SOCIETÀ CATTOLICA ITALIANA PER GLI STUDI SCIENTIFICI. – An association, on a national basis, formed among Italian Catholics at the beginning of the century, with the aim of promoting “by every means science in harmony with faith and the diffusion of culture among Italian Catholics” and of intensifying “useful correspondence between scholars of individual disciplines and among the various Italian and foreign scientific societies” (art. 2 of the Statute).
In this way, it was intended to respond to the pseudoscientific campaign of the prevailing positivism (which claimed to demonstrate the end of religious beliefs with the progress of science), reaffirming that “between Revelation, guarded and interpreted by the Church, and the results of science, no contradiction can exist” (Statute, art. 1). The Society, already envisaged in a vote of the Lombard episcopate (22 Sept. 1896), came into being in 1899 through the 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 Antonio da Trobaso, in Vicenza, and the Scuola cattolica [v.]); 2) social, economic, juridical and political studies, promoted by the Unione cattolica Italia (v.); 3) physical, natural and mathematical studies (from which was promoted, in 1900, the Rivista di scienze fisiche e matematiche, directed by Mons. Pietro Maffi); 4) historical studies (from which was promoted, in 1904-1908, the Rivista di scienze storiche, directed by Mons. Maiocchi); 5) philological, literary and foreign studies. The Society ceased in 1910. It promoted the establishment of libraries of scientific culture; scientific works, instituting prizes and scholarships for advanced courses.