NORIS, ENRICO. - Augustinian theologian and cardinal, b. at Verona on 29 Aug. 1631, d. at Rome on 23 Feb. 1704. A religious from 1646, he was in Rome, then regent of studies at Pesaro (1658-62), at Perugia (1662-64), at Florence (1664-66), and finally at Padua (1666-72). During these years he composed the Historia pelagiana (Padua 1673), an extensive expository-polemical treatment of the soteriological doctrine of the bishop of Hippo, badly interpreted not only by Baius and Jansenius, but also, according to N., by their adversaries.
Summoned by Cosimo III of Tuscany, he went to Florence, where he was appointed theologian of the Grand Duke, tutor of his son, Gian Gastone, and professor of ecclesiastical history at the University of Pisa (1674-92). In 1675 Christina of Sweden named him a member of her Roman Academy and asked Clement X and then Innocent XI for N. to come to Rome, but he always refused, because in Tuscany he could devote himself more freely to his studies; only in 1692 did he yield, by order of Innocent XII, who in the same year appointed him first custodian of the Vatican Library. In 1695 he was created cardinal.
N. was one of the greatest scholars of the 17th century, admired by Lupus, Mabillon, Montfaucon, Papebroch, Magliabechi, Muratori, for his vast and sure knowledge of sacred and profane history, archaeology, chronology, and numismatics, the fruit of a tenacious memory and indefatigable work, which he often prolonged up to 14 hours a day.
His works were printed, for the most part between 1673 and 1700; later there appeared, edited by the brothers P. and G. Ballerini, the Opera omnia (4 vols., Verona 1729-32, with vol. V, Mantua 1741). Vol. I comprises the theological works: Historia pelagiana (coll. 1-538); Dissertatio historica de synodo V oecumenica (coll. 549-854); Vindiciae augustinianae (coll. 865-1296); in this third work N. sets out and defends his interpretation of the Augustinian doctrine on concupiscence, the virtues of unbelievers, predestination and the efficacy of Grace; which aroused accusations of Baianism and Jansenism; but he was declared immune from them after repeated examination (1695). N. replied to his adversaries with apologetic writings (coll. 1297-1506). Of the works contained in the other four volumes, mention should be made of: Historia controversiae de uno e Trinitate passo; Apologia monachorum Scythiae; Historia donatistarum ex morisianis schedis excerpta; Istoria delle investiture; 204 letters on scholarly subjects. The correspondence remains partly unpublished, despite the contribution of L. G. Pelissier, Le card. H. de N. et sa correspondance, in Studi e documenti di storia e di diritto, 11 (1890), pp. 25-64, 253-332. A good edition of the theological works is that of Bassano 1769 (3 vols. in-fol.), with useful observations by G. L. Berti; the Vindiciae also in PL 47, 573-882.