Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.
FERRARIS, LUCIO. - Franciscan, theologian and canonist, b. at Solero (Alessandria) on April 18, 1687, d. at Alessandria on Feb. 24, 1763. He was for many years professor of theology and law at the house of studies of S. Bernardino in Alessandria, synodal examiner and, for a time, provincial of the Order. In Rome he was a consultor of the Holy Office and of various other Congregations.
He is best known for his Promptia bibliotheca canonica, iuridica, moralis, theologica (8 vols., Bologna 1746), a very rich encyclopedia-format collection of legal, moral, and theological doctrine, legislation, jurisprudence, and administrative practice. The work, published several times and later updated with notes and a volume of supplements by Fr. G. Bucceroni (Rome 1885-99), enjoyed undisputed preeminence until the new codification and is still usefully consulted today. As a moralist F. steers a middle course between rigorism and laxism and can be classified among the probabilists. From a technical-scientific standpoint, he combines the systematic method with the scholastic-casuistic one.
BIBL.: J. F. von Schulte, Geschichte der Quellen und Literatur des canonischen Rechts, III, 1, Stuttgart 1880, p. 531; Hutter, IV, col. 1620 ff., P. F. Maccone, I Francescani a Casale Monferrato, Casale 1929, p. 159 seq.; B. Kurtscheid - F. A. Wilches, Historia Iuris Canonici, I, Roma 1913, p. 299 ff.
Zaccaria da San Mauro
Cite this article
“FERRARIS, LUCIO.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V (1950), p. 720. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/ferraris-lucio.
