Jacobus Boonen

Who was Jacobus Boonen?

Jacobus Boonen was the fourth Archbishop of Mechelen from 1621 to 1655.

Born at Antwerp, Boonen studied at the University of Leuven from 1587 to 1595 and began a legal career. He accompanied the Prince of Arenberg on a diplomatic mission in the republic and afterwards became the manager of his affairs.

His ordination as deacon took place on 14 April 1607; then he gained a stipend as a graduate canon in Mechelen. Initially, his career stayed centred on legal matters: in 1607, he became a judge for the synod; in 1608, an official of the archdiocese; and, in 1611, member of the Great Council of Mechelen. He was not ordained a priest until 1611, at the age of 37. On 22 June 1612, he followed H F van de Burch as deacon of the Chapter of St Rumbold.

He was a member of the household of Archbishop Mathias Hovius, an ecclesiastical councillor in the Great Council of Mechelen, and Dean of the chapter of St. Rumbold's Cathedral. In 1616 he was consecrated bishop of Ghent and in 1620 Archbishop of Mechelen.

He was a friend of Cornelius Jansen, and sabotaged the promulgation of the papal bull Cum occasione which condemned five propositions extracted from Jansen's writings.