MALDERUS, JOHN

Bishop and theologian; b. Leuw-Saint-Pierre, near Brussels, Aug. 14, 1563; d. Antwerp, July 26, 1633. John Malderus, also called Malder or Van Malderen, studied humanities at Brussels, learned philosophy at Douai, and received his theological training at Louvain, where he was the student of Leonard lessius. In 1596 he was the first to hold the chair at Louvain endowed by Philip II for explaining the text of St. Thomas Aquinas. He became director of the seminary of Louvain in 1598 and was appointed rector of the university in 1604. Malderus was consecrated bishop of Antwerp in 1611, and his episcopacy was marked by unusual pastoral zeal. He labored energetically to provide adequate instruction for the laity and to prevent the encroachments of Calvinism. For this purpose he prepared in 1613 a catechism in the vernacular, carefully supervised the training of priests, and wrote many letters of pastoral direction. Among his theological writings were notable commentaries on the Summa theologiae of Thomas Aquinas: De virtutibus theologicis et justitia et religione, commentaria ad 2am2ae D. Thomae (Antwerp 1616); In 1am2ae commentaria de fine et beatitudine hominis, de actibus humanis, de virtutibus, vitiis et peccatis, de legibus, de gratia, de justificatione et meritis (1623); and Commentaria de S. Trinitate, creatione in genere et de angelis ad 1 am partem D. Thomae (1634).

Bibliography: Biographie nationale de Belgique 13:223–226. a. pasture, La Restauration religieuse aux Pays-Bas catholiques sous les archiducs Albert et Isabelle, 1596–1633 (Louvain 1925). h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae 3:882. e. vansteenberghe, Dictionnaire de thèologie catholique 9.2:1766–72.

[j. c. willke]