Peter Gandolphy

Peter Gandolphy was a Catholic preacher and apologetic author active in London in the early 19th Century.[1]

Life

Gaandolphy, a Jesuit, was born in London on 26 July 1779, was son of John Vincent Gandolphi or Gandolphy of East Sheen, Surrey, and Anna Maria, daughter of Benedict Hinde of Worlaby, Lincolnshire. He was educated under the jesuits of the English province, partly at Liège academy and partly at Stonyhurst College, where on 4 October. 1801 he was appointed to teach Humanities.

He left Stonyhurst in 1804, and after receiving holy orders was appointed to the mission at Newport, Isle of Wight. Subsequently he was attached to the Spanish Chapel, Manchester Square, London, where he obtained great celebrity as a preacher. By the publication of his Liturgy and his sermons "in defence of the ancient faith" he incurred the displeasure of his ecclesiastical superior, Bishop Poynter, who suspended him and denounced his works. Gandolphy proceeded to Rome in order to appeal against the bishop's decision. There he obtained in 1816 official approbations of the two censured works from Stephen Peter Damiani, master of sacred theology and apostolic penitentiary at St. Peter's, and from Francis Joseph O'Finan, prior of the Dominican convent of St. Sixtus and St. Clement. The Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, wishing to terminate the controversy, by letters dated 1 March 1817, required that Gandolphy should be restored to the possession of his former missionary faculties on apologising to Bishop Poynter for whatever might have been disrespectfully stated by him in an address to the public hastily printed some months previously, and of which the bishop had complained to the holy see. Gandolphy accordingly drew up and subscribed an apology on 15 April (Orthodox Journal, v. 172). In a pastoral letter dated 24 April the bishop declared the apology to be insufficient. On 8 July Gandolphy made a full and unconditional apology in obedience to the bishop's demands.

He never recovered from this humiliation. In 1818 he resigned his chaplaincy at Spanish Place, and retiring to the residence of his relatives at East Sheen, died there on 9 July 1821.

Dr. Oliver says that Gandolphy ‘wrote too rapidly not to err against theological precision,’ but Bishop Milner remarks that there was ‘no heterodox or dangerous principle in his mind.’

Writings

References

  1.  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Peter Gandolphy". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Gandolphy, Peter". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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