Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
Person 1640-1696 · about 56 years old · show in timeline

Miguel de Molinos

The Spanish priest Miguel de Molinos lived in Rome as a sought-after spiritual director and in 1675 published the Guida spirituale, which was approved by Church authority and went through many editions. After attacks by Jesuits the Inquisition examined the book and acquitted him. At the instigation of the French ambassador, Cardinal d'Estrées, the Holy Office had him arrested in May 1685. On 3 September 1687 he was publicly condemned as a heretic and sentenced to life imprisonment; Innocent XI condemned 68 propositions and banned all his writings. Molinos died in prison in 1696. The sources contradict each other on the accusations of moral misconduct.

Life dates
1640-1696 (about 56 years old)
Country
Italy, Spain, Vatican City
Institutions
Roman Inquisition
Holy See
Category
Heresy trials, Censorship
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. His Guida spirituale appeared in Rome in 1675, was approved by theologians and ecclesiastical authority and went through twenty editions in twelve years. After the Jesuit Segneri attacked his teaching in 1681, the Inquisition examined the book, found it orthodox and censured Segneri's zeal.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Schriften
    „approved by various theologians and by ecclesiastical authority, so much so that twenty editions appeared in twelve years“
    Miguel de Molinos, Schriften. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „It pronounced that the Guida spirituale was perfectly orthodox, and censured the intemperate zeal of Segneri.“
    Molinos, Miguel de, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „He defended himself well and was acquitted“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
  2. On instructions from Paris the French ambassador in Rome, Cardinal d'Estrées, denounced Molinos again. In May 1685 the Holy Office formulated charges and ordered his arrest. The Britannica sees the Jesuits behind this, who won over Louis XIV, then on bad terms with Innocent XI, through his confessor La Chaise.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „In May, 1685, the Holy Office formulated charges against him and ordered his arrest.“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „acting on instructions from Paris, denounced him to the authorities“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „But the Jesuits set Father La Chaise to work on his royal penitent, Louis XIV.“
    Molinos, Miguel de, Artikel. Original
  3. On 3 September 1687 the sentence was read in the Dominican church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva before a large crowd gathered by means of grants of indulgences. Molinos was declared a dogmatic heretic and sentenced to life imprisonment in penitential garb. With the bull Coelestis Pastor of 2 November 1687 Innocent XI condemned 68 propositions and banned all his works, printed or in manuscript. More than two hundred people in Rome were implicated; the inquisitorial proceedings against his followers in Italy lasted into the 18th century.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „in the presence of an immense concourse of people gathered for the occasion by means of grants of indulgences“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „he was declared a dogmatic heretic, sentenced to life imprisonment, to be perpetually clothed in the penitential garb“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lebenslauf
    „Moreover, the pope prohibited and condemned all his works, printed or in manuscript.“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lebenslauf. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „On the 3rd of September 1687 he made public profession of his errors, and was sentenced to imprisonment for life.“
    Molinos, Miguel de, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Wirkung
    „More than two hundred persons at Rome found themselves implicated in the affair“
    Miguel de Molinos, Wirkung. Original
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Wirkung
    „the inquisitorial proceedings in Italy lasted until the eighteenth century“
    Miguel de Molinos, Wirkung. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. Molinos died in prison in 1696 or 1697.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „At some date unknown in 1696 or 1697 Molinos died in prison.“
    Molinos, Miguel de, Artikel. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. Molinos was born at Muniesa in Spain on 21 December 1640 and died in Rome on 28 December 1696.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Einleitung
    „born at Muniesa, Spain, 21 December, 1640; died at Rome, 28 December, 1696“
    Miguel de Molinos, Einleitung. Original

Response of the Church

  1. The sources contradict each other on moral accusations. The Catholic Encyclopedia writes that in seventeen cases he excused lascivious acts by penitents and declared his own not blameworthy. The Britannica only writes that a report got abroad that he had been convicted of moral enormities, after which it was clear that he was doomed.
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena, Lehre
    „In the cases of seventeen penitents he excused their lascivious acts“
    Miguel de Molinos, Lehre. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „A report got abroad that Molinos had been convicted of moral enormities, as well as of heretical doctrines; and it was seen that he was doomed.“
    Molinos, Miguel de, Artikel. Original

See also

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 10 (1911), Antonio Pérez Goyena: Miguel de Molinos, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Molinos, Miguel de, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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