ORSI, GIUSEPPE AGOSTINO. – Dominican theologian and cardinal, born in Florence on 9 May 1692, died in Rome on 13 June 1761. He entered religious life at Fiesole in 1709 and taught philosophy and theology at S. Marco in Florence, where he also served as prior. From 1732 he was theologian to Cardinal Neri Corsini in Rome and Casanatense theologian; from 1738, secretary of the Congregation of the Index; subsequently, Master of the Sacred Palace (1749–59); and finally, cardinal priest with the title of S. Sisto (24 September 1759). He was buried in his titular church.
(photograph by M. Mirabella Roberti)
ORSERA – Detail of the mosaic of the Basilica (mid-fourth century).
dogmatic and moral, against the use of words (Rome 1727), was written against the Jesuit C. A. Cattaneo, who in his Lezioni sacre (edited by T. Ceva) had shown himself somewhat too lenient regarding the use of mental reservations, and provoked a lengthy controversy that gave rise to other writings: La causa della verità sostenuta contro l'anonimo apologista del p. C. A. Cattaneo (Firenze 1729) and Dimostrazione teologica (Milano 1729). Among his other works, mention should be made of the three volumes against Gallican doctrines and in favor of papal infallibility: De irreformabili Romani Pontificis in definiendis fidei controversis iudicio (Roma 1739, ivi 1771); abridged translation: Dell'infallibilità ed autorità del Romano Pontefice sopra concilii ecumenici (2 vols., ivi 1749). In opposition to the Histoire ecclesiastique of Claudio Fleury, whose tendencies were openly Gallican, he wrote the Istoria ecclesiastica in 21 vols. (ivi 1749-63, the last of them posthumous). It extends only as far as the sixth century, however; his confrère F. A. Becchetti continued it to 1529. Of the various editions, one of the best is that of Venice of 1822, in 42 vols.