Juan Tomás de Rocaberti (Joan Tomàs de Rocabertí in
Catalan, 4 March 1627 – 13 June 1699) was a
Catalan theologian.
Biography
Rocaberti was born into a noble family at
Perelada, in
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
. Educated at
Girona, he entered the
Dominican convent there, receiving the habit in 1640. His success in theological studies at the convent of
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
secured for him the chair of theology in the
University of Valencia
The University of Valencia ( ), shortened to UV, is a public research university in Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Valencian Community. It is regarded as one of Spain's leading academic i ...
.
In 1666 he was chosen provincial of
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...
, and in 1670 the General Chapter elected him general of the order. The Dominican
Vincent Contenson dedicated to him his ''Theologia mentis et cordis''.
In 1676 he was appointed by
Carlos II of Spain first
Archbishop of Valencia, and then governor of that province. In 1695 he was made
inquisitor-general of Spain.
He obtained the canonization of
Louis Bertrand and
Rose of Lima, the solemn beatification of
Pius V, and the annual celebration in the order of the feast of
Albert the Great and others.
Historian
John Langdon-Davies described Rocaberti as a "fanatical ascetic, he never wore linen or silk, he only ate vegetables and fish, his bed was more like a martyr's rack than a high ecclesiastic's resting place."
[Langdon-Davies, John. (1962). ''Carlos: The Bewitched, the Last Spanish Hapsburg, 1661-1700''. J. Cape. p. 204]
Rocaberti died at Madrid.
Doctrine
Rocaberti is best known as an active
apologist
Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their fa ...
of the
papacy
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, against
Gallicans and
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
s.
His first work in the sense was ''De Romani pontificis in temporalibus auctoritate'' (3 vols., Valentia, 1691–94). His most important work is the ''Bibliotheca Maxima Pontificia'' (21 vols., Rome, 1697–1700). In this monumental work the author collected and published in alphabetical order, and in their entirety, all the important works dealing with the primacy of the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
from an orthodox point of view, beginning with
Abraham Bzovius and ending with
Zacharias Boverius. A summary is given in Hurter's ''Nomenclator''.
Works
*''De Romani pontificis in temporalibus auctoritate'', 3 vols., Valentia, 1691–94.
**
**
**
*''Bibliotheca Maxima Pontificia'', 21 vols., Rome, 1697–1700.
References
* Sources:
**
Quétif and
Jacques Échard, , II (Paris, 1721), 630, 827;
**
Touron, Hist. des hom. Ill. De l'ordre Dom., V (Paris, 1748), 714–26;
**
Hugo von Hurter, ''Nomenclator literarius recentioris theologiae catholicae'', II: Année Dominicaine, XIII, 785.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocaberti, Juan Tomas de
17th-century Spanish Roman Catholic theologians
Spanish Dominicans
Masters of the Order of Preachers
Archbishops of Valencia
17th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Spain
Grand Inquisitors of Spain
1627 births
1699 deaths
People from Alt Empordà