Cornelius Loos
Encyclopedia
Cornelius Loos also known as Losaeus Callidius, was a Roman Catholic
priest, theologian, and Professor of Theology, and was the first Catholic official to write publicly against the witch trials then raging throughout Europe. For this, he was imprisoned and forced under torture to recant; his work was confiscated and suppressed by Church officials, and the manuscript was lost for almost 300 years.
. He was from a patrician family and studied Philosophy and Theology at what is today known as the Catholic University of Leuven
. In 1574, Loos and his family were forced to leave for political reasons (primarily the capture of the city by Protestant/nationalist rebels during the Dutch Revolt
). After he was ordained as a priest, he was awarded a Doctor of Theology degree in 1578 at the University of Mainz
, where he became a Professor of Theology and a vigorous campaigner against Protestant beliefs.
In the 1580s, Loos published a number of works: a prayer book, polemical theological writings against Protestantism, a political work (by subscription) about the Netherlands rebellion, a survey of German Catholic authors, and a pocket Latin grammar book.
In 1585, he moved to Trier
, where he observed the witch trials taking place there. Loos first wrote letters to the city authorities, and, failing in that effort, he sought in 1592 to publish a book protesting against the hunts and questioning some of the beliefs of the witch hunters. The attempted publication of De vera et falsa magia (True and False Magic) offended Petrus Binsfeld, the Suffragan Bishop of Trier
, and who served as the deputy to Johann VI von Schonenberg, one of the highest ranking officials in the Holy Roman Empire
.
Before the book could be printed, the manuscript copy was seized and Loos imprisoned. He was forced to make a public recantation of his errors on his knees before an assembly of church officials, including the Papal Nuncio, in Brussels on March 25, 1593. The manuscript was believed destroyed by the Inquisition and was lost for 300 years.
discovered the manuscript of True and False Magic in the Jesuit Library in Trier (a remnant of the University, which was dissolved in 1798). Although the title page was missing and no author was listed, Burr was able to authenticate the document by comparing the points made in the text with the points recanted in Loos’s confession to the Inquisition. A copy can be found in the rare manuscript collection at Cornell University
, and the original is in the Trier Municipal Library.
In the manuscript, Loos argues against the existence of witchcraft and especially against the validity of confessions obtained under torture. (Binsfeld
had in 1589 published his own book on witchcraft, in which he supported confessions and denunciations obtained through torture.) In his work, Loos is believed to have been influenced by the arguments of Johann Weyer
, a Protestant Dutch physician, who in 1563 put forth a book attacking the persecution of witches while also categorizing kinds of magical demons. After recanting, Loos was under constant watch by religious officials, and was briefly imprisoned several more times, under the accusation that he had relapsed into theological error. This continued persecution was conducted by his nemesis, a priest in the Jesuit order named Martin Del Rio
. Loos died February 3, 1595, in Brussels
, succumbing to the Plague
; Del Rio lamented that Loos had died before Del Rio could have him executed.
ensured his continuing fame by publishing a book denouncing him, and by summarizing each of his arguments in the recantation he forced Loos to sign.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priest, theologian, and Professor of Theology, and was the first Catholic official to write publicly against the witch trials then raging throughout Europe. For this, he was imprisoned and forced under torture to recant; his work was confiscated and suppressed by Church officials, and the manuscript was lost for almost 300 years.
Life
Cornelius Loos was born in 1546 in GoudaGouda
Gouda is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall....
. He was from a patrician family and studied Philosophy and Theology at what is today known as the Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
. In 1574, Loos and his family were forced to leave for political reasons (primarily the capture of the city by Protestant/nationalist rebels during the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
). After he was ordained as a priest, he was awarded a Doctor of Theology degree in 1578 at the University of Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz
The Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz is a university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg. With approximately 36,000 students in about 150 schools and clinics, it is among the ten largest universities in Germany...
, where he became a Professor of Theology and a vigorous campaigner against Protestant beliefs.
In the 1580s, Loos published a number of works: a prayer book, polemical theological writings against Protestantism, a political work (by subscription) about the Netherlands rebellion, a survey of German Catholic authors, and a pocket Latin grammar book.
In 1585, he moved to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, where he observed the witch trials taking place there. Loos first wrote letters to the city authorities, and, failing in that effort, he sought in 1592 to publish a book protesting against the hunts and questioning some of the beliefs of the witch hunters. The attempted publication of De vera et falsa magia (True and False Magic) offended Petrus Binsfeld, the Suffragan Bishop of Trier
Archbishopric of Trier
The Archbishopric of Trier was a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingian times until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Its suffragans were the dioceses of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Since the 9th century the Archbishops of Trier were simultaneously princes and since the 11th...
, and who served as the deputy to Johann VI von Schonenberg, one of the highest ranking officials in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
Before the book could be printed, the manuscript copy was seized and Loos imprisoned. He was forced to make a public recantation of his errors on his knees before an assembly of church officials, including the Papal Nuncio, in Brussels on March 25, 1593. The manuscript was believed destroyed by the Inquisition and was lost for 300 years.
De vera et falsa magia discovered
In 1886, George Lincoln BurrGeorge Lincoln Burr
George Lincoln Burr was a U.S. historian, diplomat, author, and educator, best known as a Professor of History and Librarian at Cornell University, and as the closest collaborator of Andrew Dickson White, the first President of Cornell.Burr was born in Albany, New York and entered the in 1869,...
discovered the manuscript of True and False Magic in the Jesuit Library in Trier (a remnant of the University, which was dissolved in 1798). Although the title page was missing and no author was listed, Burr was able to authenticate the document by comparing the points made in the text with the points recanted in Loos’s confession to the Inquisition. A copy can be found in the rare manuscript collection at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and the original is in the Trier Municipal Library.
In the manuscript, Loos argues against the existence of witchcraft and especially against the validity of confessions obtained under torture. (Binsfeld
Peter Binsfeld
Peter Binsfeld was a German bishop and theologian....
had in 1589 published his own book on witchcraft, in which he supported confessions and denunciations obtained through torture.) In his work, Loos is believed to have been influenced by the arguments of Johann Weyer
Johann Weyer
Johann Weyer , was a Dutch physician, occultist and demonologist, disciple and follower of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. He was among the first to publish against the persecution of witches...
, a Protestant Dutch physician, who in 1563 put forth a book attacking the persecution of witches while also categorizing kinds of magical demons. After recanting, Loos was under constant watch by religious officials, and was briefly imprisoned several more times, under the accusation that he had relapsed into theological error. This continued persecution was conducted by his nemesis, a priest in the Jesuit order named Martin Del Rio
Martín del Río
Martín del Río is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 469 inhabitants.Road N-211 crosses the eastern side of Martín del Río....
. Loos died February 3, 1595, in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, succumbing to the Plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
; Del Rio lamented that Loos had died before Del Rio could have him executed.
Contributions
Although, as noted above, Loos was not the first to write against the witch hunts, he was the first Catholic priest and theologian to do so, and the first to specifically question the validity of confessions obtained under torture. Even though his work was lost for 300 years, his opponent Martin Del RioMartín del Río
Martín del Río is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 469 inhabitants.Road N-211 crosses the eastern side of Martín del Río....
ensured his continuing fame by publishing a book denouncing him, and by summarizing each of his arguments in the recantation he forced Loos to sign.