Arintero, OP''. Madrid: Fundación Universitaria Española.
* Suarez, Adriano (1936). ''Vida del M.R. Padre Fr. Juan G. Arintero''. Cádiz: Salvador Repeto.