John of Montesono

Theologian and controversialist, born at Monzón, Spain; dates of birth and death unknown. He joined the Dominicans probably in Valencia. In 1383 he was lecturing on theology at the cathedral in that city. Thence he went to Paris, taught in the convent of St. James there, and obtained the mastership of theology in 1387. Here he entered the field of controversy on the question of the Immaculate Conception, which was not then defined. Maintaining the proposition that the Blessed Virgin was conceived without sin was heretical, he aroused against him the faculty of the Paris university. They condemned fourteen propositions from his lectures, warned him, first privately, then publicly, to retract, and when he refused carried the matter to Pierre Orgement, Bishop of Paris, who promulgated a decree of excommunication against all who should defend the forbidden theses; and the faculty issued letters condemnatory of Montesono's errors and conduct, which Denifle conjectures, from their acerbity of speech, were written by Pierre d'Ailly. Denifle also says Montesono would not have been condemned had he not declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception heretical. Montesono appealed to Clement VIII, who cited him and the university faculty to Avignon. Later, foreseeing that the case was going against him, Montesono, despite the command under pain of excommunication to remain at Avignon, secretly withdrew into Aragon, then went to Sicily, changing his allegiance to Urban VI, Clement's rival. There and in Spain, wither he afterwards returned, he filled several important positions. In 1412 Alfonso, Duke of Gandia, chose him as head of a legation sent to defend his claim to the crown of Aragon. Besides four works against Clement's claim as pope, he wrote: "Tractatus de Conceptione B. Virginis", a number of sermons, and various opuscula in the vernacular.

Quétif and Echard, Scriptores Ord. Praed., I (Paris, 1719), 691; Hurter, Nomenclator; DENIFLE, Chartul., III (Paris, 1894), 486- 533.

V. F. O'Daniel.