author
Giacinto Achilli
b. 1803
A fiery and controversial figure of the 19th century, this Italian Dominican friar broke with the Catholic Church and became a Protestant campaigner whose name echoed through some of the era’s sharpest religious debates. His turbulent life also became closely linked with John Henry Newman’s famous libel trial.
1 Audiobook
Dealings with the Inquisition; Or, Papal Rome, Her Priests, and Her Jesuits
by Giacinto Achilli
About the author
Born around 1803 in the Viterbo area of the Papal States, Giacinto Achilli entered the Dominican order while still young and was ordained as a Catholic priest. Early on, he seemed headed for a successful church career, but his life soon turned stormy as he became entangled in accusations, church discipline, and conflict with Roman authorities.
After leaving Catholicism, he emerged as a zealous Protestant speaker and writer, especially in Britain, where he lectured strongly against the Roman Church. He became widely known in England through the sensational 1852 libel case brought against John Henry Newman, a trial that drew huge public attention and fixed Achilli in the middle of one of the century’s most bitter religious controversies.
For listeners interested in religious history, Achilli is a fascinating if deeply divisive character: part ex-priest, part polemicist, and part political exile. His story opens a window onto the fierce battles over faith, authority, and public reputation in 19th-century Europe.