BUSAEUS (DE BUYS)

Family name of two brothers who played important roles in defense of the Church in the 16th century.

PETRUS

Jesuit theologian and editor of the catechism of Peter canisius; b. Nijmegen, Netherlands, 1540; d. Vienna, April 12, 1587. In 1561 he entered the Cologne novitiate of the Society of Jesus and six years later was appointed novice master. He undertook to complete the catechism of Peter Canisius, adding, with the author's approval, the full texts of all scriptural and patristic references cited in order to demonstrate to the reformers the agreement of the catechism with the doctrine of the ancient Church. The first edition appeared in Cologne and was entitled Authoritatum sacrae scripturae et sanctorum patrum, quae in summa doctrinae christianae doct. Petri Canisii… citantur, et nunc primum ex ipsis fontibus fideliter collectae, ipsis catechismi verbis subscriptae sunt … (4v. 1569–70). The favorable reception of this work necessitated subsequent editions. Unaccountably missing from the 1571 edition by the renowned press of Aldus Minutius in Venice was the fourth volume. In 1577 the catechism was reissued at Cologne in a folio volume revised by Jean Hase, another Dutch Jesuit, under the title Opus catechisticum, sive de summa doctrinae … Petri Canisii. In 1571 Busaeus went to Vienna to lecture on Scripture in the university and teach Hebrew in the Jesuit college. He went to Rome in 1584, one of a six-member commission entrusted with drawing up a plan of studies for the entire Society of Jesus. Upon his return to Vienna he held until his death the position of rector of the College of Nobles.

Bibliography: j. brucker, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50) 2.1:1265–66. c. sommervogel et al., Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, 11 v. (Brussels-Paris 1890–32) 2:439–442. a. de bil, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912–) 10:1414–15.

[m. s. conlan]

JOHANNES

Jesuit author and theologian; b. Nijmegen, Netherlands, April 14, 1547; d. Mainz, Germany, May 30, 1611. A younger brother of Petrus Busaeus he entered the jesu its in 1563. He studied theology at Rome and then taught that subject successfully at Mainz for 22 years; he was also responsible during that time for the spiritual guidance of the sodality (see sodalities of our lady). Initially he produced polemic works against protestantism: a dissertation on fasting in answer to Martin chemnitz, another on the person of Christ directed against the supporters of ubiquitarianism, a defense of the Gregorian calendar (see calendar reform), two articles on the rosary and several replies to Stephen Gerlach of Tübingen on the person of Jesus. To all of these works he imparted an irenic tone rare in that age. After 1595, forsaking controversy, he edited ascetical works, such as the meditations of Fathers Bruni and Pinelli and Father Androtius's treatise on frequent Communion. Busaeus himself composed, among other works, the Enchiridion piarum meditationum (1st ed. Mainz 1606, numerous later editions and translations); πανάριον, hoc est Arca medica … adversus animi morbos (Mainz 1608); and Viridarium christianarum virtutum (Mainz 1610). Busaeus also published editions of ecclesiastical writers, most notably Peter of Blois (Mainz 1600), hinc mar of reims (Mainz 1602), the Vitae romanorum pontificum of anastasius the librarian (Mainz 1602), which he erroneously attributed to liutprand of cremona, the works of Johannes trithemius, and an abridgement of abbo of fleury.

A third brother, Gerard (1538–96) was also a theologian.

Bibliography: j. n. paquot, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire littéraire des dix-sept provinces, v.1 (Louvain 1763) 72–80. c. sommervogel et al., Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, 11 v. (Brussels-Paris 1890–1932) 2:416–439; 8:1949–51, complete list of works of Busaeus. h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 5 v. in 6 (3d ed. Innsbruck 1909–13) 3:421. b. duhr, Geschichte der Jesuiten in den Ländern deutscher Zunge, 4 v. in 5 (2d ed. Freiburg 1907–28). a. de bil, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912–) 10:1414. j. brucker, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50) 2.1:1265. a. rayez, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 2:799.

[j. daoust]