SCHIFFINI, Santo. - Jesuit, Scholastic philosopher and theologian, b. at S. Domenica (prov. of Cosenza) on 20 July 1841, d. at Chieri (prov. of Turin) on 10 Dec. 1906.
He entered the Order in 1855 and taught philosophy to his brethren gathered, because of the various revolutionary movements, in several foreign colleges, later moving to the Gregorian University and then to the Scholastic College at Chieri, where for the last thirteen years he taught dogmatic theology.
His works are not numerous: *Principia philosophiae ad mentem Aquinatis* (Turin 1886; 2nd ed. ibid. 1892); *Disputationes metaphysicae specialis* (2 vols., ibid. 1888; 2nd ed. ibid. 1894); *Disputationes philosophiae moralis* (2 vols., ibid. 1891); *De verbo Dei adversaria theologica* (ibid. 1895); *De Gratia divina* (Freiburg in Br. 1901); *De virtutibus infusis* (ibid. 1904); *Divinitas Scripturarum adversus hodierna novitates asserita* (Turin 1906); *De vera religione* (posthumous, ibid. 1909).
A profound and orderly mind, of refined judgment and great common sense, he was able to grasp the subject as a whole, distinguishing the essential from the incidental, choosing the most fitting and persuasive proofs; drawing above all from Aquinas, of whom he was a highly esteemed and acute interpreter. At times his concision in condensing thought impaired clarity of exposition, which, however, became clear and lively in his oral teaching, in which he excelled.