Pedro de Soto

Pedro de Soto O.P. (* 1494-1500 in Salamanca, † April 20, 1563 in Trento ) was Spanish Dominican theologian, theologian of the Council of Trent and Imperial advisors in all religious and church- political issues.

Life and work

Pedro de Soto studied philosophy and theology at the University of Salamanca, the most important university in his time, where he entered on March 30, 1518 the local Dominicans and on April 1, 1519 took his vows. After receiving the priesthood in Toledo, he was in the years 1526/27 to the Convention Talavera in strict observance and was there in 1530 elected sub-prior. 1532 was Pedro de Soto prior in Ocaña and 1533 General preacher of the local provincial chapter. From 1535 he was prior of Talavera and in 1538 again returned to Ocaña, where the Provincial Chapter 1541 suggested it along with Melchior Cano to the Master of Divinity.

In April 1542, he and others founded a convent of strict observance in Aranda de Duero and was on 1 June 1542 by Emperor Charles V, called to his confessor and religious advisers. In this role, he ran among others, the arrest of the Spanish humanist and Protestant Francisco de Enzinas ' in the Netherlands, into Spanish in 1543 had printed the first translation of the New Testament in Antwerp. As a confessor of the Emperor Pedro de Soto was appointed in 1543 on the Provincial Chapter for Master of Divinity and was in 1544 by his diplomatic skills and his standing in the French services consultant colleagues P. Gabriel de Guzmán achieve peace of Crépy.

His main work was to promote Catholic renewal by the Jesuits and restore their own religious studies and convents. He was instrumental in 1548 in the drafting and adoption of the Interim at the Diet of Augsburg.

Finally, due to its refusal stiffer penalties against Lutheran preacher, he resigned his office on August 15, 1548 Advisor to the Emperor, and a year later was commissioned in 1549 with the founding of the University of Dillingen from Augsburg prince-bishop Otto von Waldenburg. As a founding rector, he was able to publish important theological works, such as his German and Latin catechism of 1549 in Dillingen.

1552 had Pedro de Soto before the Lutheran troops of Maurice of Saxony flee to Friesach, and could only at May 21, 1554 open university after prolonged rebuilding new. During the reconstruction in Dillingen de Soto met in 1553 Reginald Pole, who took him to support the Counter-Reformation under Queen Mary I in 1555 to England. Pedro de Soto became a professor at Oxford University and made for restoration of monasteries. Overall, he remained only a short time in Oxford and followed a reputation already in 1556 by Emperor Charles V in Brussels, where he refused to be transferred to him bishop and cardinal.

In 1558, Pedro de Soto returned to Spain and was back in his convent at Talavera Prior On August 22, 1558, he declined the appointment as vicar general for the Spanish colonies in America, was appointed vicar of the Spanish province of the order in 1559 took However, he at. This position, however, he lost a year later to Melchior Cano. On 9 May 1561 was finally appointed Pontifical theologians for the last session of the Council of Trent, and to set out in July 1561 on the way, first to Rome, he died in 1563 during the Council of Trent.