Capponi, Serafino

CAPPONI, SERAFINO. - Dominican theologian, b. at Porretta in 1536. He entered the Dominican Order at Bologna on 25 Oct. 1552 and took the name Annibale. He taught philosophy in the convents of Finario, Modiano and Faenza, theology at Reggio, and metaphysics in the Studium generale of Bologna. In 1583 he passed into the Congregation of the Abruzzi, teaching at Rieti and at Aquila. He was then regent at Ferrara. He resided for 25 years in Venice, occupied with the printing of his works. Because of the Most Serene Republic's antipapal stance he returned in 1606 to Bologna, where, after teaching for two years at the Carthusians', he lived and died in the reputation of sanctity on 2 Jan. 1614. His tomb is in a place of honor in the basilica of St. Dominic.

Besides teaching he applied himself with fervor and profit to preaching. A prolific author, he left the Elucidationes formales in Summam theologiam s. Thomae de Aquino, 5 folio vols. (Venice 1588 and 1596); the 1612 edition, in 6 vols., bears the title Summa totius theologiae s. Thomae de Aquino cum elucidationibus formalibus and contains additions taken from Cajetan, Iavelli, Tocco, etc. Other editions appeared at Padua in 1698 and, in 10 vols., at Rome in 1773. In vol. I of the Elucidationes C. prefixes a De altitudine doctrinae thomisticae proloquium omni veritate innixum. Other works: Tota theologia s. Thomae Aquinatis in compendium redacta (ibid. 1597); Compendium theologicae veritatis b. Alberti Magni (that is, of Hugh Ripelin) cum scholiis utilissimis (ibid. 1588 and 1590); Sacerdos in aeternum (explanations of the Holy Mass, ceremonies, vestments, etc. [ibid. 1588, Rome 1729]). An Explanatio totius fidei christianae and Observationes super praedicabilia and other Aristotelian books they received permission for printing from Father I. M. Beccaria, Dominican master general, but they never saw the light.

For exegesis, in addition to the manuscript commentaries on Mark and Luke, C. printed the Veritates aureae super totam legem veterem (Gen., Ex., Lev., Num., Deut. [Venice 1590]); commentaries on Matthew (ibid. 1602) and John (ibid. 1604), while the commentary on the Psalms appeared posthumously (Bologna 1692 and 1736-45). C. as exegete seeks and explains the literal and spiritual sense of the sacred text and sets forth doctrine in the form of conclusions, based on extensive comparisons, with interweavings of questions on matters of faith and Christian life. His exegetical works were mines of information and teaching prized in his time.

Angelo Walz