SALERNO, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Cardinal and Jesuit theologian, b. in Cosenza on 24 Jan. 1670, d. in Rome on 30 Jan. 1729.
Having overcome many difficulties, he entered the Society of Jesus in Naples in 1678; after completing the theological course at the Roman College, he held the office of lecturer in controversies at the Greek College, and in 1709 he became professor of law at the German College. In 1710 he was appointed by Clement XI as auditor, counselor and theologian to Cardinal Albani, who was sent on an extraordinary mission to the court of Saxony. It was on that occasion that S., with the fine sensitivity of a diplomat combined with admirable patience and zeal, succeeded in converting the electoral prince of Saxony, Frederick Augustus III (27 Nov. 1712). For this great merit Clement XI created him cardinal.
His principal work is the Specimen orientalis Ecclesiae ab origine ad Concilium Nicaenum (Rome 1702); it is an essay in defense of the Catholic Church with a predominantly irenic purpose; it is rich in documents but poor in criticism.
Bibliography3 worksHurter, IV, col. 1206; Sommervogel, VII, coll. 462-63; F. Fabiano, Il card. G.B.S. e la conversione del principe elettore di Sassonia Federi
BIBL.: Hurter, IV, col. 1206; Sommervogel, VII, coll. 462-63; F. Fabiano, Il card. G.B.S. e la conversione del principe elettore di Sassonia Federigo Augusto III, Naples 1950 (on pp. 27-46 the work of S. for the conversion of the prince is extensively described).
Piolanti, Antonio. “Salerno, giovanni battista.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. X, coll. 1662–1663. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1953. https://azioneromana.com/article/salerno-giovanni-battista.
MLA
Piolanti, Antonio. “Salerno, giovanni battista.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. X, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1953, coll. 1662–1663. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/salerno-giovanni-battista.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec10_salerno_giovanni_battista,
author = {Piolanti, Antonio},
title = {Salerno, giovanni battista},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {X},
pages = {1662--1663},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1953},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/salerno-giovanni-battista}
}
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