Alfonso Salmeron

Alfonso (Alphonsus) Salmerón (8 September 1515 – 13 February 1585) was a Spanish biblical scholar, Catholic priest, and one of the first Jesuits.

He was born in Toledo, Spain on 8 September 1515. He studied literature and philosophy at Alcalá and then philosophy and theology at the Sorbonne in Paris. Here, through Diego Laynez, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola and with Laynez, St. Peter Faber and St. Francis Xavier, he enlisted as one of the first companions of Loyola in 1534. The small company left Paris on 15 November 1536, reached Venice on 8 January 1537 and during Lent of that year went to Rome. He delivered a discourse before the Pope and was, in return, granted leave to receive Holy orders so soon as he reached canonical age. About 8 September, all the first companions met at Vicenza and all, save St. Ignatius, said their first Mass. The plan of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land was abandoned. Salmeron devoted his ministry in Sienna to the poor and to children. On 22 April 1541, he pronounced his solemn vows in St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls basilica as a professed member of the newly established Society of Jesus.

In the autumn of 1541 Pope Paul III sent Salmeron and Paschase Broët as Apostolic nuncios to Ireland. They landed by way of Scotland on 23 February 1542. Thirty-four days later they set sail for Dieppe and went on to Paris. For two years Salmeron preached in Rome; his exposition of the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians thrice a week in the church of the Society effected much good (1545). After preaching during Lent at Bologna, he went with Diego Laynez to the Council of Trent (18 May 1546) as theologian to Paul III. The Dogma of Justification was under discussion.

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