Antonio Escobar there Mendoza

Antonio Escobar Mendoza (born in 1589 with Valladolid - deceased the July 4th 1669 with Valladolid) was a Spanish ecclesiastic of famous ascent there. He was informed by the Jésuites and at the fifteen years age entered this order and became thereafter vice-chancellor of the College of the Jesuits of Valladolid. It was also a famous preacher and such was its facility that during fifty years he preached the every day and sometimes twice a day. Moreover he was a prolific author and its complete works fill out eighty-three volumes. Its first literary attempts were Latin worms with the praise of Ignace de Loyola (1613) and of the Virgin Mary (1618); but it especially remained like a famous Casuiste. Its principal work belongs to the field of interpretation and moral theology. In this last field one knows especially his Summula casuum conscientiae (1627), his Liber theologiae moralis (1644) and his Universae theologiae moralis problemata (1652-1666).

The Summula was severely criticized by Blaise Pascal in his Provinciales , like tending to preach a slackened morals, because it was based on Probabilism: one is not forced to follow a moral precept if a recognized moralist supports the contrary opinion, which becomes thus “probable”, i.e. probable, and even if this last opinion is less sure. The book contains also the famous maxim according to which the purity of intention can justify actions which in themselves are contrary to the moral code and the human laws; and the general tendency is to seek excuses with human brittlenesses. These doctrines scandalized many catholics: the Parliaments of Paris, Bordeaux, Rennes and Rouen made them burn publicly, and finally Rome itself was seen forced to condemn them end of the lips. They were also ridiculed with spirit by Molière, Boileau and the Fountain, so that little by little the name of Escobar came from there to nominate in France any person who can skilfully manufacture rules of morality in harmony with her own interests, what is called a casuist.

As for Escobar itself one claims that it was a simple man in his manners, a strict observer of the rules of its kind, and who devoted all his efforts to reform the life of his penitent. It was said about it that it bought the sky for him dearly, but at a cheap rate gave it to the others.

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