Peter Arbués, St.
PETER ARBUÉS, ST.
Augustinian canon, first inquisitor of the Spanish in quisition in Aragon; b. Epila, near Saragossa, Aragon, Spain, 1441; d. Saragossa, Sept. 17, 1485. After studies in philosophy at Huesca, he earned a doctorate in theology at the College of Albornoz in Bologna (1473). He became a canon regular of St. Augustine (1474) in Saragossa, where he helped revise the missal and wrote several works in MSS. He was made inquisitor in 1484 by Ferdinand V and preached vigorously against apostates. Although he was not responsible for a single sentence of death or torture, two arrests led to the attack on his life. He died after being stabbed at prayer in the cathedral at the instigation of marranos and nobles who were threatened by the Inquisition. He was buried in the cathedral, beatified in 1664, and canonized on June 29, 1867.
Feast: Sept. 17.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Sept. 5:728–754. g. cozzaluzi, Della vita, miracoli e culto del martire S. Pietro de Arbues (Rome 1867). f. de latassa y ortÍn, Bibliotecas antigua y nueva de escritores aragoneses, ed. m. gomez uriel, 3 v. (Saragossa 1884–86). h. c. lea, A History of the Inquisition of Spain, 4 v. (New York 1906–07) v. 1. a. alcalÁ, Los orígenes de la Inquisición en Aragón: S. Pedro Arbués, mártir de la autonomía aragonesa (Epila, Aragon 1984).
[d. w. lomax]