Alvarez, Draco, Spanish theologian, b. at Medina de Rio-Seco, Old Castile, about 1550; d. at Trani, Kingdom of Naples, 1635. He entered the Dominican Order in his native city, and taught theology for twenty years in the Spanish cities of Burgos, Trianos, Plasencia, and Valladolid, and for ten years (1596-1606) at the Minerva, in Rome. Shortly after his arrival in Rome (7 November, 1596) he presented to Clement VIII a memorial requesting him to examine the work ‘Concordia liberi Arbitrii”, by Ludovicus Molina, S.J., which, upon its publication in 1588, had given rise to bitter controversy. Before the Congregation (Congregatio de Auxiliis), appointed by the Pope to settle the dispute, he defended the Thomistic doctrines of grace, predestination, etc., alone for three years, and, thereafter, conjointly with Thomas de Lemos, O.P., to whom he gave the first place, until the suspension of the Congregation (1606). He was appointed, 19 March, 1606, by Paul V, to the Archbishopric of Trani, where he passed the remainder of his life. Besides (1) a commentary on Isaias, and (2) a manual for preachers, he published: (3) ‘De auxiliis divine gratis et humani arbitrii viribus et libertate, ac legitima ejus cum efficacia eorumdem auxiliorum concordia libri XII” (Rome, 1610; Lyons, 1620; Douai, 1635); (4) ‘ Responsionum ad objectiones adversus concordiam liberi arbitrii cum diviné præscientiâ, providently, et prædestinatione, atque cum efficacié praevenientis gratis, prout a S. Thoma et Thomistis defenditur et explicatur, Libri IV (Trani, 1622; Lyons, 1622); (5) “De origine Pelagians heresis et ejus progressu et damnatione per plures summos pontifices et concilia fact Historia ex annalibus Card. Baronii et aliis probatis auctoribus collecta” (Trani, 1629); (6) “Responsionum liber ultimus hoc titulo: Opus præclarum nunquam hactenus editum, in quo argumentis validissimis concordia liberi arbitrii cum divinâ præscientiâ, prædestinatione, et efficacia gratiæ praevenientis ad mentem S. Thome et omnium Thomistarum contra eos qui eam impugnare volunt defenditur et explicatur” (Douai, 1635); (7) “Operis de auxiliis divine gratiæ et humani arbitrii viribus et libertate, ac legitima ejus cum efficacia’ eorumdem auxiliorum concordia summa, in IV libros distincta” (Lyons, 1620; Cologne, 1621; Trani, 1625); (8) “De incarnatione divini verbi disputationes LXXX, in quibus explicantur et defenduntur, quæ in tertia parte summæ theologicæ docet S. Thomas a Q. 1 ad 24” (Lyons, 1614; Rome, 1615; Cologne, 1622); (9) “Disputationes theologicæ in primam secundæ S. Thomæ, in quibus praecipua omnia quæ adversus doctrinam ejusdem et communem ‘Thomistarum a diversis auctoribus impugnantur, juxta legitimum sensum præceptoris angelici explicantur et defenduntur” (Trani, 1617; Cologne, 1621).
ECHARD, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum (Paris, 1721), II, 481; Uaueuut, [Italia Sacra (Venice, 1720), VII, 1240; Hurter, Nomenclator (Innsbruck, 1892), I, 263; H. SERRY, Historia Congregationum de Auxiliis (Antwerp, 1709).
A. L.
A. L. McMahon.