Lippomani, Aloysius

Lippomani, Aloysius (or Ludovicus), born in Venice in 1500, was alike renowned for his historical and linguistic learning and for the purity of his life. He was in turn bishop of Modena, Verona, and Bergamo. He was active in securing the pope's assent to the transfer of the Tridentine Council to Bologna; was for two years after the interruption of the council papal nuncio in Germany, and in 1549 one of the three presidents of the council. In Poland the Reformation had made great advances through the influence of the tHussites and of the Bohemian Brethren, as also through the Socinian movement. At the national Diet of Petrikau in 1550, 1551, and especially 1555, the prerogatives of the Catholic bishops were, through special influence of the the king, Sigismund II, greatly diminished, and the Protestant theologians — such as Calvin, Melancthon, Beza — were recognized as important authorities in matters of faith. The Confession of Hosius, adopted in a provincial synod at Petrikau, obtained great acceptance with the people. Lippomani was specially commissioned by pope Paul IV, in 1556, as nuncio in Poland, to exert, himself against this rapid progress of resifrm. His efforts made him peculiarly obnoxious to the adherents of Protestantism, but were without marked success. He died as bishop of Bergamo in August 1559. He wrote commentaries on Genesis, Exodus, and the Psalms, but they are of no special value to the exegetist of today. See Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lexicon, s.v.; Krasinski, Hist. Sketch of the Reformation in Poland. volume 1, chapter 6. (E.B.O.)