Franciscus Sonnius

His family name was Van de Velde, but in later years he called himself after his native place, Son in Brabant.

The family has three golden mill-irons in their coat-of-arms, a sign that is depicted on the chair of the first bishop in the cathedral of Antwerp.

As bishop of Antwerp he held two diocesan synods, setting an example that exerted influence beyond the boundaries of the archdiocese of Mechelen.

He opposed Calvinism and wrote for this purpose a clear summary of its teachings for the use of the clergy, under the title Succincta demonstratio errorum confessionis Calvinistae recenter per has regiones sparsae (Leuven, 1567).

He also wrote a textbook of dogmatics: Demonstrationum religionis christianae libri tres (Antwerp, 1564), to which in 1577, after his death, a fourth book was added, De sacramentis.