CAVAGNIS, FELICE. - Distinguished jurist, b. at Bordogna (Bergamo) on 13 Jan. 1841, d. at Rome on 29 Dec. 1906. He began his studies in his homeland and completed them at the Roman Seminary, earning degrees in philosophy, theology and law. A priest in 1883, in the same Roman Seminary he first taught philosophy, and then, following the new thoroughly Thomistic direction desired by Leo XIII, he moved to the teaching of canon law and later of the institutions of public ecclesiastical law.

The fruit of this last teaching was C.'s masterpiece, the Institutiones iuris publici ecclesiastici (Rome 1883, various subsequent editions), in three volumes, a precise and complete institutional exposition of Catholic doctrine on the relations between Church and State. Rector of the Roman Seminary from 1888, in 1893 he was named pro-secretary and in 1896 secretary of the S. C. of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs; on 15 Apr. 1901 he was created cardinal.

Besides the aforementioned Institutiones, he wrote: Nozioni di diritto pubblico naturale ed ecclesiastico (Rome 1886); Della natura di società giuridica e pubblica competente alla Chiesa (ibid. 1887); De concordato Napoleonomo pro Gallia (ibid. 1906).

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: F. Vistalli, Il card. C. Bergamo 1913; id., Trititia di cardinali bergamaschi, ibid. 1945, pp. 69-115.

Alberto Scola

@incollection{ec3_cavagnis_felice, author = {Scola, Alberto}, title = {Cavagnis, felice}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {1192}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/cavagnis-felice} }

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Cavagnis, Felice

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