CLARIUS, ISIDORUS. — Bishop, exegete, and orator, born at Chiari (Brescia) in 1495 and died at Foligno on 28 May 1555. His original name was Taddeo Cuochi; he was called Clarius from the Latinized form of his native town; Isidorus is the name he took upon entering religious life. C. became a Benedictine monk at S. Giovanni in Parma on 24 June 1517; he was abbot of S. Giacomo in Pontida and later of S. Maria in Cesena. He took part in the Council of Trent. Appointed bishop of Foligno by Paul III, C. promoted wise reforms, including those concerning studies. He wrote extensively, almost exclusively on the Bible.
His most important work was the Vulgata editio Novi et Veteris Testamenti etc., Venice 1541–42, in which he aimed to examine and improve the standard edition of the Bible by comparing it with the original texts and ancient manuscripts. The critical value of the work was judged differently, and severe censures were not lacking, especially for his dependence on Sebastian Münster. The Vulgata editio, reprinted by Protestants in the Critici sacri (v. London 1660), incurred ecclesiastical condemnation because of the preface and prolegomena, which were deemed excessively deferential to heretical criticism. In a second edition (posthumous), published under the title Biblia sacrosancta etc. (Venice 1557–64), the objectionable points were corrected.
Other works by C.: Adhortatio ad concordiam (Milan 1450); In Cantica Canticorum scholia etc. (Venice 1544); In Evangelium secundum Lucam orationes 54 (ibid. 1561); In sermonem Domini in monte habitum secundum Matthaeum orationes 69 (ibid. 1566); Orationum quas extraordinarias appellant libri 2 (ibid. 1567); Epistolae (Modena 1705); etc.