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Leisentrit, Johann
Theologian, apostolic protonotary, b. at Olmütz (Olomouc) in 1527, d. at Bautzen on 14 Nov. 1586. Canon at Bautzen in 1551, he was dean there from 1559 until… -
Leitmeritz [Litoměřice], Diocese of (LITOMÉRICE, LEITMERITZ, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Czechoslovakia. It has an area of 12,000 sq km with 1,500,000 inhabitants. It has 955 churches with 449 parishes, served by 268 diocesan… -
Leitner, Martin
Canonist, b. at Bodenwöhr (Upper Palatinate) on 11 March 1862, d. at Passau on 25 Dec. 1929. Professor of canon law from 1904 at Passau, he also devoted… -
Lejeune, Jean
French sacred orator, b. at Dôle in 1592 and d. at Limoges on 19 Aug. 1672. A member of the Oratory of Jesus founded by Bérulle in 1611, he was distinguished… -
Lelong, Jacques
Oratorian, biblical scholar and bibliographer, b. in Paris on 19 April 1664 and d. there on 13 August 1721. Librarian of the Oratory of St. Honoré, L. worked… -
Le Maistre, Isaac, called de Sacy, an anagram of his name (LE MAISTRE, ISAAC, DETTO DE SACY, CHE È IL NOME ANAGRAMMATO)
B. in Paris on 29 March 1613, d. at Pomponne on 4 Jan. 1684. Having entered Port-Royal and been ordained a priest (1649), he distinguished himself there in the… -
Le Mans, Diocese of (LE MANS, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the department of Sarthe in France. Over an area of 6,244 sq km it has a population of 412,214 inhabitants, of whom 375,391 are Catholics.… -
Lemire, Jules
French sociologist, b. at Vieux Berquin on 23 April 1853, d. at Hazebrouck on 7 March 1928. Having become a priest in 1878, he taught at the Seminary of… -
Lemkivčysna, Apostolic Administration of (LEMKIVČYSNA, AMMINISTRAZIONE APOSTOLICA DI)
This is a region in the northern Carpathians, inhabited by the eastern stock of the Lemkos. From the earliest times it belonged to the triple bishopric of… -
Lemmens, Leonhard
Franciscan, b. at Bocket (Rhineland) on 19 Nov. 1864, d. at Rome on 10 Feb. 1929. Called to Rome in 1899 as continuator of Wadding's Annales Minorum, in 1901… -
Lemos, Tommaso de
Dominican theologian, b. at Rivadavia (Galicia) around 1546, d. at Rome on 23 Aug. 1629. He entered the Order in his native city. Regent of the Studium of… -
Lemovicensis, Johannes (John of Limoges) (GIOVANNI DI LIMOGES (LEMOVICENSIS))
Cistercian theologian. There is little information about his life. A John of Limoges was prior of Clairvaux in 1206-1207; sent to Bacony (or Zire) in Hungary… -
Le Moyne, Jean (Ioannes Monachus)
Distinguished canonist, b. in the first half of the 13th century, d. at Avignon on 22 Aug. 1313. Having moved to Paris, he studied ecclesiastical law there and… -
Lemuria (LEMURIE (LEMURIA))
On May 9, 11 and 13 of the Roman calendar fell the festival of the Lemuria, that is, of the Lemures, the souls of the dead, generally confused with the… -
Lenau, Nikolaus (Nikolaus Franz Niembsch von Strehlenau)
German-Hungarian poet, b. 13 Aug. 1802 at Csatád near Temesvár, d. 22 Aug. 1850 in the asylum of Oberdöbling near Vienna. His poems, written over the course of… -
Lenee
A festival celebrated in Athens in the month of Gamelion (= January-February) in honor of Dionysus Lenaios (Ἀῆναις), and it was one of the four principal… -
Lenel, Otto
Jurist, b. in Mannheim on 13 Dec. 1849, d. in Freiburg im Breisgau on 7 Feb. 1935. He completed his studies at the Universities of Heidelberg, Leipzig and… -
Lenin
Pseudonym of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, founder and leader of the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), and of the Russian Revolution, founder of the Soviet Union… -
Lenitatis Defectus
Although the Latin term l. d. is suited to signify any pronounced lack of clemency, gentleness, mildness, sweetness, etc., nevertheless in its technical sense… -
Le Nobletz, Marguerite
Sister of Michel Le N., born at Kerodern in Plouguerneau (formerly the diocese of Léon) in 1583, died at Ploaré in 1633. Persuaded by her brother to renounce… -
Le Nobletz, Michel, Venerable (LE NOBLETZ, MICHEL, VENERABILE)
Popular missionary in Brittany, b. at Kerodern in Plouguerneau (formerly diocese of Léon) on 29 Sept. 1577, d. at Le Conquet on 5 May 1652. Ordained a priest… -
Lenocinium (LENOCINIO)
It is an intermediary activity in the service of another's lust with a view to one's own profit. In doctrine, the notion of pandering as a crime is defined in… -
Lenormant, Charles and François (LENORMANT, CHARLES E FRANÇOIS)
1. CHARLES. - French archaeologist and historian, b. in Paris on 1 Jan. 1802, d. in Athens on 24 Nov. 1859. An encyclopedic and restless spirit, he occupied… -
Lensing, Lambert
Apostle of the good press and exponent of the German Catholic Centre Party, b. at Emmerich on 14 June 1851, d. at Dortmund on 18 Dec. 1928. From his youth… -
Lentini, Domenico
Priest, b. at Lauria on 20 Nov. 1770, d. there on 24 Feb. 1828. At the age of 20 he entered the Seminary of Policastro, where he studied theology. Ordained… -
Lent (Quadragesima) (QUARESIMA (QUADRAGESIMA))
A sacred period of 40 days in preparation for Easter, to be sanctified by more frequent prayer, by works of charity, penance and mortification, especially by… -
Lentulus, Letter of (LENTULO, LETTERA DI)
Apocryphal, so called from its supposed sender, which describes the physical beauty of Jesus Christ, who would have been the most beautiful of men, according… -
Leo (LEONE)
Name of six Armenian princes of Cilicia who reigned from the 12th to the 14th century. All were promoters of alliances with the West for the purpose of saving… -
Leoba (Leoba, Leobgytha, Truthgeba), Saint (LIOBA (LEOBA, LEOBGYTHA, TRUTHGEBA), SANTA)
Benedictine nun; the date and place of her birth are unknown. She died at Schörnsheim near Mainz on 28 September 782 (or 779 or 780). Related on her mother's… -
Leo, Bishop of Vercelli (LEONE, VESCOVO DI VERCELLI)
He lived between the 10th and 11th centuries. He is encountered for the first time at the court of Emperor Otto III. His place of birth is unknown, as is how… -
Leodegarius (Léger), Bishop of Autun, Saint (LEODEGARIO (LÉGER), VESCOVO DI AUTUN, SANTO)
Of Frankish nobility, b. around 616, d. near Arras on 3 Oct. 679. He was educated at the court of Chlothar III, then in the household of his uncle Dido, bishop… -
Leogesellschaft
A Catholic scientific society of Austria, founded in Vienna on 28 January 1892 for the advancement of the sciences and of the arts on a Christian basis, in… -
Leo Grammaticus (LEONE GRAMMATICO)
Doubtful author of a Byzantine chronography, completed in 1013, which runs from Adam to the death of the emperor Romanos Lekapenos (d. 948), edited in PG 108… -
Leo Hebraeus (LEONE EBREO)
LEONE EBREO: V. ABRABANEL. -
Leo III, Emperor of the East, called the Isaurian (LEONE III, IMPERATORE D'ORIENTE, DETTO L'ISAURICO)
His accession to the throne dates to 25 March 717, on the eve of a great effort by the caliphate of Damascus to seize Constantinople. The Christian capital was… -
Leo III, Pope, Saint (LEONE III, PAPA, SANTO)
Elected on 26 Dec. 795, d. 12 June 816. On the very day of the death of Adrian I, L. was elected, who held the high office of papal oestararius and had the… -
Leo II, Pope, Saint (LEONE II, PAPA, SANTO)
In 680-81 the Sixth Ecumenical Council had been held in Constantinople, which condemned Monothelitism and the imprudent adherence of Pope Honorius I to the… -
Leo I, Pope, called the Great, Saint (LEONE I, PAPA, DETTO MAGNO, SANTO)
He is the first Pope to whom posterity deservedly attributed the title of Great: his was one of the longest and most glorious pontificates that history records… -
Leo IV, Pope, Saint (LEONE IV, PAPA, SANTO)
He was ordained priest by Sergius II, who also elevated him to the cardinalate, with the title of the Sts. Quattro Coronati; he was elected pope on 27 Jan. 846… -
Leo IX, Pope, Saint (LEONE IX, PAPA, SANTO)
Bruno, bishop of Toul, b. June 21, 1002 in Egisheim, of the family of the counts of Dagsburg in Alsace, d. April 19, 1054 in Rome. Educated in the Cluniac… -
Leo, Leonardo
Musician, b. at S. Vito degli Schiavi (dei Normanni) on 5 Aug. 1694, d. at Naples on 31 Oct. 1744. He studied at the conservatory of the Pietà, where in 1712… -
Leo Marsicanus, called Leo of Ostia (LEONE MARSICANO, DETTO LEONE OSTIENNE)
Benedictine, cardinal-bishop of Ostia, b. in the territory of the Marsi ca. 1060, d. March 22, 1115. At the age of 14 he entered the monastery of Montecassino… -
Leonardeschi
If by this term one wished to understand all the artists who drew inspiration or motifs from the great models of the master, availing themselves of them even… -
Leonardo da Vinci
I. THE LIFE. - Poorly informed and unreliable as Giorgio Vasari is, the life of L. can be reconstructed only from secure documentary data: records, his own… -
Leonardo di Chio
Dominican, b. on Chios in 1395 or 1396, d. in 1459 probably at Genoa. He studied in Italy, was lector at Genoa and at Perugia (1426), master in theology, vicar… -
Leonard of Port Maurice, Saint (LEONARDO DA PORTO MAURIZIO, SANTO)
I. LIFE. - Paolo Girolamo Casanuova, later L. da P. M., was born at Porto Maurizio (Imperia) on 20 Dec. 1676, and died in Rome on 26 Nov. 1751. Having lost his… -
Leonard, Saint (LEONARDO, SANTO)
Abbot of Noblac. He probably lived in the 6th century; but nothing precise can be established about his life, since the earliest accounts date only from the… -
Leonarducci, Gaspare
Ascetical writer and poet, b. in Venice in 1685, d. at Cividale on 6 June 1752. At a very young age he professed the Somascan Rule at S. Maria della Salute in… -
León, Diocese of (LEÓN, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of Spain, suffragan of Burgos; it has an area of 29,596 sq km and counts 170,987 inhabitants, distributed in 816 parishes with 630 diocesan… -
León, Diocese of (LEÓN, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Nicaragua. It has an area of 18,225 sq km with 327,974 inhabitants, of whom 318,285 are Catholics; it counts 51 parishes served by 39… -
León, Diocese of (LEÓN, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Mexico. It has an area of 14,720 sq km with a population of 575,000 inhabitants, of whom 570,400 are Catholics, distributed in 50 parishes… -
Leone, Giuseppe
Redemptorist, b. at Trinitapoli (Foggia) on 23 May 1829, d. at Angri (Salerno) on 7 Aug. 1902. Although almost always infirm, he exercised among religious… -
Leoniano, Sacramentary (LEONIANO, SACRAMENTARIO)
LEONIANO, SACRAMENTARIO: v. SACRAMENTARI. -
Leonicus Thomaeus, Nicolaus (LEONICO TOMEO, NICCOLÒ)
Humanist, son of a Greek from Epirus, b. in Venice on 1 February 1456, d. there on 28 March 1531. He studied at Padua and at Florence in the school of D.… -
Leonidas, Saint, Martyr (LEONIDA, SANTO, MARTIRE)
He is commemorated on April 22, but it is not certain that this is the true dies natalis. The few accounts of his life are reported by Eusebius. He was the… -
Leoni, Leone
Sculptor, medallist and architect, b. at Menaggio (Como), to a father from Arezzo, in 1509 and d. at Milan in 1590. He worked mainly in Milan and in Spain, at… -
Leoninus
Composer of the Ars antiqua, active in the 12th century (ca. 1160-80) in Paris, at the church of Beatae Mariae Virginis, later called Notre-Dame. The most… -
León, Luís de
Augustinian, poet, writer, theologian and exegete, b. at Belmonte (Cuenca) in 1527 and d. at Madrigal on 23 Aug. 1591. Professor at Salamanca of theology… -
Leonori, Aristide
Engineer and architect, b. in Rome on 28 July 1856, d. there on 30 July 1928. Having graduated from the University of Rome, he began an activity prodigious in… -
León, Ricardo
Spanish poet and novelist, b. in Malaga on 15 Oct. 1877, d. in Madrid on 6 Dec. 1943. A bank employee, he devoted himself assiduously to literary activity… -
Leonrod, Franz Leopold von
Bishop of Eichstätt, b. at Ansbach on 26 Aug. 1827, d. at Eichstätt on 5 Sept. 1905. He was a strenuous defender of the rights of the Church in the struggle of… -
Leont'ev, Konstantin Nikolaevič (LEONT'EV, KONSTANTIN NIKOLAEVIĆ)
Russian writer and thinker, b. at Kudinovo on 25 Jan. 1831, d. in the Trinity monastery at Chernigov (Moscow) on 24 Nov. 1891. A brilliant and paradoxical… -
Leontius (LEONZIO)
Armenian priest and historian who lived in the period 725-90, author of the History of the Apparition of Muhammad, written at the request of the prince Sciabuh… -
Leontius of Byzantium (LEONZIO DI BISANZIO)
Anti-monophysite theologian of the 6th century. Almost nothing is known of his life. He is not the same as the Scythian monk Leontius known from the… -
Leontius of Naples (LEONZIO DI NEAPOLI)
Bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus, d. around 650. He moved from Cyprus to Alexandria under the patriarch John the Almsgiver (d. 619). He was a friend of John… -
Leontius Vanandetzi, Saint, Martyr (LEONZIO VANANDETZI, SANTO, MARTIRE)
Armenian priest, one of the foremost disciples of Sts. Mesrob and Sahak, sent by them to Byzantium with other companions for sacred studies in the period… -
Leontopolis (LEONTOPOLI)
The locality called L. by Flavius Josephus corresponds to present-day Tell el-Jehādijjeh, about 30 km. from Cairo and 20 from ancient Heliopolis (v.), in a… -
Leo of Acrida (LEONE DI ACRIDA)
Byzantine bishop, supporter of the Eastern Schism. Under the influence of the Greek patriarch Michael Cerularius (v.), L. sent a letter in 1053 to Bishop John… -
Leo of Assisi, Blessed (LEONE D'ASSISI, BEATO)
B. in the last decades of the 13th century, d. in 1271. An intimate and faithful companion of St. Francis, who called him "little sheep of God," for the… -
Leo of Cava, Saint (LEONE DI CAVA, SANTO)
Second Benedictine abbot of Cava (Salerno), b. at Lucca, d. at Vietri, on 12 July 1079. As a young man he entered the monastery of Cava, and, under the… -
Leo of San Giovanni (LEONE DI SAN GIOVANNI)
Carmelite theologian and mystic, in the world Giovanni Macé, b. at Rennes in 1600, d. at Paris in 1671. Having entered the Order in 1616, he distinguished… -
Leopardi, Alessandro
Goldsmith, bronze founder and architect, b. in Venice around 1450 and d. there between June 1522 and March 1523. His first activity took place in the Mint of… -
Leopardi, Giacomo
Poet, b. at Recanati on 29 June 1798 to the marchioness Adelaide Antici and to count Monaldo (v.), d. at Naples on 14 June 1837. His tutors were, until he was… -
Leopardi, Monaldo
Writer, b. at Recanati on 16 Aug. 1776, d. there on 30 Apr. 1847. Of weak will, he was dominated in the management of the household by his wife Adelaide… -
Leopold I, Emperor (LEOPOLDO I, IMPERATORE)
Second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and of Maria Anna of Spain, b. in Vienna on 9 June 1640, d. there on 5 May 1705. He was destined for the ecclesiastical… -
Leopold II, Emperor (I as Grand Duke of Tuscany) (LEOPOLDO II, IMPERATORE (I COME GRANDUCA DI TOSCANA))
B. 15 May 1747 in Vienna, d. there 2 March 1792. Third son of Francis Stephen of Lorraine and Empress Maria Theresa, he became Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1765.… -
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (LEOPOLDO II, GRANDUCA DI TOSCANA)
B. 3 Oct. 1797 in Florence, d. 29 Jan. 1870 in Rome. Son of Ferdinand III and of Maria Luisa Amalia of Naples, he left Florence with his family after the… -
Leopold III, Saint, Margrave of Austria (LEOPOLDO III, SANTO, MARGRAVIO DI AUSTRIA)
B. at Melk in 1073, of the house of Babenberg, d. 15 Nov. 1136. Educated by St. Altmann, bishop of Passau, he took over the government of the margraviate in… -
Leopoldina, Diocese of (LEOPOLDINA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The diocese has an area of 8,197 sq. km., with 450,000 inhabitants, of whom 420,000 are Catholics… -
Leopoldinen-Stiftung (Leopoldinen-Missionsverein)
The Leopoldine Foundation, or the Leopoldine Missionary Association, was founded in 1828 (approved in 1829) in Vienna by the then vicar general of Cincinnati… -
Leopoldo da Castelnuovo (LEOPOLDO DA CASTELNOVO)
Capuchin, whose family name was Mandic, b. at Castelnuovo di Cattaro on 12 May 1866, d. at Padua on 30 July 1942. He entered the convent in 1885, and in 1890… -
Leopold of Gaiche, Blessed (LEOPOLDO DA GAICHE, BEATO)
Apostolic missionary of the Friars Minor, b. at Gaiche (Perugia) on 30 Oct. 1732, d. at Monteluco (Spoleto) on 2 Apr. 1815. Ordained a priest in 1757, he… -
Leopoldville [Kinshasa], Apostolic Vicariate of (LEOPOLDVILLE, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
In the western part of the Belgian Congo, it is entrusted to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (missionaries of Scheut). On Jan. 22, 1886… -
Leo the Deacon (LEONE DIACONO)
Byzantine chronicler, b. at Kaloe near Mount Tmolus in 950; Skylitzes, in the preface to his History, calls him by the name of L. the Asian, while Cedrenus… -
Leo V, Emperor of the East, called the Armenian (LEONE V, IMPERATORE D'ORIENTE, DETTO L'ARMENO)
Greek emperor (813-20). He began the second phase of iconoclasm (Synod of 815), finding strong opponents in the Greek patriarch St. Nicephorus (v.) and in St.… -
Leo VI, Emperor of the East, called the Wise (LEONE VI, IMPERATORE D'ORIENTE, DETTO IL SAPIENTE)
Greek emperor (886-916). He deposed the patriarch Photius in 886, and on the occasion of the question of the Tetragamy, the patriarch Nicholas called the… -
Leovigild, King of the Visigoths (LEOVIGILDO, RE DEI VISIGOTI)
Brother of the kings Athanagild and Liuva I, he was associated with the throne by the latter in 568, remaining sole sovereign at his death (573). By his first… -
Leo VIII, Pope (LEONE VIII, PAPA)
He was the protoscriniarius of the Roman Church, chosen as pope by the council convoked by Emperor Otto I of Saxony and presided over by him in St. Peter's… -
Leo VII, Pope (LEONE VII, PAPA)
He reigned from January 936 to July 939, but nothing is known about his person and little is known of his activity. The chronicler Flodoard calls him a "true… -
Leo VI, Pope (LEONE VI, PAPA)
He reigned from May to Dec. 928. Son of the primicerius Christopher, he succeeded John X, who had died in prison at Castel Sant'Angelo, and his election was… -
Leo V, Pope (LEONE V, PAPA)
He governed for one month, from the end of July 903, succeeding Benedict IV, until September of the same year. The reasons why he, a simple priest of a small… -
Leo XIII, Pope (LEONE XIII, PAPA)
Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci, b. at Carpineto (Frosinone) on 2 March 1810, d. at Rome on 20 July 1903. Sixth of the seven children of Ludovico Pecci, colonel of… -
Leo XII, Pope (LEONE XII, PAPA)
Annibale Sermattei della Genga, b. at the Castle of Genga, near Spoleto, on 22 Aug. 1760, d. in Rome on 10 Feb. 1829. He studied at Osimo and Rome; ordained a… -
Leo XI, Pope (LEONE XI, PAPA)
Born in Florence on 2 June 1535, died in Rome on 27 April 1605. Alessandro, born to Ottaviano de' Medici, of a collateral branch of the Florentine family, and… -
Leo X, Pope (LEONE X, PAPA)
Born in Florence on 11 Dec. 1475, died in Rome on 1 Dec. 1521. I. BEFORE THE PONTIFICATE. - Giovanni de' Medici, the second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, had… -
Lepanto
L., in Greek Naúpaktos, is a city and port of Greece, on the northern coast of the strait that separates the Gulf of Patras from that of Corinth; it remained… -
Lépicier, Alexis-Henri-Marie
Cardinal and theologian of the Order of the Servants of Mary, b. at Vaucouleurs (Lorraine) on 28 Feb. 1863, d. in Rome on 20 May 1936. A religious at the age… -
Lepidi, Alberto
Dominican philosopher and theologian, b. at Popoli (Abruzzo) in 1838, d. at Rome (phot. Gab. fot. naz.) LEPANTO. - Central fresco on the ceiling of the gallery… -
Le Play, Frédéric
Engineer and professor, precursor of the Catholic social movement, but on a plane of pure observation, b. at La-Rivière-St-Sauveur on 11 April 1806, d. at… -
Leporius (LEPORIO)
Monk and priest, b. at Trier; he had spread in Gaul the (Nestorian) theory that Jesus "pro merito laboris passionisque" (John Cassian, De Incarn., I, 2, 4-5)… -
Leprignano, Christian Cemetery of (LEPRIGNANO, CIMITERO CRISTIANO DI)
In December 1911, in the ancient Capenate territory (Rome), today called Capena, at the locality Monte della Casetta, some cemetery galleries with tombs still… -
Leprosy and Leper Hospitals (LEBBRA E LEBBROSARI)
Leprosy properly so called (lepra tuberculare) is an infectious, transmissible disease with a chronic course, characterized by the formation of tubercles or… -
Leptis
A city in North Africa (Libya) which the Romans called Lepcis; to distinguish it from the namesake city in Byzacena it was called L. magna. Founded by the… -
Le Puy-en-Velay, Diocese of (LE-PUY-EN-VELAY, DIOCESI DI)
Cloister of the cathedral (11th-12th centuries) restored in the 19th century. the baptistery; the cruciform basin was reached by steps arranged in three arms… -
Lerchundi, Giuseppe
Franciscan, b. at Oria, near San Sebastián (Spain), on 24 February 1836, d. on 8 March 1896. Having arrived as a missionary in Morocco on 19 January 1862, he… -
Lérins
Cistercian abbey on a small island situated opposite Cannes in the department of the Alpes-Maritimes (France). Honoratus (d. ca. 430), a patrician originally… -
Leroquais, Victor-Martial
French priest, liturgist, b. at St-Germain-de-Tallevende (diocese of Bayeux, department of Calvados) on 7 Sept. 1875, d. in Paris on 1 March 1946. He began his… -
Leroux, Pierre
Writer, b. in Paris on 17 April 1797, d. there on 12 April 1871. He was one of the founders of Le globe (1824). Initially he was a Saint-Simonian; he later… -
Lesage Ten Broek, Joachim George
Dutch Catholic publicist and controversialist, b. at Groningen on 27 Nov. 1775, d. at Grave on 11 July 1847. Of a Protestant family, and destined by his father… -
Lescar, Diocese of (LESCAR, DIOCESI DI)
LESCAR, DIOCESI di: v. BAIONA, DIOCESI di. -
Les Cayes, Diocese of (LES CAYES, DIOCESI DI)
City in the southwest of the Republic of Haiti (Antilles) and suffragan diocese of Port-au-Prince. It has a population of 775,000 inhabitants, of whom 750,000… -
Lesena
A pseudopilaster in slight relief from the wall, which has no structural function but only that of dividing the surfaces. Isolated examples, besides in… -
Lesêtre, Henri (LESÈTRE, HENRI)
Biblicist, b. at Bourges on 11 February 1848, d. at Paris on 26 March 1914. He studied at the Seminary of St-Sulpice, then exercised the priestly ministry for… -
Leseur, Pauline-Élisabeth (LESEUR, PAULINE-ELISABETH)
Writer, b. in Paris on 16 Oct. 1866, d. there on 3 May 1914. From her family she received a careful Christian education and a solid culture; but in her husband… -
Leseur, Thomas
Theologian, philosopher, mathematician of the Order of Minims, b. at Rethel (Champagne) in 1703, d. at Rome on 22 Sept. 1770. After teaching theology and… -
Les Gonaïves, Diocese of (LES GONAIVES, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese on the Island of Haiti (Antilles), capital of the department of Artibonite. It has an area of 6,000 sq km with a population of 500,000… -
Lesione
LESIONE: v. RESCISSIONE. -
Lesley, Alexander
Jesuit, liturgist, b. in the county of Aberdeen (Scotland) on 7 Nov. 1694, d. in Rome on 27 March 1758. He taught successively at Sora and Ancona, then Greek… -
Lesley, John
Scottish bishop and historian, b. 29 Sept. 1527, d. in a convent near Brussels on 31 May 1596. A priest, doctor of law at the Sorbonne in 1553, a zealous… -
Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim
German thinker, critic, poet and playwright, b. at Kamenz on 22 Jan. 1729, d. at Wolfenbüttel on 15 Feb. 1781. A pupil of Wolff at Leipzig and a student of… -
Lessius (Lessius, Leys), Leonard (LESSIO (LESSIUS, LEYS), LEONARDO)
Jesuit, theologian, spiritual writer. Born on 1 October 1554 at Brecht (Antwerp) and died at Louvain on 15 January 1623. He pursued his studies at the… -
Lestonnac, Jeanne de, Saint (LESTONNAC, GIOVANNA DI, SANTA)
LESTONNAC, GIOVANNA di, santa : v. GIOVANNA LESTONNAC, saint. -
Lestrange (Louis-Henri), Augustin de
Trappist, b. at Colombier-le-Vieux (Ardèche) on 19 February 1754, d. on 16 July 1827 at Lyon. Having left his military career, he studied at St. Sulpice and… -
Le Sueur, Eustache
Painter, b. in Paris on 18 Nov. 1617 (or 1616), d. there on 30 Apr. 1655, son of the wood sculptor Chathelin L., of Picard origin. He studied painting in Paris… -
Le Tellier, Michel
Jesuit, apologist, b. at Vire, near Cherbourg, on 16 Dec. 1643, d. at La Flèche on 2 Sept. 1719. He taught letters and philosophy, and for 28 years biblical… -
Lethargy (LETARGIA)
A hypnoid state that can be observed in the course of organic diseases of the nervous system (epidemic encephalitis, sleeping sickness), in hysteria (v.) in… -
Lethargy (LETARGO)
It is a phenomenon characteristic of certain mammals (rodents, insectivores, bats, carnivores, etc.), consisting in the reduction, to a minimum, of… -
Leticia, Apostolic Prefecture of (LETICIA, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
In Colombia, it is one of the three autonomous missions erected on 7 February 1951 by dismemberment of the apostolic vicariate of Caquetá (v.). The extent of… -
Leti, Gregorio
Writer, b. in Milan on 29 May 1630, d. in Amsterdam on 9 June 1701. He is a curious figure of an adventurer, a "libertine," an "émigré." After various… -
Leto
Humanist, b. in 1428 at Teggiano in the Cilento, d. at Rome in 1497. He is one of the most enigmatic (or indeterminate) figures of Italian Humanism. A fanatic… -
Letourneux, Nicolas
Preacher and ascetic writer, b. in Rouen on 30 Apr. 1640, d. in Paris on 28 Nov. 1686. He soon distinguished himself in Rouen as a preacher, so much so that in… -
Letterkenny, Diocese of (LETTERKENNY, DIOCESI DI)
LETTERKENNY, DIOCESI di: v. RAPHOE, DIOCESI di. -
Letter of Appointment (BIGLIETTO DI NOMINA)
According to the language of the Curia, this term means that brief missive, written in the name of the Pope, by which a particular person is customarily… -
Letter of Saint Peter (LITTERA SANCTI PETRI)
LITTERA SANCTI PETRI: v. BOLLATICA, SCRITTURA. -
Letter of the Apostles (LETTERA DEGLI APOSTOLI)
LETTER OF THE APOSTLES: V. APOSTOLI, LETTERA DEGLI. -
Letter of the Churches of Lyon and Vienne (LETTERA DELLE CHIESE DI LIONE E VIENNA)
LETTERA DELLE CHIESE DI LIONE E VIENNA: V. LIONE. -
Letters from Rome (LETTRES DE ROME)
Periodical founded in Rome by the Jesuit Father J.-H. Ledit in 1935, with the aim of studying the communist and atheist movement and its penetration on an… -
Letters Patent (LETTERE PATENTI)
This name designates, in contrast to the "litterae clausae", those public documents drawn up in a form different from and simpler than privileges (v.), which… -
Lettisternio (Lectisternium)
A ritual form of the ancient Roman religion, consisting in preparing a couch (lectum sternere) and offering a banquet to the gods (represented by their statues… -
Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses
Title of a collection of letters sent by Jesuit missionaries, on events, traditions, journeys, monuments, discoveries, and persons concerning the peoples and… -
Leucippus (LEUCIPPO)
LEUCIPPO: v. ATOMISMO. -
Leusden, Johannes
Dutch Orientalist, b. 26 April 1624, d. 30 September 1699 in Utrecht, where he was professor of Hebrew. He was not an original mind nor a scholar of the first… -
Leu von Ebersol, Joseph
Swiss politician, b. at Ebersol on 1 June 1800, d. there on 20 July 1845. A convinced Catholic, he did not approve of the advent of the new liberal ideas that… -
Le Vacher, Jean
One of the first followers of St. Vincent de Paul, b. at Ecouen on 15 March 1619, d. at Algiers on 26 July 1683. Ordained a priest (1647), he set out for the… -
Le Vau, Louis
French architect, b. in Paris in 1612 and d. there on 11 Oct. 1670. He also traveled in Italy, in particular to Genoa and Rome. Among his early works are… -
Level (LIVELLO)
This name was given to a special form of agrarian contract, by which a grantor (livellante) conferred the usufruct of a piece of land on a grantee (livellario)… -
Levellers
The L. constituted the extreme left wing of the English republicans in the civil war of 1642-51. The term L. ("leveller" and more properly "subversive," from… -
Leviathan (LEVIATHAN)
A fabulous aquatic monster, akin to the tannin, or tannim, to which it is joined by parallel synonymy in Is. 27:1 (cf. DRAGON), applied to the crocodile (Job… -
Levi (LEVI)
I. Third of the sons whom Jacob had by Leah. In Gen. 29:34 the name is explained by the mother's phrase: "Now this time my husband will be joined (or attached)… -
Levirate (LEVIRATO)
The duty to marry the widow of one's own brother, who has died without children. The custom is common to many primitive peoples, and finds its reason in the… -
Levita, Elia
Hebrew grammarian, b. at Neustadt an der Aisch in 1469, d. at Venice on 28 January 1549. His Hebrew name was 'Ēljāhū ben 'Āšēr hal-Lēwī 'Aškēnažī (Germanic)… -
Levitation (LEVITAZIONE)
A term designating the phenomena of the raising, displacement and suspension in the air of heavy objects, and more often of the human body without visible… -
Levites (LEVITI)
Professional name of those charged with the Hebrew cult, subordinate to the priests, belonging to the tribe of Levi (v.), which was distinguished into the… -
Leviticus (LEVITICO)
Third book of the Pentateuch (v.), called by the Palestinian Jews from its opening word voajiqra'; by the Alexandrian Jews Λευιτικόν, whence the Vulgate Liber… -
Levoča
City in Slovakia, founded in 1245 and the center of a German colony. The ancient center of the county of Scepusium (Spiš), today it is a city of historical… -
Lévy-Bruhl, Lucien (LĚVY-BRUHL, LUCIEN)
Philosopher and sociologist, b. in Paris on 10 April 1857, d. there on 13 March 1939. Professor at the Sorbonne, where he succeeded E. Boutroux, member of the… -
Lex Dei
LEX DEI : v. COLLATIO LEGUM MOSAICARUM ET ROMANARUM. -
Lex Romana Canonice Compta
A collection of canonical and Roman texts, contained in cod. Paris. 12448, 10th century. It is composed of decretals, canons of councils, texts from the… -
Leyden, John of (LEIDA, GIOVANNI DI)
LEIDA, GIOVANNI di: v. BOKELSZOON, JAN. -
L'Hôpital, Michel de (L'HOSPITAL, MICHEL DE)
Statesman, b. in the castle of La Roche near Aigueperse in 1503, d. in the castle of Bellévat near Etamps on 13 March 1573. He studied law at Padua; having… -
Libanius (LIBANIO)
Pagan rhetorician, b. at Antioch in Syria in 314 A.D., d. there in 393. He studied at Athens under the African rhetorician Diophantus, having as fellow pupils… -
Libellatici
LIBELLATICI : v. LAPSI. -
Libellus (LIBELLO)
It is the written act of a party by which the subject matter of the suit that is to be brought is proposed to the competent judge. The origin of the L., as a… -
Liberal Arts (ARTI LIBERALI)
Under the name of l. a. go the literary and scientific disciplines which constituted, during the Middle Ages, the propaedeutic teaching to philosophy and… -
Liberal Catholic Church (CHIESA CATTOLICA LIBERALE)
Two sects bore this name: one in Italy, the other in England. 1) In Italy, for some time this name was borne by a kind of little church that certain apostates… -
Liberale da Verona
L. was the son of Jacopo dalla Biava, or a Biavo, an illuminator and painter, born in Verona around 1445 and died there between 1526 and 1529. He is known to… -
Liberalism (LIBERALISMO)
A movement inspired by the principle of liberty in every field, spiritual and political, which prevailed in Europe after the French Revolution of 1789 and… -
Liberality (LIBERALITÀ)
The right balance with which a person is disposed to spend or to give away what he possesses, without going to excess through prodigality and without showing… -
Liberal Protestantism (PROTESTANTESIMO LIBERALE)
The liberal conception, which established itself under this name, not only in the political field but also in the philosophical-religious field in the 19th… -
Liberata, Saint (LIBERATA, SANTA)
Unknown to the earliest hagiographic tradition, she was nevertheless much venerated in the Middle Ages; her existence is much debated and problematic. It seems… -
Liberatore, Matteo
Philosopher and theologian (Int. Enc. Cult.) LIBER CENSUUM ROMANAE ECCLESIAE - Beginning of the original manuscript of the L. c. by Cencio Savelli Camerario -… -
Liberatus, Deacon of Carthage (LIBERATO, DIACONO DI CARTAGINE)
Famous for his Breviarium causae Nestorianorum Eutychianorum. In 535 he was a member of an African embassy that went to Pope John II for information; later he… -
Liber Censuum of the Roman Church (LIBER CENSUUM ROMANAE ECCLESIAE)
It is the register of the periodic census dues owed to the Roman Church, under various titles, by monasteries, churches, cities, bishoprics, lay lordships and… -
Liber Diurnus of the Roman Pontiffs (LIBER DIURNUS ROMANORUM PONTIFICUM)
This title (not original) designates a collection of formulas of ecclesiastical documents, for the most part pontifical, preserved in two different redactions… -
Liber Generationis
A Latin chronicle, with data taken from Sacred Scripture; a list of rulers, ending in the year 234. Mommsen established that the L. g. is fundamentally nothing… -
Liberia
I. GEOGRAPHY. - It is the smallest (from 95,000 to 120,000 sq. km.) of the three independent states of Africa. It was founded in 1822 by American… -
Liberian Catalogue (CATALOGO LIBERIANO)
CATALOGO LIBERIANO: v. CRONOGRAFO DEL 354. -
Liberism (LIBERISMO)
Liberism is an economic liberalism and designates at one and the same time a doctrine and an economic policy: the economic doctrine which holds that a… -
Liberius, Pope (LIBERIO, PAPA)
Nothing certain is known of his life before the papacy: according to the Liber Pontificalis he was Roman by birth; according to the epitaph, which is not… -
Liberius, Saint (LIBORIO, SANTO)
Little is known of his life. He succeeded, it seems, Pavatius in the bishopric of Le Mans, which he governed for 49 years. He worked much for the good of the… -
Liber, Liberalia
According to tradition, when in 495 B.C., following a famine, the Sibylline Books ordained the introduction into Rome of Greek divinities, the triad Ceres… -
Liber Maiolichinus
Epic poem written in the 12th century, whose full title is: L. m. de gestis Pisanorum illustribus. It celebrates the victorious war fought in 1114 and 1115, in… -
Libermann, François
Born at Saverne (France) on 12 April 1802 and died in Paris on 2 February 1852. The fifth son of the rabbi of the city, he was educated in Judaism and destined… -
Liber Pontificalis
It is the collection of the biographies of the bishops of Rome from St. Peter to Pius II. Martin of Opava was the first to attribute its authorship to Damasus… -
Libertines (LIBERTINI)
The word L., with the passage of time, has become charged with various meanings. Calvin called Libertines the supporters of pantheistic theories who lived in… -
Liberty
The artistic movement that in Italy goes by the name of L. or "floral style," which in France and in many other European countries is called Art nouveau and in… -
Libido
LIBIDO: v. PSICANALISI. -
Librarian of the Holy Roman Church (BIBLIOTECARIO DI SANTA ROMANA CHIESA)
Currently it is the title of the Cardinal to whom the high direction of the Vatican Library is entrusted; joined to it is that of Archivist of the H. R. C. The… -
Library (BIBLIOTECA)
From the Greek βιβλιοθήκη, a repository of books. It is a collection of books chosen according to organic criteria of subject matter, ordered and preserved so… -
Library Science (BIBLIOTECONOMIA)
Library science (or, as it was also called with a term that met with no success, bibliothecology) is the science (others say: the art or the service) of… -
Libreville, Apostolic Vicariate of (LIBREVILLE, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
It is located in French Equatorial Africa and originated from the apostolic vicariate of the Two Guineas (v. GUINEA). In fact, the beginnings of the… -
Libya (LIBIA)
Classical name originally given (5th century B.C.) to the entire African continent (insofar as only a small part of it was known) and after 1917 officially… -
Licci(o), Giovanni, Blessed (LICCI(O), GIOVANNI, BEATO)
Dominican preacher, b. at Caccamo (Palermo) ca. 1426, d. 14 Nov. 1511. At the age of fifteen he took the religious habit in the Palermo convent of St. Zita… -
License (LICENZA)
An academic degree that universities and ecclesiastical faculties grant to ecclesiastical or lay students who, having completed the required studies in the… -
Licheto (Lecheto), Francesco
Scotist theologian and Minister General of the Friars Minor, b. at Lovere (Bergamo), d. at Budapest on 15 Sept. 1520. He taught theology at Brescia and from… -
Lichow [Li County], Apostolic Prefecture of (LICHOW, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
In the civil province of Hunan, in central China. Erected on 6 May 1931, by division of the apostolic vicariate of Changteh (v.), it is entrusted, like the… -
Lichudes Brothers (FRATELLI LICHUDES)
FRATELLI LICHUDES: V. LICHUDI, GIOANNICIO E SOPRONIO. -
Lichudi, Gioannicio and Sofronio (LICHUDI, GIOANNICIO E SOFRONIO)
Byzantine monks, born in Cephalonia: Gioannicio in 1633, Sofronio in 1652. They studied in Venice, then at the University of Padua, where they obtained their… -
Liciniano of Cartagena (LICINIANO DI CARTAGENA)
He flourished in the years 582-602. According to the scanty information gathered from St. Isidore and from the writings of L., he was bishop of Cartago… -
Licinius (Valerius Licinianus Licinius), Roman Emperor (LICINIO (VALERIUS LICINIANUS LICINIUS), IMPERATORE ROMANO)
Born around the year 250 in Dacia Ripensis, that is, in the region south of the Danube which Aurelian had wished to call thus after having had to abandon the…