Lugano, Diocese of
Governed by an apostolic administrator with episcopal authority. The evangelization of these lands situated between the St. Gothard and the regions of Lake Maggiore, of Lugano and of Como, is attributed to various missionaries; the work is presumably distinguished in two periods: 1) the Milanese-Como period, which extends from the 4th to the 6th century; 2) the post-Merovingian period, which extends from the mid-6th to the 8th century, through the work of Irish monks who were under the direction of St. Columbanus (d. 615) and St. Gall (d. 645).
Until 1 September 1884, the northern part of the current diocesan territory, including the pieve of Capriasca and Brissago, belonged to the Diocese of Milan (the belonging of the so-called Ambrosian valleys would date back to the donations of Attone, Bishop of Vercelli, in 945-48, whose authenticity is highly doubtful at least for the earliest ones; cf. F. Savio, Gli antichi vescovi d'Italia. Il Piemonte, Turin 1899, pp. 452-53; P. Fr. Kehr, Italia Pontificia, VI, II, Berlin 1914, p. 12), while the southern part, excluding the pieve of Capriasca and Brissago, was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Como.
The current diocese, nominally united with that of Basel, was established by Leo XIII with the bull *Ad Univerdam* of 7 September 1883 (Leonis XIII P. M. Acta, VIII, Rome 1889, pp. 301-25). The first apostolic administrator was Msgr. E. Lachat (d. 1 November 1886). It was, however, under his successor, Msgr. V. Molo (d. 15 March 1904), that the Ticinese diocesan question was definitively resolved with the Convention of 16 March 1888 between the Holy See and the Swiss Federal Council. The Convention does not explicitly mention the term "diocese," but designates it with the phrase of the erection of the church of St. Lawrence in Lugano as a cathedral "canonically united and on an equal footing with the Church of Basel, whose ordinary shall henceforth bear the title of Bishop of Basel and Lugano." The term "diocese" was avoided out of consideration for those environments which had hitherto opposed the creation of an autonomous diocese for the region. The principal architects of this creation were, on the part of the Holy See, Msgr. D. Ferrata, future cardinal (d. 1914), and, on the part of the Ticinese government, the Hon. Martino Pedrazzini. The diocese is directly dependent on the Holy See, has its cathedral in Lugano with a Chapter, and its own seminaries. The administrator-bishop is freely chosen by the Holy See "in agreement with the diocesan bishop" from among the Ticinese clergy.
Lueger, Karl
Yoke imposed on the Austrians and the Viennese, and he became a convinced antisemite.
Under the common denominator of antisemitism, individuals of various tendencies were united: Catholics concerned about the spread of anticlericalism and the campaign against their faith, supported by liberal financing from Semitic capitalism; nationalists who opposed the interference of other races in the internal affairs of Austria and who considered Austrian politics an issue of exclusive concern for the German element; members of the petty bourgeoisie, artisans, and peasants, who risked being economically crushed by the speculative apparatus. To combat Semitic predominance and the parties dependent on it, the Christian-Social Union of Baron von Vogelsang was formed, of which Lueger was also a part. Elected to the city council for the first time in 1875, Lueger progressively eliminated the liberals and Semitic influence from the public life of the Austrian capital, until in 1897 he became mayor, a position he held until his death. Once in power, his first concern was to decisively free municipal administration from any form of speculation. He therefore initiated a decisive program of municipalization of public services, which made Vienna one of the best-administered and socially most advanced capitals of his age.
Lugano, Diocese of
Facade of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence (16th century) - Lugano.