MAZZOLINI, SYLVESTER

Dominican theologian (known also as Mazolini, Mozolini, or Prierias); b. Priero, Piedmont, 1460; d. Rome, 1523. He entered the Dominican Order in 1475 and manifested a brilliant grasp of the disciplines in his course of studies. He taught theology at Bologna, Pavia (by invitation of the senate of Venice), and was called by Julius II to Rome in 1511. On the advice of Cardinal Cajetan, Leo X named him master of the sacred palace in 1515, an of fice he held until his death. His voluminous writings include treatises on the planets, the power of the demons, history, homiletics, the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the primacy of the popes. Because of his position as master of the sacred palace, Mazzolini was the first theologian to write a forceful attack on the doctrine of Martin Luther. When Luther replied to Mazzolini's arguments, the latter published rejoinders, and a lively controversy thrived between them, especially on the question of papal supremacy, which Mazzolini saw as basic in the disagreement. His principal works are: De juridica et irrefragabili veritate Romanae Ecclesiae Romanique Pontificis (Rome 1520); Epitoma responsionis ad Lutherum (Perugia 1519); Errata et argumenta M. Lutheri (Rome 1520); Summa summarum, quae Sylvestrina dicitur … (Rome 1519); Rosa aurea (Bologna 1510), an explanation of the Gospels used during the liturgical year; and In theoricas planetarum (Venice 1513).

Bibliography: m. m. gorce, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al. (Paris 1903–50) 10.1:474–477. j. quÉtif and j. Échard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum (New York 1959) 2.1:55–58. f. michalski, De Sylvestri Prieratis … vita et scriptis (Munster 1892). h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae (Innsbruck 1903–13) 2:1344–47.

[f. c. lehner]