Francesco Silvestri
Encyclopedia
Francesco Silvestri, O.P. (ca. 1474 – 19 September 1528) was an Italian
Dominican
theologian. He wrote a notable commentary on Thomas of Aquinas's Summa contra gentiles
, and served as Master General of his order from 1525 until his death.
in about 1474. At the age of fourteen he joined the Dominican Order. In 1516 he was made a master in theology. He was prior first in his native city and then at Bologna
, and in the provincial chapter held at Milan in 1519 he was chosen vicar-general of the Lombard
congregation of his order.
Having discharged this office for the allotted term of two years, he became regent of the college at Bologna
where he remained for a considerable time. He was also inquisitor of Bologna from 1519 until 1525. Later he was appointed by Pope Clement VII
vicar-general of his entire order, and on 3 June 1525, in the General Chapter held at Rome, he was elected Master General.
As general of his order he visited nearly all the convents of Italy, France, and Belgium, making efforts there to restore discipline. He was planning to begin a visitation of the Spanish convents when he died of a fatal illness on 19 September 1528 at Rennes
in Brittany
. Leandro Alberti
, his traveling companion, remarked that Silvestri was a man of "remarkable mental endowments," and that "nature seemed to have enriched him with all her gifts."
and Aristotle
.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
theologian. He wrote a notable commentary on Thomas of Aquinas's Summa contra gentiles
Summa contra Gentiles
The Summa contra Gentiles by St. Thomas Aquinas has traditionally been dated to 1264, though more recent scholarship places it towards the end of Thomas’ life, 1270-73 . The work has occasioned much debate as to its purpose, its intended audience and its relationship to his other works...
, and served as Master General of his order from 1525 until his death.
Life
Francesco Silvestri was born at FerraraFerrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
in about 1474. At the age of fourteen he joined the Dominican Order. In 1516 he was made a master in theology. He was prior first in his native city and then at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, and in the provincial chapter held at Milan in 1519 he was chosen vicar-general of the Lombard
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
congregation of his order.
Having discharged this office for the allotted term of two years, he became regent of the college at Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
where he remained for a considerable time. He was also inquisitor of Bologna from 1519 until 1525. Later he was appointed by Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
vicar-general of his entire order, and on 3 June 1525, in the General Chapter held at Rome, he was elected Master General.
As general of his order he visited nearly all the convents of Italy, France, and Belgium, making efforts there to restore discipline. He was planning to begin a visitation of the Spanish convents when he died of a fatal illness on 19 September 1528 at Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. Leandro Alberti
Leandro Alberti
Leandro Alberti was an Italian Dominican historian.Alberti was born and died at Bologna. In his early youth he attracted the attention of the Bolognese rhetorician, Giovanni Garzo, who volunteered to act as his tutor...
, his traveling companion, remarked that Silvestri was a man of "remarkable mental endowments," and that "nature seemed to have enriched him with all her gifts."
Works
Silvestri wrote many works on philosophy, most notably on Thomas AquinasThomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
and Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
.
- Commentaria in libros quatuor Contra gentiles sancti Thomae de Aquino (ca. 1516): a monumental commentary on Thomas's Summa contra gentilesSumma contra GentilesThe Summa contra Gentiles by St. Thomas Aquinas has traditionally been dated to 1264, though more recent scholarship places it towards the end of Thomas’ life, 1270-73 . The work has occasioned much debate as to its purpose, its intended audience and its relationship to his other works...
, and the one for which Silvestri is principally remembered. - Annotationes in libros Posteriorum Aristotelis et sancti Thomae: a commentary on Aristotle's Posterior AnalyticsPosterior AnalyticsThe Posterior Analytics is a text from Aristotle's Organon that deals with demonstration, definition, and scientific knowledge. The demonstration is distinguished as a syllogism productive of scientific knowledge, while the definition marked as the statement of a thing's nature, .....
. - Quaestiones in libros Physicorum: an explication of the eight books of Aristotle's PhysicsPhysics (Aristotle)The Physics of Aristotle is one of the foundational books of Western science and philosophy...
. - Quaestiones luculentissimae in octo libros physicorum Aristotelis
- Quaestionum libri De anima quam subtilissime simul et preclarissime decisiones: an explication of the three books of Aristotle's De animaOn the SoulOn the Soul is a major treatise by Aristotle on the nature of living things. His discussion centres on the kinds of souls possessed by different kinds of living things, distinguished by their different operations...
. - Apologia de convenientia institutorum Romanae Ecclesiae cum evangelica libertate (Rome, 1525): defended the primacy and the organization of the Catholic Church against Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
; some have erroneously attributed this work to Silvester Prierias. - Beatae Osannae Mantuanae de tertio habitu ordinis fratrum praedicatorum vita: an account of the life of the Dominican teriary mystic Osanna of MantuaOsanna of MantuaBlessed Osanna Andreasi of Mantua was a Dominican tertiary, stigmatic, and mystic.-Life:...
.
External links
- Catholic Encyclopedia article
- Franciscus Sylvester von Ferrara at Biographisch–Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon