Delmare, Paolo Marcello

DELMARE, PAOLO MARCELLO. - Theologian, b. in Genoa in 1734 to a Jewish family, d. 17 February 1824. Baptized in 1753, ordained a priest in 1758 in Rome, where he devoted himself to works of ministry. He occupied (1783) the chair of theology in Siena, and from 1789 that of Sacred Scripture in Pisa.

In the controversy, then being agitated, over the lawfulness and extent of communicatio in sacris between the united Armenians and the dissident ones, he worked to prevent such communication from being extended beyond the sharing of the liturgical calendar, defending, to that end, the censure of the University of Siena against the contrary ruling, in his publication: Principes théologiques pour servir de préservatif contre les erreurs de l'Examen (Siena 1786). Loyal to Jansenism, he favored and defended the edition of Gourlin's Catechismo universale, 3 vols., Genoa 1779 (placed on the Index on 20 January 1783). He compromised himself much more with the publication of the Praelectiones de locis theologicis Senis habitus, s. n. t., placed on the Index on 9 December 1793 and condemned by the Holy Office on 5 March 1795. In 1817, however, he made a full retraction of his errors.

Vino Zolini