ITALIAN CATHOLIC SOCIETY FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDIES. - A nationally based association, established among Italian Catholics at the beginning of the century, for the purpose of promoting «by every means science in harmony with the faith and the spread of culture among Italian Catholics» and of intensifying a «useful correspondence between the cultivators of the individual disciplines and among the various Italian and foreign scientific societies» (art. 2 of the Statute).
The intention was thereby to respond to the pseudo-scientific campaign of the prevailing positivism (which claimed to demonstrate the end of religious beliefs through the progress of science), by reaffirming that «between the Revelation guarded and interpreted by the Church and the results of science, no contradiction can exist» (Statute, art. 1). The Society, already wished for in a resolution of the Lombard episcopate (22 Sept. 1896), arose in 1899 through the initiative of the two bishops Callegari (v.) of Padua and Riboldi of Pavia, and of Prof. G. Toniolo (v.). The Society was divided into five sections: 1) religious, philosophical and apologetic studies (from which was promoted the Rivista apologetica, founded and directed by Fr. Antonio da Trobaso, at Vicenza, and the Scuola cattolica [v.]); 2) social, economic, juridical and political studies, promoted by the Unione cattolica per gli studi sociali in Italia (v.); 3) physical, natural and mathematical studies (from which was promoted, in 1900, the Rivista di scienze fisiche e matematiche, directed by Msgr. Pietro Maffi); 4) historical studies (from which was promoted, in 1904-1908, the Rivista di scienze storiche, directed by Msgr. Maiocchi); 5) philological, literary and foreign studies. The Society ceased in 1910. It promoted the establishment of libraries of scientific culture; scientific works, by instituting prizes and scholarships for advanced courses.
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Pietro Palazzini