Francisco Sarmiento Mendoza

Francisco Sarmiento de Mendoza (Burgos, 10 July 1525 - Jaén, 9 June 1595) was a Spanish canon lawyer and bishop.

Mendoza was born into a noble family at Burgos.

At the age of 21 years he already occupied a professorial chair in canon law at Salamanca.

Among his works on canon law are "Selectarum interpretationum libri VIII" (Rome, 1571, Burgos, 1573, 1575, Antwerp, 1616), and "De redditibus eccleciasticis" (Rome, 1569, Burgos, 1573, 1575).

In the latter, which is dedicated to Pope Pius V, he argues against Martin Azpilcueta, that clerics are not bound in justice, but only in charity, to give to the poor that part of their revenues which is not necessary for their own sustenance.