SINNICH, JOHN

Jansenist theologian at Louvain; b. Cork, 1603; d. Louvain, May 8, 1666. He matriculated at Louvain in 1624, received his master's degree on Oct. 2, 1625, and his doctorate in theology on Sept. 27, 1639, at the time of the printing in Louvain of Jansenius's Augustinus. Sinnich collaborated in this publication, providing the table of contents, and indices for the three volumes. He was a Jansenist from the inception of the movement, and profited by this fact. In 1641 he became president of the College of the Holy Spirit; and was made a member of the faculty of theology in 1642. In 1643 he became semestral rector of the university, and was several times dean of the faculty of theology. His Augustinian convictions strengthened his stubborn defense of Jansenius. To this end he spent three years in Rome (1643–45). He also took part in the Jansenist controversy through pamphlets, often published anonymously. His best-known work is

the Sanctorum Patrum Trias (series 1; 1648). In Goliathismus profligatus (Louvain 1657), he became an apologist against Protestantism. His Saulus Exrex (2 v. Louvain 1666–67) is a sort of manual for Catholic princes. In volume one, he inserted a long diatribe against laxism. His name occurs several times in the Index librorum prohibitorum.

Bibliography: f. deininger, Johannes Sinnich: Der Kampf der Löwener Universität gegen den Laxismus (Düsseldorf 1928). h. willems, "Les Publications du Père Lucien Ceyssens concernant le jansénisme," Augustiniana 13 (1963) 55–56. j. carreyre, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant, 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 14.2:2165–66.

[l. ceyssens]