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1,585 articles · English index · Indice italiano-
Moral Systems (SISTEMI MORALI)
By "moral systems," in a generic sense, is meant a body of principles capable of resolving a doubt of conscience. When, with regard to good and evil, man finds… -
Moral Theology (TEOLOGIA MORALE)
It is that part of Catholic theology which directly considers specifically human action, directed toward its ultimate end, which, known through Revelation… -
Morando, Giuseppe
Philosopher, b. in Genoa on 28 Jan. 1866, d. in Voghera on 4 May 1914. He was a lecturer at the Universities of Padua and Milan, then headmaster of the Liceo… -
Moravia
MORAVIA: v. CECOSLOVACCHIA. -
Moravian and Bohemian Brethren (MORAVI E BOEMI FRATELLI)
MORAVI e BOEMI FRATELLI: v. BOEMI, FRATELLI. -
Morazzone, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, called Il (MORAZZONE, PIER FRANCESCO MAZZUCCHELLI, DETTO IL)
Born at Morazzone, near Varese, in 1573, according to an anonymous eighteenth-century catalogue, not confirmed; died at Piacenza in 1626. He was considered by… -
Morcelli, Stefano Antonio
Archaeologist and epigrapher, b. at Chiari (Brescia) on 17 January 1737, d. there on 1 January 1822. Having entered the Jesuits in 1753, he taught literary… -
Moreau, Basile-Antoine
Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross and of the sisters of the same title, b. at Laigné-en-Belin (Mayenne) on 11 Feb. 1798, d. at Le Mans (Sarthe) on 20… -
More, Gertrude
English mystic, baptized Helen, b. at Low Leyton (Essex) on 25 March 1606, d. at Cambrai on 17 Aug. 1633. On the advice of the Benedictine dom Benet Jones, her… -
More, Henry
He was the principal representative of the Cambridge Neoplatonists (who also influenced the poet Crashaw), b. at Grantham on 12 Oct. 1614 to Calvinist parents… -
Morelia, Archdiocese of (MORELIA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese in the State of Michoacán in Mexico. It has an area of 30,000 sq km with 1,300,000 inhabitants, of whom 1,100,000 are Catholics… -
Morelli, Domenico
Painter, b. in Naples on 8 July 1823, d. there on 13 Aug. 1901. A pupil at the Neapolitan Academy of Costanzo Angelini and Camillo Guerra, he was set by them… -
Morell, Julienne
Dominican mystical writer, b. in Barcelona on 16 Feb. 1594, d. at Avignon on 26 June 1653. At the age of 7 she moved with her father to Lyon, and, under the… -
Morelly
French political writer, of whom it is known only that he lived around the middle of the 18th century and that he resided at Vitry-le-François. Various works… -
Moreno y Díaz, Ezequiel (MORENO Y DIAZ, EZEQUIEL)
Augustinian and missionary, b. at Alfaro (Old Castile) on 9 April 1848, d. at Monteagudo (Spain) on 19 Aug. 1906. A missionary in the Philippines from 1870; in… -
More, Thomas (Thomas Moro), Saint (TOMMASO MORO (THOMAS MORE), SANTO)
Born in London on 7 February 1477 or 1478 into a family of honourable standing, died there on 6 July 1535. As a page, at about the age of 13, in the service of… -
Moreto y Cavaña (Cabaña), Agustín (MORETO Y CAVANA (CABAÑA), AGUSTÍN)
Spanish playwright of Italian origin, b. in Madrid on April 9, 1618, d. there between October 26 and 27, 1669. He was court poet to Philip IV, a priest in… -
Moretto, Alessandro Bonvicino detto Il
Painter, b. in Brescia in 1498, d. there on 22 Dec. 1554. Between 1515 and 1518 he painted, together with Ferramola, the organ shutters for the Duomo Vecchio… -
Morganatic, Marriage (MORGANATICO, MATRIMONIO)
MORGANATICO, MATRIMONIO : v. MATRIMONIO, IV, v. -
Morgan, Thomas Hunt
American biologist, b. at Lexington on 25 Sept. 1866, d. at Pasadena on 4 Dec. 1945. He graduated in natural sciences in 1890 from Johns Hopkins University. He… -
Morganti, Pasquale
Archbishop of Ravenna and well-known author of ascetical writings, b. at Lesmo (Milan) on 13 Dec. 1852, d. at Ravenna on 18 Dec. 1921. He was a favourite pupil… -
Morgott, Franz
Catholic theologian and philosopher, b. at Mühlheim (Franconia) on 12 June 1829, d. at Eichstätt on 3 Feb. 1900. Professor of philosophy and (from 1869 to… -
Moria
Region ('ereq ham-Mōrijjāh), where Abraham went from Beersheba to sacrifice his son Isaac (v.) on the mountain that the Lord would show him. After three days… -
Moricca, Umberto
Professor of Latin language and literature; descended from a noble family of Tropea, born at Filandari (Catanzaro) on 28 March 1888, died at Nettuno on 24 July… -
Morichini, Carlo Luigi
Cardinal, b. in Rome on 21 Nov. 1805, d. there on 14 May 1879. Having obtained a degree in law, he embraced the ecclesiastical state, cultivating economic and… -
Morigia, Paolo
Gesuato, born in Milan in 1525, died there in 1604. He was several times superior general of his Order and reformed its Statutes. He composed a great number of… -
Morini, Mariano
Theologian, philosopher and physicist, b. in Parma on 19 May 1732, d. there on 21 Jan. 1801. He entered the Order of Minims and taught theology and philosophy… -
Morin, Léopold-Germain
Benedictine, b. at Caen (Normandy) on 16 Nov. 1861, d. at Orselina "al Sasso" (Locarno) on 12 Feb. 1946. He entered in 1881 the abbey of Maredsous (Belgium)… -
Morin (Morinus), Jean
Theologian and scholar of biblical textual criticism, b. at Blois in 1591, d. at Paris on 28 February 1659. Born to Calvinist parents, he pursued his studies… -
Morino, Giovanni
Lazarist, moral theologian, b. at Bra (Cuneo) on 30 June 1839, d. at Naples on 31 May 1923. He published a Manuale di sacra eloquenza (Turin 1886), the… -
Morlacchi, Francesco
Musician, b. in Perugia on 14 June 1784, d. in Innsbruck on 28 Oct. 1841. He studied in his native city, then perfected his training in Loreto under Zingarelli… -
Morlot, François-Nicolas-Madeleine
Cardinal, b. 28 Nov. 1795 at Langres, d. 29 Dec. 1862 at Paris. Ordained in Paris in 1820, he immediately distinguished himself for his qualities as a preacher… -
Mormons (MORMONI)
A Protestant sect founded in the United States in the 19th century. They are also called Latter-day Saints (Latter-day saints) or the Church of Jesus Christ of… -
Moro, Anton Lazzaro
Priest, scientist, b. at S. Vito al Tagliamento on 16 March 1687, d. there on 13 April 1764. He cultivated music and belles-lettres; he was director and… -
Morocco (MAROCCO)
I. GEOGRAPHY. - Morocco embraces the northwestern extremity of the African continent, between the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Sahara, and is the only… -
Morondava, Apostolic Prefecture of (MORONDAVA, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
It is located on the western coast of Madagascar and was erected on 18 Jan. 1938 with territory taken from the apostolic vicariates of Majunga, Fianarantsoa… -
Morone, Domenico
Painter, b. in Verona ca. 1442, d. there after 1517. His earliest dated work is the Madonna in the Berlin Museum (1484), which must be preceded by the Madonnas… -
Morone, Giovanni
Cardinal, b. in Milan on 25 Jan. 1509 to Girolamo, chancellor of Maximilian and Francesco Sforza, and to Amabilia Fisiraga. He devoted himself to the study of… -
Moroni, Gaetano
Scholar, b. in Rome on 17 Oct. 1802, d. there on 3 Nov. 1883. A barber and later a valet to Cardinal Mauro Cappellari, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of… -
Moroseness (MOROSITÀ)
From the Latin mora, delay, it is the unjustified delay or postponement in the fulfillment of an obligation. This unjustified delay can have repercussions in… -
Morosini, Family (MOROSINI, FAMIGLIA)
One of the most distinguished families of Venice, whose members over the centuries several times filled the most important public offices. It had four doges… -
Morozzo, Carlo Giuseppe
Bishop of Saluzzo, b. at Mondovì in 1645, d. at Saluzzo on 14 March 1729. Having entered the Reformed Cistercians (Foglianti), he was prior of the monastery of… -
Morphinism (MORFINISMO)
MORFINISMO : v. NARCOTICI. -
Mortalium Animos
Opening words of the encyclical letter of Pius XI of 6 January 1928, De vera religionis unitate fovenda (AAS, 20 [1928], pp. 5-16), published almost on the… -
Mortara, Pio Edgardo
Regular canon, b. 26 Aug. 1851 in Bologna, d. 11 March 1940 at Bouhay (Belgium). Son of a Jewish merchant of Bologna, Girolamo Mortara Levi, and of Marianna… -
Mortgage (IPOTECA)
From ὑπό = under and τύψιμ = I place, it is a subsidiary contract in guarantee of another; and it has as its object an immovable good of the debtor or of a… -
Mortification (MORTIFICAZIONE)
A Christian ascetical term denoting the privations imposed on oneself in order to master the disordered tendencies of nature, with a view to moral and… -
Mortmain (MANOMORTA)
MORTMAIN: v. PATRIMONIO ECCLESIASTICO. -
Mortorio
This was the name given to a sacred representation that re-enacted the Passion and Death of Christ. Adapting itself to the tastes of the time and to various… -
Mosaic (MUSAICO)
In Latin opus musivum (opere museo, in CIL, VIII, 1323), in Greek μοῦσα, μουσάκιον, μουσόμα, in later times metallica. It is a painting executed with small… -
Mosaic Studio of the Reverend Fabric of Saint Peter's (STUDIO DEL MOSAICO DELLA REVERENDA FABBRICA DI SAN PIETRO)
STUDIO DEL MOSAICO DELLA REVERENDA FABBRICA DI SAN PIETRO: V. VATICANO. -
Moscati, Giuseppe
Physician, b. in Benevento on 25 July 1880, d. in Naples on 12 Apr. 1927. At the age of 17 he made a vow of perpetual chastity; he embraced the medical career… -
Mosco, Giovanni
Monk and hagiographer, also called ὁ εὐκρατὰς (= the abstinent), b. probably at Damascus around the middle of the 6th century, d. at Rome in 619. He lived as a… -
Moscow (MOSCA)
The sacred city of old Russia, the capital of the R.S.F.S.R. and of the U.S.S.R., rises on seven hills, along the banks of the Moskva and its small tributary… -
Möser, Justus
Publicist and historian, b. in Osnabrück on 14 Dec. 1720, d. there on 8 Jan. 1794. A lawyer, he took part in the public life of his native city: in 1742 he… -
Moses bar Kepha (MOSÈ BAR KÉFÁ)
Syriac Jacobite writer, bishop of Mosul, b. at Balad in 815 and d. 12 February 903. He was famous for the abundance and variety of his writings, which deal… -
Moses ben Maimon (MOSÈ BEN MAJMÓN)
MOSÈ ben MAJMÓN: v. MAIMONIDE. -
Moses III Sunetzi (MOSÈ III SUNETZI)
Katholikos of the Armenians (1628-33), commonly called Tathevatzi, because he was educated in the monastery of Tathev. Avido di studio e di ascesi spirituale… -
Moses (MOSÈ (MŌŠEH, ΜΩ[Θ]ΣΗ͂Σ, VOLG. MOYSES, ANTICA LATINA MOSES))
Founder of Israelite theocracy, lawgiver of Israel, who governed for over forty years as a charismatic leader of a religio-nationalistic character, author of… -
Moses of Khoren (of Corene), also called Khoranatsi (MOSÈ DI KHOREN (DI CORENE) DETTO ANCHE KHORANATSI)
Famous Armenian historian, author of a monumental Armenian History divided into three parts, which runs from the beginnings up to 440, while in the 9th century… -
Moses the Ethiopian, Saint (MOSÈ L'ETIOPE, SANTO)
Commemorated in the Latin and Greek martyrologies on 28 August, in the Ethiopian ones on 18 June. He was the slave of a master who drove him out of the house… -
Moses the Saracen, Saint (MOSÈ IL SARACENO, SANTO)
He is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 7 February, but the exact day of his death is unknown. He is regarded as the apostle of the Saracens, to whose… -
Mosollam (MOSOLLAM)
Name of various Old Testament figures, especially of the post-exilic period, whose identity it is often difficult to determine. 1. Ancestor of Shaphan… -
Mosque (MOSCHEA)
A building for Muslim worship, which in its primitive type would derive, according to some, from the Arab dwelling house. The oldest m. was the one founded at… -
Mossorò, Diocese of (MOSSORÒ, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. Over an area of 18,365 sq km it has 400,000 inhabitants, of whom 350,000 are Catholics; it has… -
Mostar-Duvno, Diocese of (MOSTAR-DUVNO, DIOCESI DI)
It has an area of 8,368 sq km and 165,000 faithful, who form the absolute majority in comparison with Muslims and Orthodox. It comprises (1941) 8 deaneries, 51… -
Most Holy Assumption of Paraguay, Archdiocese of (SANTISSIMA ASSUNZIONE DEL PARAGUAY, ARCIDIOCESI DELLA)
Also called simply, before 1929, "of Paraguay" because it comprised the entire territory of the Republic of the same name, situated between Bolivia, Argentina… -
Most Holy Conception (Conception), Archdiocese of (SANTISSIMA CONCEZIONE (CONCEPTION), ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese of Chile, in the province of Concepción, Arauco and Bio-Bio, in South America. It has an area of 26,000 sq. km., with a population of… -
Most Holy Conception of Araguaia, Prelature of (SANTISSIMA CONCEZIONE DI ARAGUAJA, PRELATURA DI)
Suffragan of Belém do Pará, in the State of Pará, in Brazil. Formerly a Dominican mission, it became a prelature in 1911. It has a population of 20,000… -
Most Holy Trinity of Cava dei Tirreni, Abbey of (SANTISSIMA TRINITÀ DI CAVA DEI TIRRENI, BADIA DELLA)
Abbey nullius, immediately subject. Over an area of 180 sq km it comprises 21,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed in 17 parishes, served by 27 diocesan… -
Most Holy Virgin Mary of Einsiedeln (SANTISSIMA VERGINE MARIA DI EINSIEDELN)
Abbey nullius in the canton of Schwyz in the center of Switzerland. The beginnings of the cult of the Madonna under the title of "Unsere liebe Frau von E." go… -
Most Precious Blood of N (SANGUE PREZIOSISSIMO DI N)
Feast whose object is the "Most Precious Blood" that Christ shed for the salvation of the human race (v. REDEMPTION; HYPOSTATIC UNION); it stands in close… -
Mosul (MOSSUL)
A city in 'Irāq, which is the seat of the following ecclesiastical jurisdictions: 1) Patriarchal diocese of the Patriarch of Babylon (v.) of the Chaldeans… -
Motet (MOTTETTO)
In its first meaning the term m. (motetus, moctetus) designates the vocal part superimposed on the tenor in medieval polyphony. It then denotes the composition… -
Mother Earth (TERRA MADRE)
The concept of T. M., that is, of the earth as the origin and mother of all things, is found widely both among various primitive peoples and in the pagan… -
Mothers of the Abandoned (MADRI DEGLI ABBANDONATI)
L'Istituto, sotto il patrocinio di s. Giuseppe de la Montana, fu fondato nel 1881 a Valle di Abdalajs, nella diocesi di Malaga, dal sac. Saturnino Lopez Navoa… -
Mothon, Joseph-Pierre
Dominican canonist and historian, b. in Lyon on 4 June 1854, d. at St-Jean de Bournay on 4 Apr. 1929. Having entered the Dominican Order, he spent a large part… -
Motion (MOTO)
Motion in general, or change, is the passage from one mode of being to another: in this sense everything moves, except God, pure act. The Eleatic school denied… -
Mottola (Mutyla, Motula)
Ancient diocese, suffragan of Taranto, in the province of Lecce. After the ancient city of Mateola fell into ruin, the new one was rebuilt in 1023 and named… -
Motu Proprio
It generally denotes the document relating to a concession made by a sovereign on his own initiative, whether real or fictitious, taking its name from the… -
Moukden [Shenyang], Archdiocese of (MOUKDEN, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Located in the southwestern part of Manchuria, it consists of nine civil prefectures, namely: Si-an, Tungfen, Sifeng, Kayuan, Tichling, M., Simmin, Liaochung… -
Moulding (MODANATURA)
A term that encompasses all the lesser members of the architectural orders. There are eight principal mouldings: fillet, bead or astragal, torus, echinus… -
Moulins, Diocese of (MOULINS, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and seat of a prefecture of the department of the Allier, ancient capital of the Bourbonnais. It extends over 7,381 sq km with a population of 375,845… -
Moundou, Apostolic Prefecture of (MOUNDOU, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
In central Africa. On 9 January 1947 the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy (v.) was erected, entrusted to the Jesuits, and its boundaries with the apostolic… -
Mounier, Emmanuel
Philosopher, b. at Grenoble on 1 April 1905, d. at Paris on 22 March 1950. He abandoned his youthful studies in medicine to devote himself to philosophy, and… -
Mount Athos (ATHOS MONTE TAV)
ATHOS, MONTE PLATE XXV > (from H. Brockhaus, Die Kunst in den Athos-Klostern) Top: MENOLOGION No. 5 from the monastery of Dochiariu (12th century). Notices for… -
Mount Carmel (CARMELO)
A chain of hills (Heb. karmel "orchard," "garden"; Arab. Gebel Karmel or Gebel Mär Eljas), of predominantly limestone formation, which, breaking away from the… -
Mount Ebal (EBAL, MONTE)
EBAL, MONTE: v. HEBAL. -
Mount of Beatitudes (BEATITUDINI, MONTE DELLE)
The place where Jesus pronounced the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) and chose the Twelve for the apostolate. According to the Gospel data it was well known (τὸ… -
Mount Olivet (OLIVI, MONTE DEGLI)
A hill east of Jerusalem, called in the Bible har haz-Zethim (Zech. 14:4), τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν, mons Olivarum (Mt. 21:1), τὸ ὄρος τὸ καλούμενον ἐλαιῶν, mons qui… -
Mount Scandal (SCANDALO, MONTE DELLO)
Name given by the Christian toponymy of Jerusalem to the hill east of the city, beyond the Kidron, south of the Mount of Olives, of which it is a spur. The… -
Movement of University Graduates of Catholic Action (MOVIMENTO LAUREATI DI AZIONE CATTOLICA)
It is one of the "national associations" of which Italian Catholic Action (v.) is composed. I. ORGANIZATION. - The organization of the Movement is on a… -
Moyé, Jean-Martin, Venerable (MOYÉ, JEAN-MARTIN, VENERABILE)
Apostolic missionary, founder of the Sisters of Providence in Lorraine and of the "Christian Virgins" teaching in China, b. at Cutting (today diocese of Nancy)… -
Moyobamba
City and prelature nullius in the department of S. Martin in Peru. The prelature borders to the north with the apostolic vicariate of S. Gabriele della… -
Mozambique (MOZAMBICO)
Portuguese colony in southern Africa (also called Portuguese East Africa), enclosed between the territories of Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Rhodesia and the Union of… -
Mozarabic Rite (MOZARABICA, LITURGIA)
A liturgy used officially in Spain until the second half of the 11th century, when the Roman liturgy was imposed, but preserved in the following centuries… -
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Musician, b. in Salzburg on 27 Jan. 1756, d. in Vienna on 5 Dec. 1791. Of absolutely exceptional precocity, he was started in music by his father and very… -
Mozzetta
An outer garment worn by ecclesiastical dignitaries outside of liturgical functions; it is a small mantle that covers the shoulders and a good part of the… -
Mozzi, Luigi
Jesuit theologian, b. in Bergamo on 26 May 1747, d. at Oreno (Milan) on 2 July 1815. Forced to leave the Society in 1773, even before being ordained, he became… -
Muhammad (MAOMETTO)
Founder of Islam, b. at Mecca in an uncertain year, between 570 and 580 A.D., from the respectable but no longer rich and powerful Qurayshite family of the… -
Mühlbacher, Engelbert
Austrian historian, b. 4 Oct. 1843 at Gresten (Austria), d. 17 July 1903 at Vienna. He entered the abbey of St. Florian in 1862, of which he was a member until… -
Muis, Siméon Marotte de
Hebraist, b. at Orléans in 1587, d. at Paris in 1644. Archdeacon of Soissons, he held the chair of Hebrew at the «Collège de France» from 1614 until his death.… -
Mukachevo (Munkács), Diocese of (MUCAČEVO (MUNKÁCS), DIOCESI DI)
Ruthenian-Greek (Catholic), located in Hungary, which passed in 1920 to Czechoslovakia and in 1945 to Soviet Russia. The first known bishop is John (1491). The… -
Mukti
MUKTI: v. MOKSA. -
Mulieres Subintroductae
MULIERES SUBINTRODUCTAE: v. AGAPETE. -
Müllener, Johann
Missionary, b. in Bremen (Germany) on 4 Oct. 1673, d. in Szechwan on 17 Dec. 1742. He studied in Rome as a student of Propaganda Fide and was ordained a priest… -
Müller, Ernst Maria
Moral theologian, b. at Irritz (southern Moravia) on 30 Feb. 1822, d. at Linz on 28 Sept. 1888. A priest, in 1846 he was professor of pedagogy and from 1857 to… -
Müller, Friedrich Maximilian (Max Müller)
Philologist and mythologist, b. at Dessau on 6 Dec. 1823, professor at Oxford, where he d. on 28 Oct. 1900. His many-sided activity was carried on especially… -
Müller, Johannes
Historian, b. in Schaffhausen on 3 Jan. 1752, d. in Kassel on 11 May 1809. He is among the first historians who, overcoming the Enlightenment's aversion to the… -
Mullingar, Diocese of (MULLINGAR, DIOCESI DI)
MULLINGAR, DIOCESI di: v. MEATH, DIOCESI di. -
Multan, Diocese of (MULTAN, DIOCESI DI)
The mission of M. owes its origin to the Capuchin missionaries, who during and after the English occupation of the Punjab founded several stations with a… -
Multa Praeclare
Brief of Gregory XVI, of 24 April 1838, concerning the dioceses of the Portuguese Patronage in India. The expulsion of the Jesuits from the Portuguese colonies… -
Multatuli
Pseudonym of Eduard Douwes Dekker, man of letters, b. in Amsterdam on 2 March 1820, d. at Nieder-Inghelheim on 19 Feb. 1887. A brilliant writer with a fiery… -
Multiplication of Penalties (MOLTIPLICAZIONE DI PENE)
MOLTIPLICAZIONE DI PENE : v. CONCORSO di REATI e di PENE. -
Multiplication of the Loaves (MOLTIPLICAZIONE DEI PANI)
The representation of the miracle of the m. of the loaves and fishes narrated by the four Evangelists (Mt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:32-44; Lk. 9:10-17; Jn. 6:1-13) was… -
Multscher, Hans
Sculptor and painter, b. shortly before 1400 at Reichenhofen in the Allgäu, d. in the first months of 1467 at Ulm. Having moved to the latter city, he took… -
Mun, Albert de
Social organizer and politician, b. at Lumigny on 23 Feb. 1841, d. at Bordeaux on 6 Oct. 1914. Taken prisoner in the Franco-Prussian War and interned at… -
Munari, Pellegrino
Painter, b. in Modena ca. 1465 and d. there, murdered in a brawl, in Dec. 1523. In 1509 he painted in his native city an altarpiece for the hospital of S.… -
Muncunill y Parellada, Juan
Jesuit, theologian, b. at Fals (Barcelona) on 10 Sept. 1848, d. at Barcelona on 23 Jan. 1928. Having entered the Society of Jesus in 1867, he taught philosophy… -
Mundus
By this term was indicated, in Rome, a small pit, dug in the Palatine, with a vaulted ceiling "in the likeness of the world that lies above us" (Cato, in… -
Munichie (Μουηχία)
Festivals celebrated in Attica on the 16th of Munichion in honor of Artemis Munichia, on the homonymous peninsula of Piraeus. They must have been quite… -
Munich (München) and Freising, Archdiocese of (MONACO (MÜNCHEN) E FRISINGA (FREISING), ARCIDIOCESI DI)
In Bavaria, over an area of 11,972 sq km; it has 2,057,220 inhabitants, of whom 1,744,574 are Catholics. It has 551 parishes served by 1,327 diocesan priests… -
Munificentissimus Deus
Opening words of the apostolic constitution by which Pius XII defined (Nov. 1, 1950) the dogma of the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into heaven (AAS… -
Münster, Diocese of (MÜNSTER, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Westphalia (Germany). The diocese has an area of 15,128 sq. km., with 3,606,669 inhabitants, of whom 2,075,795 are Catholics. It has 622… -
Münster, Sebastian
Geographer, cosmographer and orientalist, b. at Nieder-Ingelheim in 1489, d. at Basel on 26 May 1552. In 1505 he took the Franciscan habit; he studied Greek… -
Muntz, Eugène (MÜNTZ, EUGÈNE)
Archaeologist and art historian, b. 11 June 1845 at Soultz-sous-Förets near Strasbourg, d. 30 Oct. 1902 in Paris. He was a member of the Académie de France and… -
Murano, School of Art of (MURANO, SCUOLA ARTISTICA DI)
In the course of the 15th century, M. gave birth to a considerable number of artists who, although without forming a pictorial school with characteristics of… -
Muratorian Canon (CANONE MURATORIANO)
CANONE MURATORIANO: v. MURATORIANO, CANONE. -
Muratorian Canon (MURATORIANO, CANONE)
Fragment discovered by L. A. Muratori in a Latin codex of the 8th century, coming from Bobbio, preserved in the Ambrosian Library of Milan (I 101 sup.), and… -
Muratori, Ludovico Antonio
Autograph reply to the letter of the anonymous Florentine on the edition of Villani's Cronache, published by Argelati on 3 Oct. 1730 - Modena, Biblioteca… -
Muravev, Andrei Nikolaevich (MURAVEV, ANDREA NICOLAEVIĆ)
Russian writer and theologian, b. 1806, d. 1874. The account of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (St. Petersburg 1832) drew upon him the attention of Emperor… -
Murcia, Diocese of (MURCIA, DIOCESI DI)
MURCIA, DIOCESI di: v. CARTAGENA, DIOCESI di. -
Murialdo, Leonardo, Servant of God (MURIALDO, LEONARDO, SERVO DI DIO)
Founder of the Pious Society of St. Joseph of Turin (Giuseppini), b. in Turin on 26 Oct. 1828, d. there on 30 May 1900. Educated first at Savona, with the… -
Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban
Painter, b. in Seville on 31 Dec. 1617, d. there on 3 Apr. 1682. His father Gaspare Esteban was also a painter; but M., left an orphan, was raised by his aunt… -
Muris, Johannes de
Astronomer, mathematician, philosopher and music theorist, b. in Normandy before 1300 and d. in 1351. He was at the Sorbonne in Paris, of which it has been… -
Murmellius, Johannes
Dutch humanist, b. at Roermond in 1480, d. in Oct. 1517. Around 1493 he was at the school of the Brethren of the Common Life in Deventer; in 1496 at the… -
Murmuring (MORMORAZIONE)
MORMORAZIONE : v. DETRAZIONE. -
Murner, Thomas
Anti-Lutheran theologian and polemicist, of the Conventual Friars Minor, b. at Oberchnheim (Obernai), in Alsace, on 24 Dec. 1475, d. there on 22 Aug. 1537. He… -
Muro Lucano, Diocese of (MURO LUCANO, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the province of Potenza. Over an area of 510.38 sq km, it has a population of 35,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, 14 parishes and 38… -
Murri, Romolo
Priest and sociologist, b. at Montesampietrangeli (province of Ascoli Piceno, diocese of Fermo) on 27 Aug. 1870, d. in Rome on 12 March 1944. He completed his… -
Museum and Museology (MUSEO E MUSEOLOGIA)
The term "museum" denotes a collection of works of art or of subjects from a particular historical period and milieu, or relics of a scientific character… -
Museum of Marseille (MUSEO DI MARSIGLIA)
According to Gennadius (De vir. ill., 79), he wrote a Lectionary ("excerptit ex S. Scripturis lectionum totius anni festivis apta diebus responsoria etiam… -
Music (MUSICA)
The philosophical concept of music, which among the ancients had a predominantly ethical character and among the moderns falls within the vast framework of… -
Musical Confraternities (CONFRATERNITE MUSICALI)
Associations of music lovers and professionals (masters, singers, organists and organ builders, players and makers of musical instruments), who under the… -
Musical Instruments (STRUMENTI MUSICALI)
I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Among the Hebrews music was practiced principally in religious manifestations by the priestly class in the Temple and outside it, and… -
Musical Notation (NOTAZIONE MUSICALE)
NOTAZIONE MUSICALE : v. PALEOGRAFIA. -
Musical Paleography (PALEOGRAFIA MUSICALE)
It is the science of ancient notations, of the systems used to translate music into the visual field. In the broadest sense, its subject is therefore the… -
Musil, Alois
Czech Orientalist and explorer, b. at Rychtárov (Moravia) on 30 June 1868, d. at Otryby on 12 April 1946. Ordained a priest at Olomouc in 1891, he continued… -
Musitano, Carlo
Priest and physician, b. at Castrovillari on 6 Jan. 1635, d. at Naples in 1714. He studied letters, philosophy and theology at the Studium of the Conventuals… -
Muslim Art (MUSULMANA, ARTE)
The Arabs, by extending their religious and political occupation over the territories of North Africa and the Middle East, made the culture and art of the… -
Musoma, Apostolic Prefecture of (MUSOMA, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
It is situated in the north-western part of the territory of Tanganyika, on the south-eastern shore of Lake Victoria; it is entrusted to the Society for… -
Muspilli
Title of a poetic fragment of 105 alliterative verses, in the 9th-century Bavarian dialect, from the monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, and so called… -
Mussato, Albertino
Man of letters, b. in Padua in 1261, probably to Alberto Mussio, d. at Chioggia on 31 May 1329. He was a skilled diplomat, a politician endowed with very fine… -
Musset, Alfred de
French Romantic poet, b. 11 Dec. 1810 in Paris, d. there 1 May 1857. He identified love as the ideal of life and of poetry and, lacking interest in any other… -
Mussini, Augusto, Fra' Paolo
Painter, b. in Reggio Emilia on 20 Jan. 1870, d. in Rome on 1 Nov. 1918. Having soon become known as the author of good portraits and genre compositions, in… -
Mussini, Luigi
Painter, b. in Berlin on 19 Dec. 1813, d. in Siena on 18 June 1888. A pupil of Bezzuoli at the Florentine Academy, he took part in the Purist movement, and was… -
Musso, Cornelio
Preacher and theologian of the Conventual Friars Minor, b. at Piacenza on 16 April 1511, d. at Rome on 9 Jan. 1574. He was a preacher and professor of… -
Mussolini, Benito
Italian politician, "duce of Fascism," b. at Predappio (Forlì) on 29 July 1883, killed at Giulino di Mezzegra (Como) on 28 Apr. 1945. Son of Alessandro, a… -
Mustafà, Domenico
Musician, b. at Sellano (Foligno) on 16 April 1829, d. at Montefalco on 14 March 1912. Gifted with a beautiful soprano voice, in 1848 he was admitted among the… -
Mustiola, Saint, Martyr (MUSTIOLA, SANTA, MARTIRE)
She is commemorated in the Hieronymian Martyrology on 23 November, while in the Roman Martyrology, in agreement with the Passio, on 3 July. M. was a noblewoman… -
Mutation (MUTAZIONE)
This term is commonly used to indicate the sudden appearance of a new hereditary character, and as such the word was introduced by the botanist De Vries. Today… -
Mutel, Gustave-Charles-Marie
B. March 8, 1854 at Blumeray, diocese of Langres, and d. at Seoul on Jan. 23, 1933. On Oct. 11, 1873 he entered the Seminary of the Foreign Missions of Paris… -
Mutilation (MUTILAZIONE)
By m. is meant the cutting off or extirpation (here also any equivalent action, e.g., complete and perfect atrophy) by which a so-called organ (the eyes, the… -
Mutuality (MUTUALITÀ)
The concept of mutuality is closely connected to those of social insurance and insurance. In a technical sense, mutuality means the union of a group of persons… -
Mutual Teaching (MUTUO INSEGNAMENTO)
A teaching method consisting in the reciprocity of instruction, in that the more proficient pupils act as teachers and guides to their less instructed… -
Mutuo
It is the contract by which one party (the lender) delivers to the other (the borrower) a determined quantity of money or of other fungible things, and the… -
Muzalon, Theodore (MUZALON, TEODORO)
Byzantine statesman, orator and writer of the 13th century (d. 1295). He quickly succeeded in gaining the trust of the emperors Michael VIII Palaiologos and… -
Muzio, Girolamo
Scholar and polemicist, who proclaimed himself a Giustinopolitan from his native city (Capodistria), b. in Padua on 12 March 1496 to Cristoforo Nuzio (M. also… -
Muzzarelli, Alfonso
Jesuit, theologian and writer, b. at Ferrara on 22 Aug. 1749, d. at Paris on 25 May 1813. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1768 and, caught in 1773 by the… -
Muzzarelli, Carlo Emanuele dei Conti
Scholar and politician, b. in Bologna to a noble Ferrarese family on 3 April 1797, d. 10 April 1856. He enlisted at eighteen in the city's civic militia, then… -
Mwanza, Vicariate Apostolic of (MWANZA, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
It is located in the northern part of the territory of Tanganyika, south of Lake Victoria; it comprises the districts of M. (except the circumscriptions of… -
Myrrh (MIRRA)
A kind of fragrant gum. It exudes spontaneously or through incisions, in liquid form, from a plant of the genus baltamodendron that grows in Arabia. Modern… -
Mysore, Diocese of (MYSORE, DIOCESI DI)
Suffragan of Pondicherry and entrusted to the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris. The first missionaries of the region were the Dominicans around the middle… -
Mysteries of Andania (ANDANIA, MISTERI DI)
The existence of mysteries that were celebrated in Andania, a small city of northern Messenia, is attested by various passages of Pausanias and by a long and… -
Mysteries (Τὰ Μυστήρια) (MISTERI (ΤᾺ ΜΥΣΤΉΡΙΑ))
From the Greek μύειν = to close (the eyes or the mouth), whence μυεῖν = to initiate (into secret cults) and μύστης = initiate. M. is the name, always written… -
Mystery (MISTERO)
In current Catholic teaching, a mystery is a truth revealed by God, which the human intellect cannot discover by its own powers alone, and which, even once… -
Mystical Body (CORPO MISTICO)
The doctrine of the Mystical Body constitutes one of the central points, if not indeed the central point, of Christianity. It is found sketched in the… -
Mystic Chest (CISTA MISTICA)
A container of woven wicker in the shape of a cylindrical box, with a lid. Originally it was not a cult object; only in Demosthenes and Theocritus is the word… -
Mystici Corporis
Opening words of the encyclical of Pius XII, dated 29 June 1943 (AAS, 36 [1943], pp. 193-248), in which the doctrine of the Mystical Body is set forth. The… -
Mysticism (MISTICA)
A name that today generally designates either the state of mind of one who immerses himself in spiritual reality through religious contemplation (often called… -
Mysticism (MISTICISMO)
With this name, derived from "mystic," a word proper to the mysteries (v.), are designated those philosophical-religious currents which place the knowledge of… -
Myth and Mythology (MITO E MITOLOGIA)
The myth (Gk. μύθος from the verb μύθειο "I speak, converse, narrate") is the narration of deeds of the divine, heroic, and human world, not excluding the… -
Sharecropping (MEZZADRIA)
It is an agrarian contract of a typically associative nature, in which the grantor and the sharecropper associate for the cultivation of a farm and for the… -
Spiritual Motherhood of Mary Most Holy (MATERNITÀ SPIRITUALE DI MARIA S.ma)
I. THE FACT. - That Mary Most Holy, besides being the natural mother of Christ, the God-Man, is also the spiritual mother of all Christians who are members of… -
Vito, Modesto and Crescenza, Saints, Martyrs (VITO, MODESTO E CRESCENZA, SANTI, MARTIRI)
Commemorated in the Hieronymian Martyrology on 15 June, they appear to be victims of the Diocletianic persecution; V. already appears in the ancient Gelasian…