D
1,126 articles · English index · Indice italiano-
Del Medigo, Giuseppe Salomone
Jewish astronomer, mathematician and philosopher, b. in Candia (Crete) on 16 June 1591, d. in Prague on 16 Oct. 1655. He practiced the profession of physician… -
Del Muscio, Gian Gaetano
Piarist, mathematician, b. at Foggia on 5 February 1746, d. at Naples, archbishop of Manfredonia, on 25 December 1808. Among the most distinguished Neapolitan… -
Delp, Alfred
Jesuit, b. 15 Sept. 1907 in Mannheim, d. 2 Feb. 1945 in Berlin. Having converted to the Catholic faith, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1926 and in 1939… -
Del Pas, Angel, Venerable (DEL PAS, ANGEL, VENERABILE)
Spanish Friar Minor, theologian, exegete, preacher and ascetical writer, b. at Perpignan (Catalonia) in 1540, d. at Rome on 23 Aug. 1596. He preached in many… -
Delphi, Inscription of (DELFO, ISCRIZIONE DI)
DELFO, ISCRIZIONE di: v. GALLIONE. -
Delphina de Glandèves, Blessed (DELFINA DE GLANDÈVES, BEATA)
Franciscan tertiary, wife of St. Elzéar, count of Ariano (v.). Born at Puimichel in Provence in 1284 to the de Glandèves family. Left an orphan at the age of… -
Delphi, Oracle of (DELFI, ORACOLO DI)
It is the principal oracle of Greece, situated in Phocis, at 573 m. above sea level, on the southern slope of Parnassus, near the Cassotis spring, over a… -
Delpino, Federico
Botanist, b. at Chiavari on 7 Dec. 1833, d. at Naples on 14 May 1905. In Florence he worked in the botanical museum and was appointed professor at the forestry… -
Del Ricco, Gaetano
Piarist, mathematician, b. in Florence on June 3, 1756, d. there on Feb. 4, 1818. He studied mathematics under Fr. Canovai, with whom he later joined forces… -
Delrio, Martín Antonio
Jesuit, exegete and theologian, b. at Antwerp on 17 May 1551, d. at Louvain on 19 Oct. 1608. Of extraordinary erudition and culture, he published, when barely… -
Delta of the Nile, Apostolic Vicariate of (DELTA DEL NILO, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DEL)
DELTA DEL NILO, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO del: v. EGITTO. -
De Luca, Giovanni Battista
Jurist, b. at Venosa in 1614, d. at Rome on 5 February 1683. He studied jurisprudence at Salerno and at Naples, where he obtained his degree at the age of 21… -
Deluge (DILUVIO)
Cataclysm that struck humanity in the time of Noah. I. BIBLICAL ACCOUNT (Gen. 6:1-9:19). - God saw that human wickedness had spread and "repented that he had… -
Deluil-Martiny, Marie de Jésus (DELUIL MARTINY, MARIE DE JÉSUS)
Religious, foundress of the Daughters of the Heart of Jesus (v.), born in Marseille on 28 May 1841, and died there on 27 February 1884, killed by a gardener of… -
De Magistris, Simone
Ecclesiastical scholar, b. at Serra di Scopamene (Corsica) on 28 Feb. 1728, d. at Rome on 6 Oct. 1802. Having come to Rome at a very young age, he entered the… -
Demagoguery (DEMAGOGIA)
Demagogy, according to its etymological sense the art of leading the people, has not always had the pejorative meaning that is attributed to it today. In… -
De Maistre, Joseph
DE MAISTRE, JOSEPH : v. MAISTRE, JOSEPH de. -
De Mandato, Pio
Jesuit, b. in Naples on 11 Dec. 1850, d. in Rome on 11 Apr. 1914. He devoted a great part of his activity to the struggle against the Protestants, who, after… -
Demantius, Christoph
Musician, b. at Reichenberg in Bohemia on 15 Dec. 1567, d. at Freiberg in Saxony on 20 Apr. 1643. Cantor, composer, theorist; he wrote much music, among which… -
De Marchi, Emilio
Novelist, b. in Milan on 31 July 1851, d. there on 6 Feb. 1901. He was secretary of the scientific-literary Academy of his city, a municipal councillor of the… -
De Maria, Michele
Jesuit, b. at Cervinara (Avellino) on 8 February 1836, d. at Rome on 16 February 1913. He was professor of philosophy at the Gregorian University in Rome… -
Demas
Disciple of St. Paul, mentioned in II Tim. 4:10 with a rather unflattering note: "D. has abandoned me out of love for the present age, and has gone off to… -
De Matthias, Maria, Venerable (DE MATTHIAS, MARIA, VENERABILE)
Religious, foundress of the Adorers of the Most Precious Blood, b. at Vallecorsa (Frosinone) on 4 Feb. 1805, d. at Rome on 20 Aug. 1866. Her providential… -
Dementia (DEMENZA)
More or less rapid and complete loss of the ideational patrimony already constituted, at a young age or more often after the full development of maturity, due… -
De Merode, Xavier (DE MERODE, SAVERIO)
DE MERODE, SAVERIO: v. MERODE, SAVERIO de. -
Demeter (DEMETRA)
Greek goddess. For Homer and Hesiod she is the goddess of farmers, of fields and of harvests; bread is her gift, and agricultural labors are sacred to her.… -
Demeter, Ignaz Anton
Archbishop of Freiburg, b. at Augsburg on 1 Aug. 1773, d. at Freiburg im Breisgau on 21 March 1842. Parish priest at Lautlingen, at Rastatt and at Sasbach, he… -
Demetrianus, Saint (DEMETRIANO, SANTO)
Bishop of Citrum (Cyprus), born ca. 830, died between 910 and 915. Married at 15, after three months he was left a widower by his wife, who died a virgin. D.… -
Demetrianus, Saint (DEMETRIANO, SANTO)
Bishop of Antioch, father of Domnus, who later occupied the same see. D. was elected bishop in 253, and in 256 was taken prisoner and deported to Persia by… -
Demetrias (DEMETRIADE)
Roman virgin and disciple of St. Jerome, daughter of the consul and senator Olybrius, of the family of the Probi, and of Juliana, of the Anician family, born… -
Demetrius (DEMETRIO)
Nome di due personaggi del Nuovo Testamento. 1. Orefice di Efeso, che suscitò il tumulto contro s. Paolo (Act. 19, 23-40).2. Demetrius of Ephesus, warmly… -
Demetrius (DEMETRIO)
Three kings of Syria of the Seleucid dynasty (v.). DEMETRIUS I, SOTER. - Son of Seleucus IV; he reigned from 162 to 150 B.C. (Seleucid era: 151-162). A hostage… -
Demetrius (DEMETRIO)
Alexandrian chronographer, Hellenistic Jew, from the time of Ptolemy IV (222-205 B.C.). He wrote a chronography from Moses to his own time, entitled On the… -
Demetrius Comazianos (DEMETRIO COMAZIANO)
Archbishop of Ohrid in 1216-17; d. ca. 1234. He failed in his attempts to prevent the schism of the Serbian Church in 1220. When Theodore Doukas Angelos of… -
Demetrius Cydones (DEMETRIO CIDONE)
DEMETRIO CIDONE: v. CIDONE. -
Demetrius (Dimitri), Tuptalo (DEMETRIO (DIMITRI), TUPTALO)
Dissident bishop of Rostov, b. in 1651, d. in 1709, declared a saint by the Russian dissident Church in 1757. Ukrainian by origin, he was a pupil of the… -
Demetrius of Moscow, False, called the False Demetrius (DEMETRIO, ZAR DI MOSCOVIA, DETTO IL FALSO DEMETRIO)
On May 15, 1591, the child prince Demetrius, son of Ivan the Terrible, had ceased to live. The death of the infant, still shrouded in mystery, was attributed… -
Demetrius of Phalerum (DEMETRIO DI FALERO)
Aristotelian, b. ca. 350 B.C., for 10 years dictator of Athens, from where (307) he took refuge in Egypt, under Ptolemy Lagus. He collaborated on Egyptian… -
Demetrius of Thessalonica, Saint (DEMETRIO DI TESSALONICA, SANTO)
Martyr under Maximian around 306, whose cult, belatedly introduced to Thessalonica by the praetorian prefect of Illyricum Leontius at the beginning of the 5th… -
Demetrius, Patriarch of Alexandria (DEMETRIO, PATRIARCA DI ALESSANDRIA)
He succeeded Julian in 189 and held the episcopal see for fully 43 years. His name is linked to the person of Origen. In 203, in fact, when the persecution of… -
Démia, Charles
Priest, b. at Bourg (Bresse) on 3 Oct. 1636, d. at Ainay (Lyons) on 25 Oct. 1689. A pupil of the Jesuits and of the Sulpicians, ordained priest in 1663, he… -
De Miraculis Sancti Stephani
A collection of miracles of St. Stephen published by a cleric of the church of Uzala in Africa and dedicated to the bishop of that city, Evodius, a friend of… -
Demiurge (DEMIURGO)
DEMIURGO: v. GNOSI. -
Democracy (DEMOCRAZIA)
According to its etymological sense, government of the people, or, according to the definition of St. Thomas, potestas populi. I. HISTORY. - Both as a concept… -
Democritus (DEMOCRITO)
Greek philosopher, b. at Abdera (Thrace) ca. 460 B.C., d. there at the age of 109. He traveled within the Greek world and, probably, outside it as well. His… -
Demographic, Development (DEMOGRAFICO, SVILUPPO)
DEMOGRAPHIC, DEVELOPMENT: V. MALTHUSIANESIMO. -
Demography (DEMOGRAFIA)
In a broad sense, it is the application of statistical, that is, quantitative, methods to the phenomena of population: it therefore finds concrete expression… -
Demon (DÉMONE)
In Homer, d. indicates the nature of the god, his mode of manifesting himself, his power, whereas θεός (=god) indicates the divinity in cult and in myth. The… -
Demon (DEMONIO)
In ecclesiastical language, it designates an angel who has fallen through rebellion against God and is punished in hell. While the "devil" or "satan" is the… -
Demoniacal, Manifestations (DEMONIACHE, MANIFESTAZIONI)
Given the existence of the devil, the question arises whether, beyond the indirect or moral operations of which he is undoubtedly capable in his work of… -
Demoniacs (DEMONIACI)
DEMONIACI: V. INDEMONIATI. -
Demoniacs in the Bible (INDEMONIATI NELLA BIBBIA)
In the Gospels (and Acts) numerous healings of demoniacs are narrated. With possession, a demon (v.) or several demons animate the body (Lesêtre), but as a… -
Demonology (DEMONOLOGIA)
D. studies the beliefs concerning spirits or demons. Primitive peoples imagine that everything lives insofar as it is endowed with an animating spirit; and… -
Demonstration (DIMOSTRAZIONE)
From de-monstrare, to show, to make seen, with a sense of derivation. In a broad sense, a demonstration is any argument by which a pre-established proposition… -
De Montibus Sina et Sion
A work falsely attributed in some manuscripts to St. Cyprian. The work seeks to explain the apparent contrast between Ex. 2:3: "The law will come from Zion"… -
Demophilus (DEMOFILO)
Vescovo di Berea (Macedonia), ariano, m. ca. il 386. Deposto dal Sinodo di Rimini (350), ottenne da Valente la successione di Eudossio nella sede di… -
Demsus
A village in Transylvania where there exists the oldest church, today Romanian Catholic, in Romania. Built with stones, altars and bas-reliefs taken from the… -
De Mun
DE MUN. ALBERTO: v. MUN. ALBERT, CONTE DI. -
Denarius (DENARO)
Roman silver coin (10 asses or 2 1/2 sesterces), equal to the Attic drachma. It was the 25th part of an aureus; but under Nero it was reduced to the 32nd part… -
De Natalibus, Pietro
Hagiographer, born in Venice, where he was parish priest of the SS. Apostoli until 1370, when he was appointed bishop of Equilio (Iesolo, also called… -
Dendrites (DENDRITI)
From the Greek δένδρον, tree; Christian ascetics who, in the Byzantine East, spent part of their lives inside the hollows of large trees. The category of the… -
Dendrophori (DENDROFORI)
DENDROFORI: v. CIBELE. -
De Nevo, Alessandro
Canonist, b. in Vicenza, d. in the second half of the 15th century. He was a canon of the cathedral of Treviso and for 26 years professor of canon law in the… -
Denifle, Heinrich
Dominican medievalist theologian, b. at Imst (Tyrol) on 16 Jan. 1844, d. at Munich on 10 June 1905. Left an orphan, he was a choirboy at Bressanone, where he… -
Denina, Carlo
Scholar and historian, priest and teacher of literature, b. at Revello on 27 February 1731, d. at Paris on 5 December 1813. In 1760 he published the Discorso… -
Denis, Maurice
Painter, b. at Granville (Manche) on 25 Nov. 1870, d. in Paris on 13 Nov. 1943. He is one of the most significant representatives of modern French religious… -
Denis, Michael
Austrian Jesuit, learned bibliographer and German poet, b. 27 Sept. 1729 at Schärding am Inn, d. in Vienna on 29 Sept. 1800. A pupil at the Jesuit gymnasium in… -
Denisov, Andrea and Simone (DENISOV, ANDREA E SIMONE)
Brothers (A. b. 1664 and d. 1730; S. b. 1682 and d. 1741), princes Myzeckij. At the beginning of the 18th century they were the most vigorous representatives… -
Denk, Josef
Philologist and collator of the Vetus Latina, b. in Munich on 9 Aug. 1849, d. there on 22 Jan. 1927. He was a pious priest and a zealous parish pastor. Under… -
Denmark (DANIMARCA)
A state of northern Europe, made up of a continental part, the peninsula of Jutland, joined to Germany, and an archipelago of about 500 islands. I. GEOGRAPHY.… -
De Nobili, Roberto
Jesuit, missionary, b. at Montepulciano (Siena) in September 1577; d. at Mallapur (Madras) on 16 January 1656. Having reached India in 1605, he went at once to… -
Dens, Pierre
Belgian theologian, b. at Boom on 12 Nov. 1690, d. at Mechelen on 15 Feb. 1775. He engaged in various controversies, one of which had political resonance, when… -
Dente, Marco
Engraver, b. in Ravenna ca. 1492; d. in Rome in 1527. A pupil of Marcantonio Raimondi, he did not have a strong personality and was influenced by Agostino… -
Dentice
Name of a Neapolitan family of musicians who lived between the 16th and 17th centuries. FABRIZIO, a lute virtuoso, composer of music for his instrument and of… -
Denunciation (DENUNCIA)
In legal language it indicates various acts, which generally consist in reporting some fact to an authority. Used without further qualification (in which case… -
Denunciation of New Work and of Anticipated Harm (DENUNCIA DI NUOVA OPERA E DI DANNO TEMUTO)
The actions of d. di n. o. and of d. t. are two kinds of judicial actions (deriving respectively from the Roman-law institutions of the nunciatio novi operis… -
Denver, Archdiocese of (DENVER, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Archdiocese and capital city of the state of Colorado (United States of America). Its territory comprises thirty-three counties of northern Colorado and in… -
Denyse (Denise, De Nyse, Dionysii), Nicola
Theologian, b. at Beuzeville in Normandy toward the middle of the 15th century, d. at Rouen on 18 May 1509. Formerly a canon and vicar in the diocese of… -
Denzinger, Heinrich Joseph
Catholic theologian, b. at Liège on 10 Oct. 1819, d. at Würzburg on 19 June 1883. He studied at Würzburg and in Rome at the German College (1841-45). A priest… -
Déodat, Marie de Basly
Franciscan theologian, one of the restorers of the Scotist school, b. at Basly en Bessin (Calvados) on 11 Oct. 1862, d. at Le Havre on 14 July 1937. A… -
Deo Gratias
A formula of greeting and thanksgiving already used by St. Paul (I Cor., 15, 52; II Cor., 2, 14). St. Augustine speaks of it as a distinctive word for the… -
Deogratias, Saint (DEOGRATIAS, SANTO)
Elected bishop of Carthage in 454, with the favor of the emperor Valens, during the three years of his episcopate he exercised great charity on behalf of the… -
Deontology (DEONTOLOGIA)
From τὸ ἄξον, "duty": the science of duties. It is the title of Bentham's posthumous work, Deontology or the science of morality (London 1834), in which his… -
De Palude, Pietro
DE PALUDE, PIETRO: v. PETRUS DE PALUDE. -
De Passione Domini
Poem in 80 hexameters, of which no manuscript survives. Probably the work of a humanist of the late 15th century, wrongly attributed to Lactantius. BIBL.… -
De Peyrinis, Lorenzo
Minim friar, b. in Genoa in 1587, d. there on 3 August 1638. A distinguished canonist, specialized in the law of the Regulars, and eminent in ascetical… -
Deportation (DEPORTAZIONE)
It is a penalty of the Roman imperial period, consisting in forced residence on an island or in an oasis, which, according to some, would have replaced the… -
Deposit (DEPOSITO)
From Latin depositus (deponere), that is "deposited"; then "act of depositing". It is the contract by which a thing in peaceful possession is given to be kept… -
Depositio-Depositus
Depono, in literary texts already from the 3rd century, took on the sense of laying in the tomb, burying, but always in conjunction with the place where one is… -
Depositio Episcoporum
It is a liturgical document included in the so-called Chronographer of the year 354 (v.). It contains a list of the dates of the depositions of the bishops of… -
Depositio Martyrum
Like the preceding document, it is included in the so-called Chronographer of the year 354 (v.). It comprises a list of the depositions of martyrs, with the… -
Deposition (DEPOSIZIONE)
It is one of the most serious ecclesiastical penalties that can be inflicted on a cleric, though less severe than reduction to the lay state (v.) and… -
Deposition of Christ (DEPOSIZIONE DI CRISTO)
By this name is meant the scene depicting the removal of the dead Jesus from the Cross before his burial. The Gospels narrate that on the evening of the Friday… -
Deposit of the Faith (DEPOSITO DELLA FEDE)
DEPOSIT OF THE FAITH.- The word deposit (Greek παραθήκη) occurs in St. Paul's letters to Timothy (I Tim. 6:20; II Tim. 1:14), in the writings of several… -
De Promissionibus et Praedicationibus Dei
A work falsely attributed to Prosper of Aquitaine, although Cassiodorus already knew this author's name (Institutiones divinarum litterarum: PL 70, 1111). From… -
De Puniét de Parry, Pierre (DE PUNIET DE PARRY, PIERRE)
Liturgist and Benedictine monk, b. at Rochefort-sur-Mer on 24 March 1877, d. at Oosterhout (Holland) on 4 April 1941. Having entered the abbey of Solesmes at a… -
Derand (Derrand), François
French architect, b. in the diocese of Metz on 20 Feb. 1591, entered the Society of Jesus at Rouen on 25 Apr. 1611, d. at Agde on 26 Oct. 1644. He designed the… -
Derbe
A small town in Lycaonia, visited several times by St. Paul. Stephanus of Byzantium wrongly calls it a fortress and port of Isauria. It stood north of the… -
De Rebaptismate
Written around 256-57 against Cyprian in defense of the validity of Baptism conferred by heretics. The author, an African bishop, in defense of the Sacrament… -
De Recta in Deum Fide
Latin translation by Rufinus of the work of Pseudo-Origen or Adamantius. The Greek text, written around 300 in Syria, has as its author a contemporary of… -
De Regina
DE REGINA: V. GIOVANNI DI NAPOLI. -
Dereser, Johann Anton
Discalced Carmelite theologian and exegete (under the name Thaddeus of St. Adam), b. 3 February 1757 in Fahr am Main (Franconia), d. in Breslau on 16 June… -
De Ricci, Scipione
DE RICCI, SCIPIONE: V. RICCI, SCIPIONE DE'. -
Derision (IRRIISIONE)
Significa dileggio, beffa, scherno. È il comportamento di colui che, con il sarcasmo contenuto principalmente nel modo di ridere o di parlare, intende ottenere… -
Derna, Apostolic Vicariate of (DERNA, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
Erected on 22 June 1939 by division of the ancient apostolic vicariate of Cyrenaica (now of Benghazi), it comprises the entire territory of the civil province… -
Dernbach, Balthasar
Benedictine, b. in 1548, d. at Fulda on 15 March 1606. Of a Protestant family, after his conversion he was prince-abbot of Fulda from 1570, and one of the… -
De Roberti, Ercole
Painter, b. in Ferrara in 1456 (or c. 1450), d. in 1496. Since in documents he sometimes appears with his mother's surname, which is supposed to belong to the… -
Derogation (DEROGAZIONE)
DEROGAZIONE: v. LEGGE. -
Derome (De Rome)
A family of Parisian bookbinders active from the 17th century onward, of which 14 members are known. The most famous is NICOLAS-DENIS, called D. le Jeune, b. 1… -
De Rossi, Azaria
One of the most learned rabbis of the 16th century, b. at Mantua ca. 1514, d. at Ferrara in 1578. He lived in the major cities of northern Italy. His vast… -
De Rossi, Gian Bernardo
The greatest Hebraist of Christian Italy, b. 25 Oct. 1742 at Villa Castelnuovo (diocese of Ivrea), d. at Parma on 24 March 1831. A versatile and precocious… -
De Rossi, Giovanni Antonio
Architect, b. in Rome in 1616, d. there on 9 October 1695. Raised in the environment dominated by the great personalities of Bernini, Borromini and Rainaldi… -
De Rossi, Giovanni Battista
Archaeologist, founder of the science of Christian archaeology, b. in Rome on 22 February 1822, d. in the pontifical palace at Castel Gandolfo on 20 September… -
De Rossi, Giuseppe
Abbot and musician, b. in Rome around the middle of the 17th century, d. there in 1719 or 1720. Choirmaster at Castel S. Angelo, then, from March 1701 to July… -
De Rossi, Mattia
Architect, b. in Rome on 14 Jan. 1637, d. there on 2 Aug. 1695; he worked with Bernini and accompanied him to France. On the commission of Clement IX he… -
De Rossi, Michele Stefano
Geologist, b. in Rome on 30 Oct. 1834 and d. at Rocca di Papa on 23 Oct. 1898, he was the inseparable companion in the explorations of his brother Giovanni… -
Derry, Diocese of (DERRY, DIOCESI DI)
In Ireland. The name D. is a transliteration of the Gaelic doire, which means a grove of oaks. In the territory of the diocese there was first a bishopric at… -
Der Stricker (STRICKER, DER)
German wandering poet, of whom it is known only that he came from Franconia and that he lived in Austria around 1250. Besides a poem on Charlemagne, he… -
De Rubéis (De Rossi), Bernardo Maria (DE RUBEIS (DE ROSSI), BERNARDO MARIA)
Dominican historian and theologian, b. at Cividale del Friuli on 8 January 1687, d. at Venice on 28 January 1775. He spent several years in teaching and in the… -
De Ruggiero, Guido
Historian of philosophy and publicist, b. in Naples on March 23, 1888, d. in Rome on Dec. 29, 1948. Professor of the history of philosophy first at the… -
Dervishes (DERVISCII)
The word d., from the Persian darwāf, is commonly explained as "beggar" (from dār = "door"), but its etymology is in reality rather uncertain. In most of the… -
De Sanctis, Francesco
Literary critic and politician, b. at Morra Irpina (Avellino) on 28 March 1817, d. at Naples on 19 Dec. 1883. Having been set to the study of jurisprudence in… -
De Sanctis, Gioacchino
Physician, b. at Frascati in 1788, d. in the reputation of sanctity at Patrica (Frosinone), on 15 Dec. 1855. After earning his degree in Rome, he practiced as… -
De Sanctis, Luigi
Apostate, b. in Rome on 31 Dec. 1808 and d. in Florence on 31 Dec. 1869. Having entered, while still young, the Clerics Regular Ministers of the Sick, he… -
De Santi, Angelo
Jesuit, b. in Trieste on 12 July 1847, d. in Rome on 28 Jan. 1922. After completing his studies he devoted himself at once to the teaching of music in the… -
De Sarlo, Francesco
Philosopher, b. at S. Chirico Raparo (Potenza) on 15 Feb. 1854, d. at Florence on 14 Jan. 1937. He began as a physician, but soon devoted himself to philosophy… -
Desbordes-Valmore, Marceline
Poet, b. at Douai on 20 June 1786, d. at Paris on 23 July 1859, after a difficult life. An actress of renown, she later devoted herself to poetry, into which… -
Descartes (Cartesius), René
Philosopher and scientist, b. at La Haye, in Touraine, on 31 March 1596, d. at Stockholm on 11 Feb. 1650. He completed his studies (1604-12) at the renowned… -
Descendants (DISCENDENTI)
DISCENDENTI: v. CONSANGUINEITÀ. -
Descent of Christ to the Dead (DISCESA DI CRISTO AGLI INFERI)
DISCESA DI CRISTO AGLI INFERI: v. PILATO, apocrifi di. -
Descent of Jesus Christ to Limbo (DISCESA DI GESÙ CRISTO AL LIMBO)
DISCESA DI GESÙ CRISTO AL LIMBO: v. LIMBO. -
Desecration (DISSACRAZIONE)
It is the act by which the quality of sacredness, obtained through consecration or ordination, is taken away from an object, a building of worship, or a… -
Desgabets, Robert
Benedictine theologian and philosopher, b. at Ancemont (diocese of Verdun) in 1620 and d. at Breuil on 13 March 1678. A monk at Hautvillers (Reims) in 1636… -
Deshayes, Gabriel
Priest, b. at Beignon (Morbihan) on 2 Dec. 1767, d. at St-Laurent-sur-Sèvre on 28 Dec. 1841. From 1821 superior general of the Missionary Priests of the… -
Desideri, Ippolito
Jesuit, missionary and explorer, b. at Pistoia on 21 Dec. 1684, d. at Rome on 14 Aug. 1733. Sent to India to re-establish the mission of Tibet, already begun… -
Desiderio da Settignano
Florentine sculptor, b. at Settignano ca. 1428-31, d. January 16, 1464. Trained perhaps in the workshop of Bernardo Rossellino, he looked especially to… -
Desiderio, Saint, Martyr (DESIDERIO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
DESIDERIO, santo, martire: v. GENNARO E COMPAGNI, saints, martyrs. -
Desiderius Cattivo (DESIDERIO CATTIVO)
DESIDERIO CATTIVO: V. PECCATI INTERNI. -
Desiderius, King of the Lombards (DESIDERIO, RE DEI LONGBARDI)
He came to the throne in 757 on the death of Aistulf, thanks to the promises made to Pope Stephen II to restore the conquests of the preceding years. He did… -
Design (DISEGNO)
It can be defined in summary as the graphic requirement of an artist, as it manifests itself both on sheets of paper (that is, in the technique proper to it)… -
Desing, Anselm
Benedictine, b. at Amberg on 15 March 1699, d. at Ensdorf on 17 Dec. 1772. He taught at Freising, at Ensdorf, at Salzburg; in 1761 he was elected abbot of… -
De Singularitate Clericorum
It is an admonition that begins with the words "Filii carissimi": "ne clerici cum feminis commorentur" (ch. 1). The book is falsely attributed to St. Cyprian… -
Desirant, Bernard
Augustinian theologian, b. at Bruges on 21 May 1656, d. at Rome on 2 March 1725. He distinguished himself by his vast theological learning and by his… -
Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, Jean
French poet and writer, b. in Paris in 1595, d. there on 28 Oct. 1676. In the preface to the poem Clovis ou la France chrétienne (1656) and elsewhere, D., a… -
De Smedt, Charles
Belgian Jesuit and historian, b. at Ghent on 6 April 1833, entered the novitiate in 1851, priest in 1863. Professor of ecclesiastical history at the college of… -
De Smet, Louis
Belgian moral theologian and canonist, b. 1868, d. 1927. Professor at Bruges. Writings: Commentarius in decretum de sponsalibus et matrimonio (Bruges 1908); De… -
De Smet, Pierre-Jean
Jesuit, missionary, b. at Termond (Belgium) on 30 Jan. 1801; d. at St. Louis (Missouri) on 23 May 1873. Having emigrated to the United States (1821) out of a… -
Des Moines, Diocese of (DES MOINES, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and capital city of the State of Iowa, United States of America, suffragan of Dubuque. It comprises a territory of approximately 32,260 sq km in the… -
De Sodoma
A short poem of 167 hexameters that recounts, on the basis of Gen. 19, the destruction of Sodom. The author is the same one who wrote the poem De Iona (v.)… -
Despair (DISPERAZIONE)
Psychologically and morally, despair is a positive and direct opposition to supernatural hope. Psychologically, despair retains the same presuppositions as… -
De Spectaculis
A short treatise, attributed to St. Cyprian (in the manuscripts it follows the letters of Cyprian), which in the form of an epistle admonishes the faithful… -
Des Périers, Bonaventure
Born in 1498 (or 1518?) at Arnay-le-Duc (?), died in 1544 (?). He is the author of the Cymbalum mundi (1537), one of the boldest and most deliberate works of… -
Despotism (DESPOTISMO)
In contemporary political science the term has a pejorative sense and serves to signify an absolute authority that governs above and outside every law, taking… -
Desprez, Josquin
The greatest composer of the Low Countries, active in the second half of the 15th century, born around 1450 in Hainaut, died on 27 August 1521 at… -
Desprez, Julien-Florian
Cardinal, b. 14 April 1807 in Ostricourt, archdiocese of Cambrai, d. 20 January 1895 in Toulouse. Ordained a priest in 1829, he immediately proved himself a… -
Despuig y Dameto, Antonio
Cardinal, born of a noble family in Palma de Mallorca on 31 March 1745, died in Lucca on 2 May 1813. An exemplary priest and of vast erudition, he was a… -
Desservants
A designation exclusively proper to French ecclesiastical law, which finds no counterpart in official canonical terminology. In the law prior to Napoleon it… -
Dessiè
City in Ethiopia, in Amhara, with 36,000 inhabitants (1939). It is one of the main road junctions and commercial centers of the region, which acquired… -
Destiny (DESTINO)
DESTINO : v. FATO. -
Destutt de Tracy, Antoine-Louis-Claude
Politician and philosopher, b. in Paris on 10 June 1754, d. there on 10 March 1836. He adhered to the first stirrings of the French Revolution: in the… -
Desurmont, Achille
Redemptorist, b. at Tourcoing (Lille) on 23 Dec. 1828, d. at Thury-en-Valois on 23 July 1898. A priest in 1853, he was spiritual director of the students and… -
Detention (DETENZIONE)
DETENZIONE : v. POSSESSO. -
Determinism (DETERMINISMO)
It is the conception of a strict, necessary and inevitable dependence among the elements of a process of becoming that stand in the relation of cause and… -
Detraction (DETRAZIONE)
I. DEFINITION. - Detraction (from the Latin detrahere = "to take away") is the unjust denigration of another's reputation, by spreading true or false reports… -
Detroit, Archdiocese of (DETROIT, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
In the State of Michigan in the United States of America. Its territory of about 13,800 sq km comprises the counties of Lapeer, Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe… -
De' Tudeschi, Niccolò
Canonist, b. at Catania in 1386, d. in July 1445. He was a monk of the Order of St. Benedict and professor of canon law, first at Bologna in 1411, then at… -
Deusdedit
A native of Limousin, he was probably a Benedictine monk, already a cardinal in 1078, and died between 1097 and 1100. He was one of the strongest supporters of… -
Deusdedit, Pope (DEUSDEDIT, PAPA)
DEUSDEDIT, PAPA: V. ADEODATO I PAPA. -
Deus in Adiutorium
Second verse of Ps. 69, much valued by the ancient Christians. John Cassian (Collationes, 10, 10: PL 49, 842) recommends it as an ejaculatory prayer against… -
Deus Scientiarum Dominus
Apostolic constitution, which begins with words taken from I Sam. 2, 3, promulgated on the day of Pentecost, 24 May 1931, to regulate teaching in all… -
Deus Tuorum Militum
Hymn of Vespers of the common of one martyr, written toward the end of the 6th century. The Christian martyr, a despiser of earthly joys and a lover of… -
Deuterocanonical Books (DEUTEROCANONICI, LIBRI)
DEUTEROCANONICI, LIBRI: v. BIBBIA. -
Deutero-Isaiah (DEUTERO-ISAIA)
DEUTERO-ISAIA: v. ISAIA. -
Deuteronomy (DEUTERONOMIO)
Fifth book of the Pentateuch, called by the Hebrews, from its opening words, 'ēlēh had-dēbhārīm ("these are the words") or had-dēbhārīm ("the words"), and by… -
Deutinger, Martin
Philosopher, b. at Langenpreising (Upper Bavaria) on 24 March 1815, d. at Pfäfers (Switzerland) on 9 September 1864. He studied at Munich, and had as teachers… -
Devadatta
Cousin and disciple of the Buddha, who entered the monastic community in the twentieth year of the Perfect One's preaching. He entertained the idea of a… -
Devas, Charles Stanton
English economist, of the Christian social school, b. at Woodside (Old Windsor) on 26 Aug. 1848, d. in London on 6 Nov. 1906. In 1876 he published a pamphlet… -
Dévaud, Eugène
Priest, b. in Fribourg on 7 March 1876. First an inspector of elementary schools, he was afterwards a professor and director of the normal school of his… -
De Verbi Incarnatione
A poem in Virgilian verses (cento) on the Incarnation, falsely attributed by E. Martène to Sedulius. BIBL.: Edition by Ioha Huemer of Sedulius in CSEL, X, pp.… -
De Veuster, Damiaan
Born at Tremeloo (Belgium) on 3 January 1840. He entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (known as that of Picpus) and set out in October 1863 for the… -
De Vico, Francesco
Jesuit and astronomer, b. at Macerata on 19 May 1805. He had been at Siena a disciple of the learned Piarist astronomer Giovanni Inghirami, before entering, on… -
Devil (DIAVOLO)
An invisible personal power, mentioned in the Bible, that directs the forces of evil, in opposition to God's designs and to man's harm. The term is the Greek… -
Devine, Arthur
Passionist theologian, in religion Arthur of St. Paul of the Cross, b. at Kilmacter (Ireland) on 3 Dec. 1849, d. at Mount Argus (Dublin) on 20 Apr. 1919. He… -
De Vio, Thomas, called Cajetan (DE VIO, TOMMASO DETTO IL GAETANO)
Dominican philosopher and theologian, b. at Gaeta on 20 February 1468 and d. at Rome on 10 October 1533. I. LIFE. - He became a religious in 1484 at Gaeta, and… -
De Vitry, Philippe
Poet, composer and music theorist, b. at Vitry (Champagne) on 31 Oct. 1291 and d. on 9 June 1361 at Meaux, the city of which he had been appointed bishop on 3… -
De Vogüé, Charles-Jean-Melchior (DE VOGUÉ, CHARLES-JEAN-MELCHIOR)
Archaeologist, b. in Paris on 18 Oct. 1829 to an ancient noble family from the Vivarais, and d. there on 10 Nov. 1916. In 1853-54 he made a journey through… -
Devote Virgins of Saint Catherine (DEVOTE VERGINI DI SANTA CATERINA)
A women's congregation founded around 1579 in the diocese of Warmia, through the work of the local bishop, Msgr. Martin Kromer (1512-89), and of Regina… -
Devoti, Giovanni
Canonist, b. in Rome on 11 July 1774 and d. there on 18 Sept. 1820. He held various offices in the curia, was bishop of Anagni and then, from 1804, titular… -
Devotio Moderna
A movement of religious renewal which, having arisen in the Netherlands in the second half of the 14th century, developed especially in that region and in… -
Devotion (DEVOZIONE)
I. GENERAL NOTIONS. - The word d. is not always rightly understood. This term is often confused with d. in the plural. The latter are rather certain means for… -
Devotional Little Song (CANZONCINA DEVOTA)
A brief lyrical composition in honor of God, the Virgin Mary and the saints, or didactic for the religious education of the people, a successor to the lauda… -
Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother (ADDOLORATA, DEVOZIONE ALLA)
A devotion that commemorates the sorrows of the Virgin Mary during the various events of her earthly life. It has a solid basis in the Gospel, and owes its… -
De Vries, Hugo
Dutch botanist and biologist, b. at Haarlem on 16 Feb. 1848, d. at Lunteren on 20 May 1935; he was professor of botany at Amsterdam from 1878 to 1918. Two… -
De Waal, Anton Joseph Johann Maria
Born at Emmerich on 3 May 1836, died at Rome on 23 Feb. 1917. Ordained a priest at Münster on 11 Oct. 1862, he was sent to teach at the minor seminary at… -
Dewey, John
DEWEY, JOHN : V. STRUMENTALISMO. -
De Wulf, Maurice
Distinguished historian of medieval philosophy, b. at Poperinge in Belgium on 6 April 1867 and d. there on 23 December 1947. From as early as 1894 he was one… -
Dexterarum Iunctio
For the Romans the solemn act of the celebration of marriage culminated in the clasping of the right hands of the spouses, who thus symbolically expressed… -
Deza, Diego
Dominican theologian, b. at Toro in Spain around 1444, d. at Seville on 9 June 1523. He taught (1480) at the University of Salamanca, and for several years… -
Deza, Pedro
Cardinal, b. in Seville of a noble family on 24 Feb. 1520, d. in Rome on 27 Aug. 1600. For 8 years he was vicar general of the archbishop of Compostela, then… -
De Zelada, Francesco Saverio
Cardinal, b. in Rome on 27 Aug. 1717, d. there on 19 Dec. 1801. Introduced to the ecclesiastical career by Card. Argenvilliers, he was numbered by Benedict XIV…