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History Faculty Research and Publications History, Department of

1-1-1977 Gasparo John Donnelly Marquette University, [email protected]

Published Version. "Gasparo Contarini," in The History of Christianity. Ed. Tim Dowley. Oxford: Lion Publishing, 1977: 413. Publisher Link. © 1977 Lion Books. In 1511 he underwent a religious GASPARO conversion similar to Luther's. He wrote tracts on the ideal bishop, CONTARINI the papacy, the sacraments and Lutheranism. In 1535 Pope Paul John P. Donnelly III made Contarini a cardinal and a year later named him chainnan of a reform commission. Contarini Cardinal Contarini (1483-1542) helped win approval for the Jesuits was a leader of reform in the and urged reconciliation with the Roman . He Protestants. belonged to a leading family He tried to achieve this as papal in Venice' and studied at the legate to the Colloquy . He became of 1541. But he could reach no well known both for his scientific agreement with the Protestants on studies and for defending the the sacraments. When Contarini doctrine of the immortality of the returned to , Rome refused to soul against Pietro Pomponazzi. approve his views on justification He served Venice as ambassador and Luther attacked them too. to the Emperor Charles V and in Contarini died shortly after this. Cardinal Contarini, the other important posts. His study His life reflects, better than that of great Catholic reformer. He of the constitution of Venice long any other contemporary, the politi­ experienced conversion in remained a classic. cal, intellectual and religious crisis 1511 and strove to achieve But Contarini was also deeply of Italy during the early sixteenth understanding with the concerned with religious reform. century. Reformers in 15305.