LABORANTE, cardinal. – Jurist and theologian, b. at Pontormo near Firenze at the beginning of the 12th century, d. about 1191. He studied in France, perhaps at the school of Gilberto Porretano. Having returned to Italy, he became a canon of Capua before 1160, and in 1173 was created cardinal by Alessandro III.
Of his writings there are known: Compilatio decretorum; De iustitia et iure; De vera libertate; Contra Sabellianos; De relativa praedicatione personae in divinis, preserved in MS C. 110 of the Chapter Archive of the Vatican Basilica. The De iustitia et iure was edited by G. B. Siracusa (Palermo 1886), the others by A. M. Landgraf, Card. Laborantis opuscula (Florilegium Patristicum, 32) Bonn 1932. His Compilatio draws upon Gratian’s Decree, but arranges the material in a new manner, enriching it with the decretals of Innocenzo II, Eugenio III, and Alessandro III. Although the work exercised no influence, it is nevertheless very important.
L.’s style is somewhat obscure; in order to clarify his thought, Landgraf took great care to establish a doctrinal comparison with Gilberto Porretano.