Agostinho Barbosa

Agostinho Barbosa (Agostino, Augustinus) (17 September 1590, at Aldão, Guimarães, Portugal – 19 Nov. 1649, in Ugento, Italy) was a prolific Portuguese writer on canon law. His works included dictionary-type surveys of the legal elements.

Life

Having studied canon law in Portugal, he went to Rome. Being without the means to purchase books, he memorized their contents in libraries. About 1632 he went to Madrid, where he applied himself to writing and fulfilled various duties confided to him until 1648. He was confirmed Bishop of Ugento in Rome on 22 March 1649 and ordained on 5 Apr. 1649.

Works

His works fill at least 30 volumes. They show intimate acquaintance with authors, sources, and controversial questions such as the following:

Pastoralis Sollicitudinis, sive de Officio et Potestate Episcopi Tripartita Descriptio (Rome, 1621; Lyons, 1629; in folio, 1641, 1650, etc.). Variae Juris Tractationes, a similar work relating to parish priests was published in Rome in 1632, Lyons, 1634, Geneva, 1662, Venice, 1705, in quarto; in folio, Lyons, 1631 and 1644, Strasburg, 1652. Juris Ecclesiastici Universi Libri III (Lyons, 1633, 1645, 1718).

All the canonical works of Barbosa were published at Lyons, 1657–75, in 19 vols. in quarto, 16 vols. in folio, and again, 1698–1716, 20 vols. in quarto, 18 vols. in folio.