Peter Gandolphy

Peter Gandolphy (26 July 1779 - 9 July 1821) was a Jesuit preacher and apologetic author active in London in the early 19th century.

Life

Gandolphy, was born in London on 26 July 1779, the son of John Vincent Gandolphi or Gandolphy of East Sheen, Surrey, and Anna Maria, daughter of Benedict Hinde of Worlaby, Lincolnshire. He was related by marriage to the Hornyold's of Blackmore.

Gandolfi educated under the Jesuits of the English province, partly at Liège academy and partly at Stonyhurst College, where on 4 October. 1801 he was appointed to teach Humanities. He left Stonyhurst in 1804, and after receiving holy orders was appointed to the mission at Newport, Isle of Wight. Subsequently, he was attached to the Spanish Chapel, Manchester Square, London, where he obtained great celebrity as a preacher.

By the publication of his Liturgy and his sermons "in defence of the ancient faith" he incurred the displeasure of his ecclesiastical superior, Bishop Poynter, who suspended him and denounced his works. Gandolphy proceeded to Rome in order to appeal against the bishop's decision. There he obtained in 1816 official approbations of the two censured works from Stephen Peter Damiani, master of sacred theology and apostolic penitentiary at St. Peter's, and from Francis Joseph O'Finan, prior of the Dominican convent of St. Sixtus and St. Clement. The Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, wishing to terminate the controversy, by letters dated 1 March 1817, required that Gandolphy should be restored to the possession of his former missionary faculties on apologising to Bishop Poynter for whatever might have been disrespectfully stated by him in an address to the public hastily printed some months previously, and of which the bishop had complained to the holy see. Gandolphy accordingly drew up and subscribed an apology on 15 April. In a pastoral letter dated 24 April the bishop declared the apology to be insufficient. On 8 July Gandolphy made a full and unconditional apology in obedience to the bishop's demands.

He never recovered from this humiliation. In 1818 he resigned his chaplaincy at Spanish Place, and retiring to the residence of his relatives at East Sheen, died there on 9 July 1821.

George Oliver says that Gandolphy "wrote too rapidly not to err against theological precision," but John Milner remarks that there was "no heterodox or dangerous principle in his mind."

Writings

• ‘A Defence of the Ancient Faith; or five sermons in Proof of the Christian Religion (London, 1811).
• Congratulatory Letter to the Rev. Herbert Marsh, D.D. … on his judicious Inquiry into the consequences of neglecting to give the Prayer-Book with the Bible. Together with a Sermon on the inadequacy of the Bible to be an exclusive Rule of Faith, inscribed to the same (London, 1812, reprinted in The Pamphleteer (1813), i. 413.) This elicited a reply from Marsh, and several controversial pamphlets.
• A Second Letter to the Rev. Herbert Marsh confirming the opinion that the vital principle of the Reformation has been conceded by him to the Church of Rome (London, 1813, reprinted in The Pamphleteer ii. 397).
• Liturgy, or a Book of Common Prayer, and administration of Sacraments, with other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. For the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom (London, 1812; Birmingham, 1815).
• A sermon on the text 'Render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, etc. (London, 1813).
• A Defence of the Ancient Faith, or a full Exposition of the Christian Religion in a series of controversial sermons 4 vols., (London, 1813–15)
• Letters addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Protestant Clergy of England... or a Reply to the Calumnies and Slanders advanced against the Catholic Petitioners (London, 1813 and 1817).
• Vetoism illustrated to future generations; or a letter to the editor of the "Ami de la Religion et du Roi", in answer to an article in the same journal (London, 1819).
• Letter to a noble Lord on the conduct of Sir J. Cox Hippisley at Rome (London 1819).
• Lessons of Morality and Piety; extracted from the Sapiential Books of Holy Scripture (London 1822).

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Peter Gandolphy — (Or Gandolphi.)

Jesuit preacher; b. in London, 26 July, 1779; d. at East Sheen, Surrey, 9 July, 1821; son of John Vincent Gandolphi of East Sheen, and grandson of Count Pietro Gandolphi, of the ancient nobility of Genoa. Father Gandolphy's brother, John Vincent, married Teresa, eldest daughter of Thomas Hornyold, of Blackmore and Hanley. His only son succeeded to the Blackmore estates and assumed the name of Hornyold by Royal license in 1859. Hornyold was an ancient Catholic family in Worcestershire, and Blackmore Park (recent pulled down) was a fine example of an old English manor house, with numerous priests' hiding places. The present representative of the family, Alphonso Otto Gandolfi Hornyold, bears the title of Duke Gandolfi (a papal creation of 1899) as well as the old Genoese titles.

Father Gandolphi was educated in the Jesuit College at Liège, and also at Stonyhurst, where he was appointed as teacher of humanities in 1801. He was ordained priest about 1804, and his first charge was at Newport, Isle of Wight. He was then transferred to the Spanish chapel at Manchester Square, London (now known as St. James's, Spanish Place) where he soon attained great fame as a preacher; and as a worker among Protestants he made many converts. His methods, however, were somewhat infelicitous, and speedily incurred the censure of his ordinary, Bishop Poynter. It appears he wrote too speedily to be theologically exact, but there were certainly no heretical principles in his mind. Nevertheless it seems strange to read of a Catholic manual entitled the "Book of Common Prayer.... for the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom" which he brought out in 1812. On account of this, and of his "Sermons in defense of the Ancient Faith", Bishop Popynter felt it his duty to suspend him, and to denounce the offending works. Gandolphy went to Rome in person to defend himself, and in 1816 he obtained official approbation for the two censured works from S. P. Damiani, master of theology and Apostolic pentitentiary at St. Peter's, and F.J. O'Finan, prior of the Dominican convent of St. Sixtus and St. Clement. The Congregation of Propaganda, being anxious for a peaceable settlement of this unfortunate affair, required (1 March, 1817) that Gandolphy should be restored on his apologizing to Bishop Poynter for any unintentional disrespect which might have occurred in his address to the public, of which address also the bishop had complained. On 15 April Gandolphi accordingly wrote an apology, but the bishop in a pastoral letter on 24 April stated that the apology was inadequate, so at last on 8 July, Gandolphy made an unreserved apology; but this long drawn out public humiliation was too much for him. He resigned his post in 1818 and retired to his family home at East Sheen, where he died in a year or two. His principal works were: "A Defense of the Ancient Faith" (London, 1813-14); "Liturgy, or a Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, with other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. For the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom" (London, 1812, Birmingham,. 1815); "Lessons of Morality and Piety, extracted from the Sapiential Books" (London, 1822); and a number of controversial letters and sermons.

De Backer, Bibl. des Escrivains de la C. de J. (1869), i, 2029; Gentlemen's Magazine, LXXXIII, pt. II, 362; LXXXIV, pt. I, 470; XCI, pt. II, 185, 200; Gillow, Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath., s. v.; Cooper, in Bibl. Nat. Biog., s. v.; Oliver, Collectanea S. J., Foley, records S.J., VII.