Canal, José de la
CANAL, JOSÉ DE LA
Historian and apologist; b. Uciedo, Spain, Jan. 11, 1768; d. Madrid, April 17, 1845. He became an Augustinian in 1785 and a priest in 1792. He taught philosophy at Burgos, Salamanca, Toledo, and Madrid. When religious houses in Spain were dissolved in 1809 under the French, he translated several French works in defense of the Church. He was attacked for some of them, replied in 1814, and was confined in a monastery at Ávila for a year. He was released by Ferdinand VII and appointed, with Antolin Merino, to continue the España Sagrada, v. 43–44 (see flÓrez, enrique). In volumes 45 to 47 Canal treated the dioceses of Gerona and Lérida. He wrote a number of religious works and was director of the Real Academia de la Historia until his death.
Bibliography: g. de santiago vela, Ensayo de una bibliotecaibero-americana de la Orden de San Agustín, 7 v. in 8 (Madrid 1913–31) 1:570–595. a. c. vega La España sagrada y los Agustinos en la Real Academia de la historia (El Escorial 1950). a. ortiz, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques 11:698–700. r. bÄumer, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (Freiburg 1957–65) 2:913.
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