M
1,585 articles · 224 under Me · English index · Indice italiano-
Meath, Diocese of (MEATH, DIOCESI DI)
A suffragan diocese of Armagh, territorially the largest in Ireland; it comprises most of the counties of Meath, Westmeath and Offaly, and part of those of… -
Meaux, Diocese of (MEAUX, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the department of Seine-et-Marne (France). It has an area of 5664 sq km with 407,137 inhabitants, of whom 350,000 are Catholics. The… -
Mecca
MECCA : v. ISLÂNI. -
Mechanicism (MECCANICISMO)
A philosophical theory, or more generally a current of thought, that interprets the world as a great machine, and seeks the explanation of all sensible… -
Mechanics (MECCANICA)
Mechanics has as its object the study of the phenomena of material bodies that take place without altering either their physical or their chemical nature. It… -
Mechelen, Archdiocese of (MALINES, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese in the province of Antwerp. > (from M. Monmarché-L. Tillion, Toute la Belgique, Paris 1919, p. 252) > MALINES, ARCHDIOCESE of - Palace of… -
Mechitar (called Gosh, "Imberbe") of Cantzag (MECHITAR (DETTO GOSH, «IMBERBE») DI CANTZAG)
Armenian priest of the 12th century, d. in 1213; founder of the religious community of Ghedik (monastery). He enjoyed great esteem for virtue and learning. He… -
Mechitarists (MECHITARISTI)
Armenian hieromonks, called thus from the name of their founder Mechitar (v.). Although the initial designation was perhaps "Armenian Monks of St. Anthony… -
Mechitar Kṇnetzi (MECHITAR KŇNETZI)
Armenian Katholikos (1341-55), famous for the clarifications he offered in refutation of the famous Libellus of the Latinizing Armenians, Nerses Balionz and… -
Mechitar Vartapet, Abbot (MECHITAR VARTAPET, ABATE)
Hieromonk, in the world Peter Manuk, founder of the Armenian Monks of St. Anthony Abbot, called Mechitarists, b. at Sebaste (Sivas) in Lesser Armenia on 7 Feb.… -
Mechtilde (Mechtild) of Hackeborn (MATILDE (MECHTILD) DI HACKEBORN)
Cistercian mystic, b. in the ancestral castle of Helfta (Saxony) ca. 1241, d. in the monastery of Helfta on 19 Nov. 1299. Taken, at the age of 7, to visit her… -
Medaba (MADABA)
City (Heb. Mēdhhbā'; Septuagint Mᾶᾶᾶᾶ and Mᾶᾶᾶ; Vulgate Medaba; stele of Mesha: Mhab') in Jordan, 8 km southeast of Heshbon (v.). It is mentioned for the first… -
Meda, Felice (Felix), Blessed (MEDA, FELICE (FELIX), BEATA)
Poor Clare, born in Milan ca. 1378, died in Pesaro on 30 September 1444. She made rapid progress in piety and in studies, also learning the Latin language.… -
Meda, Filippo
Statesman and publicist, b. in Milan on 1 Jan. 1869, d. there on 31 Dec. 1939. As a high-school student he began publishing articles in newspapers and reviews… -
Medal (MEDAGLIA)
The word m. derives from the Latin metalla and in the Middle Ages indicated the half-denarius or obol. When this fell into disuse, the term remained to… -
Medan, Apostolic Vicariate of (MEDAN, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
It comprises the entire western part of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). On June 30, 1911, the said island of Sumatra, together with the other adjacent… -
Medard, Saint (MEDARDO, SANTO)
Born in Vermandois, in the second half of the 5th century. Piety, study and charity toward the poor were the hallmark of his youth. Around 540 he was elected… -
Medellín, Archdiocese of (MEDELLIN, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Archdiocese and capital city of the department of Antioquia in Colombia. It has an area of 15,000 sq. km., with a population of 800,000 inhabitants, all… -
Media Anata (MEDIA ANNATA)
MEDIA ANNATA: v. ANNATA. -
Media (Assyro Mât Ma-da-a-a) (MEDIA (ASSIRO MÂT MA-DA-A-A))
The northwestern part of the Iranian plateau, between the Araxes, the Caspian, the central desert, the borders of Persis and Susiana (Elam) and the Zagros… -
Mediation of Christ (MEDIAZIONE DI CRISTO)
MEDIAZIONE DI CRISTO : v. REDENZIONE. -
Mediation of Mary Most Holy (MEDIAZIONE DI MARIA S.ma)
For one to be a mediator it is required: 1st that he be a mean between two extremes, from which he is distinguished, while yet having something in common with… -
Mediator Dei
The words with which the encyclical of Pius XII, dated 20 Nov. 1947 (AAS, 39 [1947], pp. 521-95), on the sacred liturgy begins. It may be considered a… -
Medical Oath (GIURAMENTO MEDICO)
The profession of the physician had a sacred character in antiquity. Well-defined rules governed his almost priestly activity, and the oath that Hippocrates… -
Medici, Family (MEDICI, FAMIGLIA)
Enriched by commerce and banking, the M.[Medici] acquired, in the 15th century in Florence, political supremacy, in the form of a disguised lordship. After… -
Medici, Lorenzo de', called Lorenzino (MEDICI, LORENZO DE', DETTO LORENZINO)
B. in Florence on 23 March 1514, d. in Venice on 26 Feb. 1548. He is the tyrannicide, the killer of his cousin Alessandro (night of 5-6 Jan. 1537) whose… -
Medici, Lorenzo de', called the Magnificent (MEDICI, LORENZO DE', DETTO IL MAGNIFICO)
Born in Florence on 1 January 1449, died at Careggi (Florence) on 8 April 1492. Still very young, he effectively helped his father Piero to thwart the plots of… -
Medicinal Penances (PENE MEDICINALI)
PENE MEDICINALI: v. CENSURA, III. C. penale medicinale. -
Medicine (MEDICINA)
By m. is meant any expression of defense against evil, whether it is based on empirical knowledge or is the fruit of interpretation and speculation undertaken… -
Medina
MEDINA: v. ISLÂM. -
Medina, Bartolomeo
Dominican theologian, b. at Medina Rioseco (province of Valladolid) in 1528, d. at Salamanca on 30 Dec. 1580. A religious in Salamanca, he taught in the… -
Medina, Miguel
Franciscan theologian, b. at Belalcazar (Cordova) in 1489, d. at Toledo on 1 May 1578. He studied and then taught Sacred Scripture at the University of Alcalá.… -
Medingen (Mödingen)
Medieval monastery of Dominican nuns, in the diocese of Augsburg; since 1843 it has belonged to the Franciscan nuns of Dillingen. A quarter of an hour away… -
Meditation (MEDITAZIONE)
A form of mental prayer (v.) in which the soul, through the attentive consideration of the truths of faith, moves the will to the good and to the fervor of the… -
Meditrinalia
A festival of the Roman religion, fixed by the oldest calendar on October 11. Although the tradition of the grammarians claims to know also a goddess… -
Medium
Refers to a person capable, by virtue of his particular faculties, of acting as an intermediary between us and the dead. But since the spiritistic hypothesis… -
Mediumistic Manifestations (MEDIANICHE MANIFESTAZIONI)
MEDIANICHE MANIFESTAZIONI: v. METAPSICHICA. -
Medolago Albani, Stanislao
A Bergamasque nobleman, born in Bergamo in 1852, died there on July 3, 1921. Together with Rezzara and Toniolo he was among the most active promoters of the… -
Medvjedev, Silvestro
Born at Kurk on 27 January 1641, died on 11 February 1691. The son of clerks, he too found a post in Moscow, where in 1665 he became one of the four pupils… -
Meester, Placide de
Benedictine monk, in the world Rudolph, born of a noble family in Antwerp on 9 February 1873, died in Rome on 28 November 1950. In the abbey of Maredsous… -
Meeûs, Anne de
Foundress of the Religious of Perpetual Adoration and of the Work of the Poor Churches, b. in Brussels in 1823, d. there on 15 June 1904. At the age of 20… -
Mēghillath Ta'Ānīth (« Scroll of the Fasts ») (MĒGHILLATH TA'ĀNĪTH (« ROTOLO DEI DIGIUNI »))
A list of 35 days of the year on which it was forbidden to fast and to deliver funeral orations, because they were days of joyful national remembrance, of… -
Mēghillôth, Hāmēš (« Five Scrolls ») (MĒGHILLÔTH, HĀMĒŠ (« CINQUE ROTOLI »))
A designation that arose around the time of St. Jerome, derived from the synagogue liturgy, to indicate the "five volumes" of the Old Testament that are read… -
Megiddo
MEGIDDO: v. MAGEDDO. -
Meignan, Guillaume-René
Cardinal, biblical exegete and apologist, b. at Chauvigné (Mayenne) on 12 April 1817, d. at Tours on 19 Jan. 1896. He went to perfect his studies in philosophy… -
Meinrad (Meginrad), Saint (MEINRADO (MEGINRADO), SANTO)
Born toward the end of the 8th century in the Sülchgau (Germany), died on 21 January 861 at Einsiedeln. Educated in the abbey of Reichenau, he became a monk… -
Meiosis (MEIOSI)
Meiosis (a term introduced by Farmer and Moore, 1905) is the mechanism of reduction of the chromosomes (v. CHROMOSOME) from the diploid condition (2n)… -
Meissen, Diocese of (MEISSEN, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Saxony. The diocese has an area of 17,460 sq. km. with a population of 6,042,219 inhabitants, of whom 592,531 are Catholics. It has 93… -
Meister, Alois
German Catholic historian, b. 7 Dec. 1866 in Frankfurt am Main, d. 28 Jan. 1925 in Münster. He studied at the University of Strasbourg and was a pupil of… -
Meistermann, Barnabé
Palestinian scholar, missionary and architect, Franciscan, b. 27 March 1850 at Pfaffenheim (Alsace), d. at Jerusalem on 29 Sept. 1923. A priest in 1873, a… -
Mejer, Otto Georg Alexander
Protestant scholar of ecclesiastical law, b. 27 May 1818 at Zellerfeld (Harz), d. 24 Dec. 1893 at Hannover. In 1847 he began his university career at the… -
Mekhiltha' (Aram. « Measure ») (MEKHILTHA' (ARAM. « MISURA »))
Midrash (v.), a collection of interpretive and methodological material concerning the Pentateuch, of a preceptive-narrative character and referring principally… -
Melanchthon, Philipp (MELANTONE, FILIPPO)
Collaborator and friend of Luther, b. at Bretton (Palatinate) on 16 Feb. 1497, d. at Wittenberg on 16 Apr. 1560. Of a well-to-do family, a relative of the… -
Melania the Elder (MELANIA SENIORE)
Roman noble matron of Spanish origin, b. in Rome in 349-50, d. in Jerusalem on June 8, 410. She married the illustrious Valerius Maximus at a very young age.… -
Melania the Younger, Saint (MELANIA GIUNIORE, SANTA)
Granddaughter of the following, born in 383 to her son Publicola and to Albina, of the Ceionia gens. Following the example of her grandmother and of other… -
Melbourne, Archdiocese of (MELBOURNE, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
It is located in the State of Victoria, in Australia, and is its capital. The first Mass was celebrated there by the Rev. Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan on 13… -
Melchers, Paulus
Cardinal, b. Jan. 6, 1813 in Münster, d. Dec. 14, 1895 in Rome. He had Döllinger as his teacher of theology. Ordained a priest in 1841, he remained for several… -
Melchia (MELCHIA)
Name of several figures of the Old Testament. 1. A priest, zealous collaborator of Nehemiah in the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:11), but joined in marriage… -
Melchisedech (MELCHISEDEC)
King of Salem, probably Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 76 [75], 5), and priest of God (called 'El-'elyon; cf. Num. 24, 16; Deut. 32, 8). The Hebrew Malki-sedeq… -
Meldolla, Andrea, called Schiavone (MELDOLLA, ANDREA, DETTO SCHIAVONE)
MELDOLLA, ANDREA, called SCHIAVONE: v. SCHIAVONE. -
Meletios the Younger (MELETIOS GIUNIORE)
Wandering monk, b. at Mutalasca in Cappadocia ca. 1035, d. abbot of Symbolon in 1105. Venerated as a "saint" for his miracles and as one of the "myroblites"… -
Meletius, Bishop of Pontus, Saint (MELEZIO, VESCOVO DEL PONTO, SANTO)
He had no cult in antiquity; it was introduced into the Martyrology of Usuard, whose notice passed into the Roman Martyrology, where he is commemorated on… -
Meletius (Melitius) of Antioch, Saint (MELEZIO (MELIZIO) DI ANTIOCHIA, SANTO)
Bishop of Antioch, b. at Melitene, in Lesser Armenia, at the beginning of the 4th century, d. at Constantinople in May 381. His name is bound up with the… -
Meletius (Melitius) of Lycopolis (MELEZIO (MELIZIO) DI LICOPOLI)
Bishop of Lycopolis in the Thebaid (Egypt), d. ca. 325-26, author of the schism named Meletian after him, which probably began in 306 and was not entirely… -
Meleziani
MELEZIANI: v. MELEZIO di ANTIOCHIA; MELEZIO di LICOPOLI. -
Melfi and Rapolla, Diocese of (MELFI E RAPOLLA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the province of Potenza, immediately subject to the Holy See. The union of the two sees took place on 16 May 1528. The diocese today has… -
Meli, Giovanni
Poet, b. in Palermo on 6 March 1740, d. there on 20 Dec. 1815. A pupil of the Jesuits, a district physician at Cinisi for five years, later a lecturer in… -
Melisma
Term generally reserved for ancient liturgical music, whether Eastern (Byzantine, Syriac, etc.) or Western (Gregorian, Ambrosian, Gallican, Visigothic); it… -
Melito of Sardis (MELITONE DI SARDI)
Polycrates of Ephesus, in a letter to Pope Victor, names M. among "the great luminaries" of the Church in Asia Minor, calls him "eunuch," full of the Holy… -
Melk
One of the most famous Austrian Benedictine abbeys, in Lower Austria, diocese of St. Pölten. With its enormous bulk (side facade 240 m., length 320 m.)… -
Melkites (MELKITI)
In scientific usage the name designates the faithful of the Byzantine rite, both Catholic and dissident, of the patriarchates of Antioch, Jerusalem and… -
Melkonian, Stefano
Successor of the ven. Mechitar, founder of the Mechitarists. Born in Constantinople on 23 February 1717, he entered the Order in 1730; ordained a priest in… -
Mellitus, Saint (MELLITO, SANTO)
Born in the second half of the 6th century, died on April 24, 624. Of noble origin, he was a monk and abbot in Rome, probably of the monastery of St. Andrew ad… -
Mello
A grandiose masonry work (Heb. Millò), which appears in the list of Solomonic constructions (1 Kings 9:15-24), and occasioned the rebellion against the king… -
Melo, Diocese of (MELO, DIOCESI DI)
MELO, DIOCESI di: v. FLORIDA Y MELO, DIOCESI di. -
Melody (MELODIA)
It is the essence of music, its living substance, which organizes itself into discourse and within it unfolds a musical thought. Since a horizontal alignment… -
Melotherapy (MELOTERAPIA)
Therapy by means of music. The principle that gave rise to this therapeutic aid was the general one, improperly held to be magical, of "similia similibus,"… -
Melozzo da Forlì
Painter, b. at Forlì on 8 June 1438, son of Giuliano di Melozzo degli Ambrogi, d. there on 8 Nov. 1494. Around 1460 he is believed to have executed the fresco… -
Melqart
Phoenician deity (Gk. Μελκάθρος). The Phoenician melqart, from melek-Qart, according to the still most probable opinion today, means "the king of the city (=… -
Melun, Armand de
Viscount, one of the greatest organizers in France of the charitable works of the last century, a precursor of Christian social action, b. at Brumetz (Aisne)… -
Meluzzi, Salvatore
Master composer, b. in Rome on 22 Aug. 1813, d. there on 17 Apr. 1897. Trained in the traditional Roman school, he was for 45 years director of the Cappella… -
Melville, Herman
American novelist and poet, b. in New York City on Aug. 1, 1819, d. there on Sept. 28, 1891. The fruit of his experiences as a cabin boy and of an adventurous… -
Melzi d'Eril, Camillo
Barnabite, meteorologist and seismologist, of the Milanese ducal family of the M. d'E., b. at Pisa on 6 Jan. 1851, d. at Florence on 11 Feb. 1929. He entered… -
Members of the Church (MEMBRI DELLA CHIESA)
They are wayfaring men, gathered into the visible spiritual society founded by Jesus Christ for the attainment of eternal life. The question of the members of… -
Memling (Memlinc), Hans (MEMLINC (MEMLING), HANS)
Flemish painter, b. in the region of Mainz, probably at Mömlingen, ca. 1433, d. at Bruges on 11 Aug. 1494. He worked at Bruges for the Hospital of St. John… -
Memmi, Lippo (Lippo da Siena)
Sienese painter, son of Memmo di Filippuccio, himself a painter, and brother-in-law of Simone Martini (v.), mentioned and documented between 1317 and 1347. In… -
Memorare, O Most Pious Virgin Mary (MEMORARE, O PIISSIMA VIRGO MARIA)
A prayer to the Most Holy Virgin, an expression of filial confidence in her, who never closes her ear to the requests of her children. Wrongly attributed to… -
Memoria
In the Christian language of the first centuries the term m. had many meanings. In the first place m. was the equivalent of titulus, in which case: "Memoriam… -
Memoriale Rituum (Parvum Caeremoniale, Parvum Rituale)
A modern book of the Roman rite, composed for the use of the lesser parishes of Rome, containing the ceremonies of the blessing of candles on 2 February, of… -
Memorie Domenicane
It is the oldest Dominican journal in Italy. Founded in 1884 in Ferrara, on the initiative of Fr. Tommaso Granello, later archbishop and commissioner of the… -
Memory (MEMORIA)
In modern psychology, which seems to continue the conception of decadent Scholasticism, memory generally means the function that preserves the images of the… -
Mena, Juan de
Spanish poet, b. at Cordova in 1411, d. at Torrelaguna in 1456. He studied for some time in Rome, where he was initiated into humanistic culture; on his return… -
Menander (Menandros) (MENANDRO (MENANDROS))
One of the most ancient Gnostics, a disciple of Simon Magus. Born at Kapparataia (St. Justin, Apol., I, 26), in the 1st century AD, he carried on his doctrinal… -
Ménard, Nicolas-Hugues
Historian and liturgist, b. in Paris in 1585, d. there on 20 January 1644. He professed the Rule of St. Benedict at St-Denis in 1612. In 1615 he entered the… -
Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople, Saint (MENA, PATRIARCA DI COSTANTINOPOLI, SANTO)
Born in Alexandria toward the end of the 5th century, died in Constantinople in August 552. He was in charge of the great hospice for pilgrims of St. Samson in… -
Menas, Saint, Martyr (MENA, SANTO, MARTIRE)
Very well known and venerated in antiquity, he is commemorated on 11 November in the Hieronymian Martyrology, in the Greek Synaxaria, in the Gelasian… -
Mende, Diocese of (MENDE, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and capital city of the department of Lozère (France), on the left bank of the Lot. It has an area of 5,000 sq. km., with a population of 95,000… -
Mendeleev (Mendeléeff), Dmitri Ivanovich (MENDELEEW (MENDELÉJEFF), DIMITRI IVANOVIĆ)
Chemist, b. at Tobolsk (Russia) on 7 February 1834, d. at St. Petersburg on 2 February 1907. From 1856 he taught chemistry at the University of St. Petersburg.… -
Mendel, Gregor
Of the Hermits of St. Augustine, b. at Heinzendorf near Odrau (Czechoslovak Silesia) on 22 July 1822, d. at Brno on 6 Jan. 1884. In 1843 he became an… -
Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Jacob Ludwig Felix
Musician, b. in Hamburg on 3 Feb. 1809, d. in Leipzig on 4 Nov. 1847. From his mother he learned the first elements of music, the study of which he then… -
Mendelssohn, Moses
Philosopher, b. in Dessau on 6 Sept. 1729, d. in Berlin on 4 Jan. 1786. Already initiated, in Dessau, into the works of Maimonides (v.), he perfected in… -
Mendez, Apostolic Vicariate of (MENDEZ, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
Located in the eastern region of the Republic of Ecuador. It also included the Gualaquiza area; but this was detached from it by decree of 12 April 1951… -
Mendez de San Juan, José
Minim, moral theologian, b. in Madrid in 1605, d. there on 17 July 1680. He was successively lecturer in dogmatic and moral theology. Qualifier of the Holy… -
Mendoza, Diocese of (MENDOZA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and principal city in the province of the same name in Argentina. It has an area of 247,917 sq km, with a population of 676,149 inhabitants, of whom… -
Mendoza Hurtado, Diego de
MENDOZA HURTADO, DIEGO de: v. HURTADO DE MENDOZA, DIEGO. -
Mendoza y Bobadilla, Francisco de
Theologian and cardinal, b. at Cuenca on 25 Sept. 1508, d. at Arcos (Burgos) on 26 Nov. 1566. Having earned a doctorate in utroque iure at the University of… -
Menelaus (MENELAO)
High priest of Jerusalem, who unlawfully succeeded Jason, himself an intruder in place of his brother Onias III, the last legitimate pontiff, at the time of… -
Menéndez, Josefa
A religious of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, b. in Madrid on 4 Feb. 1890, d. at Poitiers on 29 Dec. 1923. Having consecrated herself to God from… -
Menéndez y Pelayo, Marcelino
Spanish scholar and critic, b. at Santander on 3 November 1856, d. there on 19 May 1912. A brilliant shaper of the picture of Spanish literary history and of… -
Meneon
A liturgical book of the Greek rite, composed of 6 or 12 volumes, containing the proper chants and the biblical lessons of the Office for the feasts of the… -
Meneses, Albjo
Augustinian missionary and bishop, b. in Lisbon on 25 Jan. 1559, d. in Madrid on 2 May 1617. A religious from 1574, after completing his studies he was… -
Menevia, Diocese of (MENEVIA, DIOCESI DI)
In the province of Cardiff in England, with the exception of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire. Out of 932,480 inhabitants (1931 census) it comprised 21,350… -
Mengoli, Pietro
Mathematician, b. in Bologna in 1626, d. there on 7 June 1686. He was a disciple of B. Cavalieri. Appointed parish priest in the same city, he combined with… -
Mengoni, Theophilus (Theophilus da Soci) (MENGONI, TEOFILO (TEOFILO DA SOCI))
Preacher and writer of the Order of Friars Minor, b. at Soci (Arezzo) on 12 July 1864, d. at Fiesole on 31 May 1949. He entered the Order in 1880 and was… -
Mengs, Anton Raphael
Painter, b. at Aussig in Bohemia on 22 March 1728, d. at Rome on 29 June 1779. Son of Ismael, himself also a painter, he was still a boy when his father took… -
Menhir
MENHIR: v. PREHISTORY, RELIGION in. -
Meniates, Elia
Greek bishop and controversialist, b. in 1669, d. in 1714. At the age of 10 he came from Cephalonia, his homeland, to Venice, where he completed his studies… -
Mennon, Bishop of Ephesus (MENNONE, VESCOVO DI EFESO)
He lived between the end of the 4th century and the first half of the 5th century; he was already bishop of that Church in 431, when the great Council was… -
Menno, Simons
Founder of the Mennonites, b. at Witmarsum (Holland) ca. 1496, d. at Aldesloe (Holstein) in 1559. Ordained priest in 1515 (or 1516), he was vicar of Pingium… -
Menocchio, Bartolomeo, Venerable (MENOCCHIO, BARTOLOMEO, VENERABILE)
Of the Hermits of St. Augustine, born at Carmagnola on 10 March 1741, died at Rome on 25 March 1823. A religious in 1760, he was first professor of theology to… -
Menochio, Giacomo
Jurist, b. at Pavia in 1532, d. there in 1607. While still very young he taught law at this University (1556-60). Having risen to great fame, after refusing… -
Menochio, Giovanni Stefano
Jesuit theologian and exegete, b. in Pavia in Dec. 1575, d. in Rome on 4 Feb. 1655. He taught biblical exegesis and moral theology in Milan; he was superior of… -
Menologion (MENOLOGI)
A Byzantine liturgical book that contains in full the lives of the saints, arranged according to days and months, beginning from September 1, the Byzantine New… -
Mensa
The term is sometimes used as a synonym for the altar (v.) erected on the tomb of a martyr. Thus St. Augustine, speaking of the altar erected on the site of… -
Menshevism (MENSCEVISMO)
By M. Soviet theory sometimes means the Second International, revisionist and reformist, but in the strict sense it means the faction of the Russian Social… -
Mensing (Mensinck), Johann
Dominican theologian, b. probably at Magdeburg, d. at Halberstadt in 1540. A religious in 1495, between the years 1515-17 he obtained his degrees in theology… -
Mensuralism (MENSURALISMO)
The body of theories that favor a measured rhythm of Gregorian melodies, as opposed to the theories favoring a free rhythm. The starting point is almost… -
Mensurius, Bishop of Carthage (MENSURIO, VESCOVO DI CARTAGINE)
He governed his Church during the difficult years from the Diocletianic persecution (303) to the disastrous rule of Maxentius in Africa (311). He was a man of… -
Mental Alienation (ALIENAZIONE MENTALE)
ALIENAZIONE MENTALE: v. INFERMITÀ MENTALE. -
Mental Confusion (CONFUSIONE MENTALE)
A characteristic state proper to amentia (v.), following acute and chronic intoxications or the severe ideational disorder produced by violent emotional… -
Mental Illness (MENTALI, MALATTIE)
Morbid states also called phrenopathies, psychopathies, psychoses, which manifest in acute or chronic form with disturbances of the psychic activities, whether… -
Mental Reservation (RESTRIZIONE MENTALE)
RESTRIZIONE MENTALE: v. RISERVA MENTALE. -
Mental Reservation (RISERVA MENTALE)
I. NOTION AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT. - Mental reservation consists in the interior act of the mind by which the person responding changes within himself —… -
Menti Nostrae
Opening phrase of the exhortation addressed on 23 Sept. 1950 by Pius XII to all the Catholic clergy, on priestly holiness (AAS, 42 [1950], pp. 657-702). The… -
Menzini, Benedetto
Priest, poet, b. in Florence on 29 March 1646, d. in Rome on 7 Nov. 1704. Of lively intellect and solid classical culture, he was a professor of eloquence in… -
Meo di Francesco del Caprino
Architect, b. at Settignano in 1430, d. at Rome in 1501. By 1467 he was already in Rome working as a stonecutter in the garden of the palace of S. Marco, the… -
Merari
Third son of Levi (Heb. Merari: Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16, 19). His descendants (1 Chron. 5:27; 6:1-4, 29-34 [Vulg. 6:1, 16-19, 44-48]) constituted the least… -
Merauke, Apostolic Vicariate of (MERAUKE, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
Located in the southern part of Dutch New Guinea; erected on 25 June 1950 by dismemberment of the apostolic vicariate of Amboina, formerly the apostolic… -
Mérault de Bizy, Athanase-René
Apologist, b. in Paris in 1744 and d. in Orléans on 13 June 1835. Superior of the Oratory in Paris, in 1793, refusing to swear the civil constitution of the… -
Mercadante, Saverio Raffaele
Musician, b. at Altamura in Sept. 1795, d. at Naples on 12 Dec. 1870, where he was a pupil of Zingarelli. In 1819 his first opera, L'apoteosi d'Ercole, was… -
Mercalli, Giuseppe
Seismologist and volcanologist, b. in Milan on 21 May 1850, d. in Naples on 19 March 1914. A priest in 1871, he took his degree in natural sciences in 1874… -
Mercantilism (MERCANTILISMO)
M. is the theory that subjects the entire economic activity of a nation to state intervention, so that through the active protection of the domestic and… -
Mercatura
I. CONCEPT. - M., in general, is any exchange of goods or values. Among the various forms of exchange, buying and selling predominates. Three main kinds of m.… -
Mercedarians (MERCEDARI)
Religious order founded by St. Peter Nolasco in 1218 for the purpose of ransoming Christians enslaved by the Mohammedans. St. Peter Nolasco, with the… -
Mercedes, Diocese of (MERCEDES, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Argentina. It has an area of 145,142 sq. km., with a population of 1,100,000 inhabitants, of whom 950,000 are Catholics. It has 59… -
Merciedarie Missionarie di Bérriz (MERCEDARIE MISSIONARIE DI BÉRRIZ)
The monastery of Bérriz, founded in 1550 as a community of devout Mercedarian women, was changed in 1741 into a monastery of Mercedarians with papal enclosure… -
Mercier, Désiré
Philosopher, founder of the Institute of Philosophy of the University of Louvain, cardinal and primate of Belgium, b. at Braine l'Alleud, in Walloon Brabant… -
Mercimonio
It generally denotes any illicit traffic, whatever the source of its illegality. In a narrower sense, m. means illicit traffic because it is carried on in a… -
Mercurian, Eberhard
Fourth General of the Society of Jesus, b. at Marcour (Belgium) in 1514, d. at Rome on 1 August 1580. A Jesuit in 1548, he was rector of the College of… -
Mercury (MERCURIO)
An ancient Roman divinity, who appears in the earliest lists of the twelve gods. The very name Mercurius (from merx, mercari) gives clear reason for the god's… -
Mercy (MISERICORDIA)
A moral virtue, a potential part of justice, and it consists in feeling compassion for the misfortune of others and being moved to relieve it. The virtue of… -
Meredith, George
English novelist and poet, b. at Portsmouth on 13 Feb. 1828, d. on 19 May 1909 at Box Hill (Surrey). He married the daughter of the novelist T. S. Peacock… -
Merezhkovsky, Dmitry Sergeyevich (MEREZKOVSKIJ, DMĪTRIJ SERGĒEVIC)
Russian poet, writer and essayist, b. in St. Petersburg on 14 [sg.] 1865, d. in Paris on 15 Dec. 1941. Of notable historical-cultural importance for the… -
Mérida (MĚRIDA)
It is the ancient colony of Emerita Augusta, a Spanish city located in the province of Badajoz on the right bank of the Guadiana. In Roman times it was of… -
Mérida, Archdiocese of (MÉRIDA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Archdiocese and capital of the state of the same name in Venezuela (South America), situated in the north-western part of the state. It has an area of 53,000… -
Mérida, Diocese of (MÉRIDA, DIOCESI DI)
MÉRIDA, DIOCESI di: v. YUCATAN, DIOCESI di. -
Merinero, Juan de
Franciscan theologian, b. in Madrid in 1600 and d. in the odour of sanctity in 1663. He entered the Order at the age of 16; he taught theology in the Convent… -
Merisi, Michelangelo
MERISI, MICHELANGELO: v. CARAVAGGIO. -
Merit of Jesus Christ (MERITO DI GESÙ CRISTO)
Since all the conditions of supernatural merit are verified in Jesus Christ (freedom, the state of a wayfarer, despite the beatific vision, fullness of grace… -
Merit of Man (MERITO DELL'UOMO)
Merit, theologically, is the good work which, performed by man under determinate conditions, is worthy of supernatural reward. I. REALITY OF THE MERIT OF MAN.… -
Merk, Augustin
Exegete, b. at Achern (Baden) on Sept. 11, 1869, d. in Rome on Apr. 3, 1945. After completing his gymnasium and lyceum studies, he was sent in 1887 to the… -
Merkelbach, Benoît-Henri
Dominican moralist, b. at Tongeren (Belgium) on 6 Jan. 1871, d. at Louvain on 25 July 1942. A priest at Liège (1894), he took his degree at Louvain and taught… -
Merlo
HORSTIUS, JACOBUS. - Ascetical writer, born at Meerlo, near Horst (diocese of Ruremonde; Netherlands), on 24 July He called attention to the importance of the… -
Mermillod, Gaspard
Cardinal, b. at Carouge (diocese of Geneva) on 22 Sept. 1824, d. at Rome on 23 Feb. 1892. Ordained a priest in 1847, he was curate at the parish of St. Germain… -
Merneptah (« The Beloved of Ptah ») (MERNEPTAH (« L'AMATO DA PTAH »))
Pharaoh of the XIX dynasty, also known as Meneptah or Mineptah, son and successor of Ramesses (Ramses) II, he reigned, according to the various chronologies… -
Merob (MEROB)
Daughter of Saul (I Sam. 14:49), promised in marriage to the victor over Goliath (ibid. 17:25). After David's victory over the giant, Saul hesitates, demanding… -
Merodach-Baladan II (MERODACH-BALADAN II)
King of Babylon, b. before 755 and d. after 700 B.C.; he reigned from 721 to 710 and in 703. He was originally a very wealthy sheikh of the Bit-Jahin… -
Merode, Frédéric-François-Xavier de
Prelate and statesman, b. in Brussels on 20 March 1820, d. in Rome on 10 July 1874. Of a most noble family, after pursuing classical studies at the Jesuit… -
Merom (MEROM)
A locality in northern Palestine. By the waters of M. (= mē-Mērōm, Josh. 11:5, 7) Joshua defeated the enemy coalition of the kings of northern Canaan. In… -
Merovingians (MEROVINGI)
I. HISTORY. - Dynasty that ruled the Franks from the 5th to the 8th century. Of the tribe of the Salian Franks, after having long plundered the Roman… -
Merovingian Script and Illumination (MEROVINGICA SCRITTURA E MINIATURA)
With the name M. Mabillon designated the writing that developed in the Frankish Kingdom up to the age of Charlemagne, and was used both for documentary and for… -
Merry del Val, Rafael
Cardinal of a Spanish family, b. in London on 10 Oct. 1865, d. in Rome on 26 Feb. 1930. He completed his early studies in England and Belgium; at the age of… -
Mersch, Émile (MERSCH, EMILE)
Jesuit theologian, b. July 30, 1890 at Marche (Belgian Luxembourg), d. May 23, 1940 at Lens (France). In 1920 he became professor of philosophy at Namur and… -
Mersenne, Marin
French scientist and theologian, b. at Oizé (Sarthe) on 8 Sept. 1588, d. at Paris on 1 Sept. 1648. After completing his studies at the College of La Flèche, he… -
Merswin, Rulman
Banker who exercised an ascetic influence, b. in Strasbourg in 1307, d. there in 1382. Tauler's preaching filled him with religious zeal; M. entered into… -
Mertel, Teodolfo
Cardinal, b. at Allumiere (Lazio) on 6 Feb. 1806, d. there on 9 July 1899. Having earned a degree in jurisprudence in Rome, he acquired such a name in the… -
Meru, Apostolic Prefecture of (MERU, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
It is located in the central part of Kenya, northeast of Mount Kenya, and is entrusted to the Institute of Consolata Missions (v.). It was erected on 10 March… -
Merulo (Merlotti), Claudio
Musician, b. at Correggio on 8 April 1533, d. at Parma on 4 May 1604. On 2 July 1557 he was appointed second organist of St. Mark's in Venice, after having… -
Merz, Ivan
A capable promoter of Catholic Action in Croatia, b. at Banja Luka (Bosnia) on 16 Dec. 1896, d. at Zagreb on 10 May 1928; he studied in Vienna and Paris, took… -
Merz, Philipp Paul
Biblical homiletic-catechetical author, born at Augsburg. A Protestant, he was a Lutheran theologian and preacher at Strasbourg and Kehl. On 12 August 1725 he… -
Mesarites, Giovanni and Nicolaos (MESARITES, GIOVANNI E NICOLAO)
These two brothers distinguished themselves in the religious controversies at the time of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. Giovanni (d. 1207) embraced the… -
Meschler, Moritz
Jesuit, ascetical writer, b. at Brig (Switzerland) on 6 Sept. 1830, d. at Exaeten (Holland) on 2 Dec. 1912. He was for a long time master of novices at… -
Mesha (MESA)
King of Moab, son of Kēmōš [bānāh?], a native of Dibon; enterprising and tenacious, he is famous for the stele on which he described his exploits. His father… -
Meslier, Jean
Neither the precise year of his birth nor that of his death is known, but he certainly lived between 1664 and 1733. Curate of Etrépigny in the Ardennes, his… -
Mesmerism (MESMERISMO)
MESMERISMO : v. IPNOTISMO. -
Mesopotamia
Region comprised between the mountains (Kafiari) of Armenia in the north, the Zagros in the east, and the Syro-Arabian desert in the south; toward the west it… -
Mesrop (Mesrob, Mastotz), Saint (MESROP (MESROB, MASTOTZ), SANTO)
Doctor of the Armenian Church, b. in the village of Hatsekats (province of Taron) ca. the middle of the 4th century, a pupil of Nerses the Great in the Greek… -
Messalians (MESSALIANI)
An ascetic movement with heretical tendencies that arose in Syria. In Greek the M. are called Cuchi; but Timothy, a presbyter of Constantinople, also knows for… -
Messenger of the Sacred Heart (MESSAGGERO DEL SACRO CUORE)
Monthly periodical for the spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Apostleship of Prayer, founded in Parma in 1864 by the Barnabite Father… -
Messiah and Messianism (MESSIA E MESSIANISMO)
From the Hebrew māšīah = anointed, a leader sent by God to rule his people. In the Old Testament the term is applied to priests (Ex. 28:41), who received the… -
Messina, Archdiocese of (MESSINA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City of northeastern Sicily, on the strait of the same name that connects the Mediterranean to the Tyrrhenian. It is an archiepiscopal see with 3 suffragans… -
Messina, Giuseppe
Jesuit, Iranist and historian of the religions of the Ancient East, b. at S. Cataldo (Caltanissetta) on 6 Jan. 1893, d. at Messina on 28 June 1951. After his… -
Metabolism (METABOLISMO)
The term m. denotes the whole set of chemical transformation processes that the materials introduced from the environment (ingesta) undergo in their flow… -
Metaphysics (METAFISICA)
It is the ultimate philosophical consideration of the meaning, the principles and the structure of reality. Therefore all the contrasts, the controversies and… -
Metapsychics (METAPSICHICA)
From the Greek μετὰ (beyond) and ψυχή (soul); in Italian also: metapsychology, parapsychology, metagnomics, psychic research. M. can be defined as: a branch of… -
Metastasio, Pietro
Poet, b. in Rome on 3 January 1698, d. in Vienna on 12 April 1784. His surname Trapassi was Hellenized into M. by his tutor Gian Vincenzo Gravina, the famous… -
Metempsychosis (METEMPSICOSI)
METEMPSICOSI: V. REINCARNAZIONE. -
Meteorological Organization (ORGANIZZAZIONE METEOROLOGICA)
Meteorology as a science owes its development to air navigation and radio, inasmuch as it becomes increasingly necessary for the assistance of aircraft, which… -
Meteorology (METEREOLOGIA)
The etymology of the word indicates that originally it referred to the study, or at least the observation, of all supraterrestrial phenomena (τὰ μενέωρα = the… -
Methodism (METODISMO)
One of the most important branches of Protestantism, which takes its origin from the preaching of the Wesley brothers: John, b. at Epworth (Lincolnshire) on 17…