SCAVINI, PIETRO. - Moral theologian, born at Intra on 22 Oct. 1791, died at Novara on 17 Nov. 1869. While still a young priest he held the office of vicar general of the diocese of Novara, which he retained until 1856.
In 1831 he was proposed by Carlo Alberto as bishop of Susa, but S. refused. He was a candidate in the elections of 15 Nov. 1857, but was not elected because of the manoeuvres of the Cavourians. A close friend of A. ROSMINIANI (v.), he engaged with him in a controversy over the universality of the reflex principle Lex dubia non obligat, which Rosmini challenged in various letters, one of which, addressed to Mons. Barciulli on 16 Dec. 1846, was published in the journal Pragmologia cattolica of Lucca. There were replies and counter-replies, which also wandered into the historical question de mente s. Alphonsi, with the intervention of third parties (such as Gilardi, Fedelini, Missiaglia, Angeleri, Bertazzi, Pagani). The issue was in fact the interpretation of probabilism given by S. in his Theologia moralis universa (Novara 1841, with subsequent editions, the last [16th] at Milan in 1901), a work still useful for consultation today. His polemical pamphlets, S. Alfonso presso l'ab. Rosmini (Novara 1860), Il sig. d. A. Rosmini presso s. Alfonso (there 1860), are of little importance.