Diego Andrada de Payva

Diego Andrada de Payva was a celebrated Portuguese theologian of the sixteenth century, b. at Coimbra 26 July 1528; d. 1 December, 1575, at Lisbon.^[1]

After finishing his course at the University of Coimbra, he was ordained to the priesthood, and remained as professor of theology.

So great was his reputation that King Sebastian of Portugal appointed him theologian at the Council of Trent, 1561. Here he merited the special thanks of the Pope by an able work in defense of the papal authority. While at the council he wrote his "Decem libri orthodoxarum explicationum" (Venice, 1564, 1594; Cologne, 1564, 1574) against the work of Martin Chemnitz, "Theologiae Jesuitarum praecipua capita".

In this book he discusses and defines the chief points of doctrine attacked by the heretics. Chemnitz answered by his well-known "Examen Conc. Trid.", in reply to which Andrada produced his best work, "Defensio Tridentinae fidei Cath." (Lisbon, 1578 and 1595).

He published also three volumes of sermons in Portuguese. Andrada de Payva had not only a grasp of theological questions which won for him an important position among sixteenth-century theologians, but he was also so clear and convincing in the exposition of his arguments that he proved an admirable apologist, and it was matter of regret that his death prevented the completion of his great work, the "Defensio Trid. fidei." This had progressed as far as the fifth session, inclusive of the doctrine upon the Immaculate Conception in defense of which it marshalled an imposing array of authorities.

References

1. ^ Diego Andrada de Payva - Catholic Encyclopedia article

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 

Persondata
Name	Andrada de Payva, Diego
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1528
Place of birth
Date of death	1575
Place of death