CATALANI, GIUSEPPE. — Renowned liturgist, born at Paola (Cosenza) to Francesco and Anna Baroni on 14 June 1698. He completed his studies in Naples, where he was ordained priest in 1723. He was awarded a doctorate in theology by the Dominican Vincenzo Maria d’Aragona, Archbishop of Cosenza. After moving to Rome, he earned degrees in canon and civil law. In 1731, Clement XII entrusted him with the foundation of the Corsini College for Italo-Albanians at S. Benedetto Ullano in Calabria. The same Pope twice offered him the cardinal’s hat, as did Benedict XIV, who held him in high esteem; but he firmly declined, preferring instead to join the Oratory of S. Girolamo della Carità (and not, as many have written, the *Gironi*). He died in Rome on 10 August 1764 and was buried in S. Maria in Monterone.
Among his important liturgical writings are: *Pontificale romanum prolegomeni et commentariis illustratum* (3 vols., Rome 1738–40; Paris 1850; Augsburg 1878); *Caeremoniale episcoporum commentariis illustratum* (2 vols., Rome 1744; Paris 1860); *Sacrarum caeremoniarum sive rituum ecclesiarum* (2 vols., Rome 1751); *De codice S. Evangelii atque servatis in eius lectione et usu variis rituum* (2 vols., Rome 1751). He was equally active as a historian: *De magistro sacri Palatii Apostolici libri duo* (2 vols., Rome 1751); *De secretario S. Congregationis Indicis libros divi* (2 vols., Rome 1751); critical prefaces to the *Annali d’Italia* of L. A. Muratori (2 vols., Rome 1754); *Sacrosancta concilia oecumenica commentariis illustrata* (4 vols., Rome 1759); *Collectio conciliorum Hispaniae et Novi Orbis* (2 vols., Rome 1759).
C. also published: *S. Hieronymi Epistolae selectae in tres libros novo ordine distributae* (2 vols., Rome 1759); *Commentaria in Concilia Oecumenica* (4 vols., Rome 1743, 1758, 1759); *Commentaria in Epistolam D. Hieronymi ad Nepotianum* (2 vols., Rome 1740); *Notae in libros s. Johannis Chrysostomi de Sacerdotio* (2 vols., Rome 1740).