O
329 articles · English index · Indice italiano-
Holofernes (OLOFERNE)
Commander-in-chief, the highest personage after the king (Jdt. 2:4; cf. I Chron. 16:5; II Chron. 28:7; Esth. 13:3; 16:11), to whom Nebuchadnezzar (= Artaxerxes… -
Oakeley, Frederick
English convert, b. at Shrewsbury on 5 Sept. 1802, d. at Islington on 30 Jan. 1880. Fellow of Balliol College in 1827, parish priest of Oxford in 1839. He… -
Oates, Titus
Political-religious adventurer, b. at Oakham (Rutlandshire) in 1649, d. in London on 23 July 1705. His name is linked to the famous plot, entirely invented… -
Oath (GIURAMENTO)
I. NOTION. - It is the invocation of God as witness to the truth of one's statement and to the actual undertaking of a future act or fact. The oath therefore… -
Oaxaca, Diocese of (OAXACA, DIOCESI DI)
OAXACA, DIOCESI di: v. ANTEQUERA OAXACA, DIOCESI di. -
Oban, Diocese of (OBAN, DIOCESI DI)
OBAN, DIOCESI di: v. ARGYLL E ISOLE, DIOCESI di. -
Obededom ("Servant of [the God] Edom") (OBEDEDOM (« SERVITORE DEL [DIO] EDOM »))
A Philistine native of Gath (v.), living in the vicinity of Jerusalem and perhaps a "bodyguard" of David (II Sam. 15:18). He must have been a righteous and… -
Obed (OBED)
Name of several figures of the Old Testament. 1. Son of Boaz and Naomi and grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17, 21, 22; 1 Chron. 2:12). - 2. One of the "mighty… -
Obedience (OBBEDIENZA)
A moral virtue, annexed to justice, which regulates the relations of subjects with authority and makes the will ready to carry out the command of a superior… -
Obedientiary Power (POTENZA OBBEDIENZIALE)
POTENZA OBBEDIENZIALE: V. SOPRANNA-TURALE, ORDINE. -
Oberammergau
Village in the Bavarian Alps, in the archdiocese of Munich, famous for its sacred performances of the Passion of Our Lord ("Passionsspiele"), which originated… -
Obicini, Tommaso
Franciscan Palestinian scholar and Arabist, b. at Noni, diocese of Novara, and therefore called Thomas of Novara, d. in Rome on 7 Nov. 1632. Guardian of Aleppo… -
Obituary (OBITUARIO)
A register for para-liturgical use, very widespread in the Middle Ages and perpetuated down to the present day, containing the date of death, the name and the… -
Object (OGGETTO)
From ob-icere (ob-iectum, Gk. ἀντι-κλίμενον) it is that which stands opposite, which is placed before. It therefore implies, etymologically, a relation of… -
Objectivism (OGGETTIVISMO)
A tendency or orientation, common to philosophical systems that are otherwise different, according to which knowledge does not grasp merely phenomena or… -
Oblate, Ceremonies of the (OBLATE, CERIMONIE DELLE)
OBLATE, CERIMONIE delle: v. OFFERTORIO. -
Oblates and Oblate Sisters (OBLATI E OBLATE)
This was the name given to children consecrated to God in a monastery by their own parents, and to those adults who in the late Middle Ages offered themselves… -
Oblates and Oblate Sisters, Congregations of (OBLATI E OBLATE, CONGREGAZIONI DI)
Religious institutes of men and women, with or without religious vows. Still in existence there are: I. OBLATES OF STS. AMBROSE AND CHARLES. - Founded by St.… -
Oblationaries of Saint Ambrose (OBLAZIONARI DI SANT'AMBROGIO)
This is also the name given to the 10 men and 10 women, elderly and secular, who make up the « Schola S. Ambrosii veglonum (vecchioni) et veglonissarum… -
Oblations (OBLAZIONI)
A generic term, liturgical and juridical, used ab antiquo to indicate the spontaneous offerings made by the faithful in church and outside of church… -
Obligation (OBBLIGAZIONE)
O. in its very Latin etymology means, in the active sense, the act of binding or obligating, in the passive sense the feeling of being bound or obligated, or… -
Obrecht (Hobrecht), Jacob
Flemish musician, b. at Utrecht around 1430, d. at Mantua in 1505. He was first a singer at the court of Ercole d'Este in Ferrara; he then moved to Utrecht… -
Obregón, Bernardino
Founder of the Congregation of the Minim Brothers, b. near Burgos on 20 May 1540, d. in Madrid on 6 Aug. 1599. Left an orphan at a very early age, after the… -
Obreptio
OBREPTIO : v. BESCRITTI. -
Obrogation (OBROGAZIONE)
Obrogation (ob-rogare, that is, contra rogare) is a change to an already existing law made in such a way that, a part having been added, another part is taken… -
Obsequial (OBSEQUIALE)
OBSEQUIALE : v. RITUALE. -
Obsession (OSSESSIONE)
OSSESSIONE: v. DEMONIACHE, MANIFESTAZIONI; SPIRITISMO. -
Obsessive Psychosis (PSICOSI OSSESSIVA)
In the most modern classifications it is included in the group of the psychoneuroses; it takes its name from the typical symptomatic complex: compulsive or… -
O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey
As a politician and historian, b. 28 Feb. 1797 at Mallow (County Cork, in Ireland), d. 29 May 1880 in New York. He emigrated in 1823 to Canada, to Québec… -
Occasionalism (OCCASIONALISMO)
A philosophical current that develops Cartesian philosophy, resolving its dualism (v.) by attributing efficient causality to God alone, and to finite beings a… -
Occasion of Sin (OCCASIONE DI PECCATO)
I. NOTIONS. - By occasion of sin properly is meant a circumstance of person, thing, or place, external to the subject, which allures someone to sin, making its… -
Occultism (OCCULTISMO)
OCCULTISMO: V. METAPSICHICA. -
Occupation (OCCUPAZIONE)
It is one of the modes of original acquisition of property, indeed the first of them even historically and the most important at the origins of society. It… -
Oceania
I. GEOGRAPHY. - In the broad sense this name denotes the Australian continent and the insular world that accompanies it, including the islands scattered in the… -
Ocheti (OCHETUS)
Among the various genres of musical composition that arose in the Middle Ages, the O. is a particular technique, later elevated to a form in its own right… -
Ochino, Bernardino
Apostate, b. in Siena in the contrada dell'Oca (whence his name O.) in 1487 to a poor family, d. at Slavkov (Moravia) toward the end of 1564. I. LIFE. - Having… -
Ochozias (OCHOZIA)
King of Israel, son of Ahab and Jezebel, he reigned for about two years (853-852 B.C.). A contemporary of Jehoshaphat king of Judah (v.), he maintained with… -
Ochozias (Joachaz) (OCHOZIA (IOACHAZ))
King of Judah, son of Jehoram (v.) and Athaliah; he reigned only one year (842 B.C.). He was among the few members of the royal family who escaped deportation… -
Ockeghem, Johannes
Polyphonist, b. in Flanders ca. 1430, d. at Tours ca. 1495. In > (from La revue musicale, 5 [1933], pp. 32-33) OCKEGHEM, JOHANNES - J. O. and the singers of… -
Ockham (Occam, Okam, Ocham), William of (OCCAM (OCKHAM, OCKAM, OKAM, OCHAM), GUGLIELMO DA)
English Franciscan, b. at Occam (county of Surrey), around 1290, d. probably at Munich in 1349-50. He studied at Oxford, where around 1310 he began the study… -
O'Clery, Michael
Irish historian, b. at Kilbaron (County Donegal) in 1575, d. at Louvain in 1643. He entered the Franciscan Order, in the college of St. Anthony at Louvain… -
O'Connell, Daniel (O'CONNEL, DANIELE)
Statesman, b. at Carhen on 6 Aug. 1775, d. at Genoa on 15 May 1847. Having obtained a degree in law in England, in 1798 he began his forensic career. Only a… -
Octateuch (OTTATEUCO)
Il termine (ὁκτώ «otto» e τοῦτος «scrigno» o custodia per libri e quindi «libro») appare la prima volta in Cassiodoro (De institutione divinarum litterarum, 1… -
Octateuch of Clement (OTTATEUCO DI CLEMENTE)
OTTATEUCO di CLEMENTE: v. COSTITUZIONI APOSTOLICHE. -
Octavarium Romanum
Liturgical book of the Roman Church, of optional use, which contains the lessons of the second and third Nocturn to be read during the days of the particular… -
Octave (OTTAVA)
The extension of a liturgical feast over eight days. I. IDEA AND ORIGINS. - The prolongation of any solemn celebration, civil or religious, is a natural thing… -
Octave of Prayer for the Unity of the Church (OTTAVA DI PREGHIERE PER L'UNITÀ DELLA CHIESA)
A pious practice instituted by Fr. Paul James Wattson (v.), in 1908, while he was still a Protestant minister in America and had founded at Graymoor the two… -
Octoechos
Liturgical book of the Byzantine rite, which contains the proper parts of the Divine Office for a series of eight consecutive weeks, according to the… -
Oderisi
Illuminator, b. in Gubbio, but active in Bologna, where the documents show him present between 1268 and 1271. Dante mentions him (Purg., XI, v. 79 ff.)… -
Oderzo (Opitergium)
Ancient diocese of the patriarchate of Aquileia, today in the diocese of Ceneda, now called Vittorio Veneto. A city of the Veneto Euganeo, province of Treviso… -
Odescalchi, Family (ODESCALCHI, FAMIGLIA)
Originally from Como. Its progenitor is presumed to be a GIORGIO, who lived in 1290. Many of its members held important political offices in the Milanese area… -
Odescalchi, Marco Antonio Anastasio
Master of the Chamber, b. at Moltrasio in May 1624, d. at Rome on 28 May 1670. Having received Holy Orders at Como, he moved (1554) to Rome with his cousin… -
Odes of Solomon (ODI DI SALOMONE)
This is the title of 42 hymns written in Greek in the 2nd century and inspired by a very hazy mysticism. The very lack of clear outlines in this religious… -
Odet of Châtillon (ODET DI CHÂTILLON)
Apostate, son of the marshal de Châtillon and of Louise de Montmorency, b. on 10 July 1517, d. in London on 14 Feb. 1571. He was created cardinal, at the age… -
Odilia, Saint (ODILIA, SANTA)
Foundress and abbess of Hohenburg, patroness of Alsace. Daughter of Adalric, duke of Alsace, according to legend she was rejected by her father because she was… -
Odilo, Saint (ODILONE, SANTO)
Fifth abbot of Cluny. Born in Auvergne around 962, from the noble family of the Mercoeur, died in 1049. Having entered Cluny in 991, he succeeded St. Maiolus… -
Odington, Walter
Benedictine monk, who lived in England in the second half of the 13th century. He resided first at Evesham, then at Merton College (Oxford); he had a deep… -
Odino
ODINO: v. GERMANI, RELIGIONE dei. -
Odium (ODIO)
It is generally the state of aversion, of persistent enmity toward any object whatsoever. It is to be considered either as a passion of the sensitive appetite… -
Odium Plebis
It is one of the causes provided for by the CIC for the removal (v.) of a parish priest. Already in the law of the Decretals (c. 10, X, de renuntiatione, I, 9)… -
Odoacer (Odoacer, Odoacar) (ODOACRE (ODOACER, ODOACAR))
First barbarian king of Italy, b. in 434, d. at Ravenna on 15 March 493. Of Scirian origin, he came to Italy early, enlisting in the army among the palace… -
Odofredo Denari
Jurist, one of the last glossators, born in Bologna of a noble and wealthy family in the first decade of the 13th century, died on 3 December 1265. A pupil of… -
Odollam (ODOLLAM)
A Canaanite city, often mentioned in the Bible from the time of the Patriarchs to that of the Maccabees (cf. Gen. 38:1; Josh. 12:15; 15:35; 2 Chron. 11:7; Neh.… -
O'Donnell, Family (O' DONNELL, FAMIGLIA)
A powerful and ancient Irish family, originating in the 11th century, lords of the county of Tyrconnell (present-day Donegal). It was frequently at war with… -
O'Donovan, John
Irish historian, b. 9 July 1809 at Atteemore (County Kilkenny), d. 9 Dec. 1861 at Dublin. In 1826 he began working in the Irish Record Office, and three years… -
Odo of Cambrai, Blessed (ODDONE DI CAMBRAI, BEATO)
Benedictine theologian and bishop, b. at Orléans around the middle of the 11th century, d. in the monastery of Anchin, near Douai, on 19 June 1113.… -
Odo of Cluny, Saint (ODDONE DI CLUNY, SANTO)
Second abbot of Cluny in 878-79, from a noble family of Maine, d. at St-Julien de Tours on 18 Nov. 942. Admitted in 898 among the Canons of St. Martin of… -
Odo of Ourcamp (ODDONE D'OURSCAMP)
Theologian, also called Sussionensis since he was born in the diocese of Soissons, d. ca. 1171. He was a magister at the University of Paris, where he also… -
Odorico of Pordenone, Blessed (ODORICO DA PORDENONE, BEATO)
Born at Villanova di Pordenone between 1269 and 1272, of the Mattiussi, an Italian family. While still very young he embraced the Franciscan life in the… -
Oecolampadius (Oekolampad, Heuszgen), Johannes (ECOLAMPADIO (OEKOLAMPAD, HEUSZGEN), JOHANN)
One of the minor reformers, b. at Weinsberg (Württemberg), then in the Palatinate, in 1482, d. at Basel in Switzerland on 24 Nov. 1531. After completing his… -
Oecumenius (ECUMENIO)
Count of Isauria in the first half of the 6th century, correspondent and adherent of the Monophysite Severus. Author of a commentary on the Apocalypse… -
Oeiras, Diocese of (OEIRAS, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the state of Pará in Brazil. It has an area of 70,000 sq. km., with a population of 350,000 inhabitants, of whom 348,000 are Catholics. It… -
Oengus (Aengus, Latinized Aengussius, Aeneas), Saint (OENGUS (AENGUS, LATINIZZATO AENGUSSIUS, AENEAS), SANTO)
Irish monk called "the Culdee" (v. CULDEI), b. at Clúain-Ednéch (Clonenagh, in Leix), d. there on 11 March 824. Educated in the local monastic school, after a… -
Offertory (OFFERTORIO)
The name derives from the verb offerre (to offer, to bring), whose participle oblatum gave rise to the word "oblation," "oblata," by which the thing offered is… -
Official of the Curia (UFFICIALE DELLA CURIA)
UFFICIALE DELLA CURIA: v. CONGREGAZIONI ROMANE. -
Ogdensburgh, Diocese of (OGDENSBURG, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of New York (U.S.A.). The diocese, a suffragan of New York, has an area of 12,036 square miles and a total population (1950) of… -
O Gente Felix Ospita
Hymn of Lauds in the Office of the feast of the Holy Family, composed by Leo XIII. The humble family of Nazareth is proposed as a model for Christian families.… -
Oghamic, Script (OGAMICA, SCRITTURA)
From Ogma, Ogmu, Ogmios, the Celtic god of eloquence and writing, whom Lucian (Hercules, 1; ca. 175 A.D.) describes dressed in a lion's skin, with a club… -
Ogilvie (Ogilby), John, Blessed (OGILVIE (OGILBY), JOHN, BEATO)
Jesuit, martyr, b. at Drum-na-Keith (Scotland) in 1580, d. at Glasgow on 10 March 1615. Educated as a Calvinist, he made a long stay abroad of 21 years, during… -
Oglerio of Trino, Blessed (OGLERIO DI TRINO, BEATO)
Cistercian abbot, d. 10 Sept. 1214. From about 1205 until his death he was abbot of the monastery of S. Maria di Lucedio near Trino Vercellese. His cult ab… -
Ogliastra, Diocese of (OGLIASTRA, DIOCESI DI)
In the province of Nuoro with the episcopal residence in Lanusei. It has an area of 2,461 sq km with a population of 55,000 inhabitants, all Catholics… -
O Gloriosa Virginum
Hymn of Lauds in the Common Office of the feasts of Our Lady, composed by Venantius Fortunatus. Full of admiration for the Virgin, the poet extols her who gave… -
Ogoja, Apostolic Prefecture of (OGOJA, PREFETTURA APOSTOLICA DI)
In the south-eastern part of Nigeria entrusted to the Society of St. Patrick for Foreign Missions (Ireland). It was erected on 13 March 1938 with territory… -
Ohrid (ACRIDA)
A bishopric city that succeeded the ancient Lychnidos; it begins to be mentioned in the Bulgarian era, when, after a cathedral had been erected there by King… -
Ojetti, Benedetto
Canonist, b. in Rome on 5 April 1862, d. there on 30 September 1932. Having entered the Society of Jesus in 1878 and been assigned to the juridical sciences… -
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Diocese of (OKLAHOMA E TULSA, DIOCESI DI)
In the United States of America. The diocese comprises the State of Oklahoma and has (1950) a total population of 2,230,253 inhabitants, of whom 75,748 are… -
Olaf II, Haraldsson, King of Norway, Saint (OLAF II, HARALDSSON RE DI NORVEGIA, SANTO)
Called Olaf the Strong or Olaf the Holy, b. in 995, d. in 1030. Son of Harald of Norway, he spent his youth as a Viking, both in England and in Normandy: he is… -
Olaf I, Tryggvesson, King of Norway (OLAF I, TRYGGVESSON, RE DI NORVEGIA)
Great-grandson of King Harald I Haarfagre, founder of the kingdom of Norway, b. in 969. He fought alongside Svend, king of Denmark, against the English, when… -
Olafsson, Pietro
OLAFSSON, PIETRO: v. PIETRO DI OLAF. -
Old Age (VECCHIAIA)
Biologists and physicians today tend to differentiate the concept of senescence from that of senility or old age. Thus, according to Pende, by the first term… -
Old Catholics (Altkatholiken) (VECCHI CATTOLICI (ALTKATHOLIKEN))
This was the name given to the members of the schismatic Church that arose from the opposition to the Vatican Council and to the proclamation of papal… -
Old Testament Studies ("Studia Anticotesamentaria") (OUDTESTAMENTISCHE STUDIEN («STUDI ANTICOTESTAMENTARI»))
A series of memoirs of the "Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland," which studies with special attention Semitic philology, Palestinian and Eastern… -
Olesnicki, Zbigniew (OLESNICKI, ZBYGNIEW)
Bishop of Kraków, cardinal and Polish statesman, b. at Sienno in 1389, d. at Sandomierz on 1 April 1455. After completing his studies at Sandomierz and Kraków… -
Olga of Russia (OLGA DI RUSSIA)
Born around 890, died in 970, wife of the Russian prince Igor I of Kiev (d. 945) and mother of his successor Svjatoslav, during whose minority she governed the… -
Olichon, Armand-Louis-Joseph-Marie
Born in Rennes on 11 April 1876, and died in Paris on 19 May 1936. After completing his secondary studies, he entered the Dominican novitiate at Flavigny… -
Oliden, Gaspar (de)
Theatine theologian and ascetical writer, b. at Elgoibar (Guipúzcoa, in Spain), d. ca. 1740. He made his religious profession at Madrid on 6 Jan. 1683. After… -
Olier, Jean-Jacques
French priest, founder of the Society of St. Sulpice, b. in Paris on 20 Sept. 1608, d. there on 2 Apr. 1657. He did his studies at the college of the Trinità… -
Oliger, Livarius
Franciscan historian, b. at Schorbach in Lorraine on 27 February 1875, d. at Rome on 29 January 1951. On 25 September 1892 he took the religious habit at… -
Olimpio, Francesco, Venerable (OLIMPIO, FRANCESCO, VENERABILE)
Theatine ascetical writer, b. in Naples on 5 Aug. 1559, d. there on 21 Feb. 1639. He was distinguished for his holy life, rich in works of charity and of… -
Olinda and Recife, Archdiocese of (OLINDA E RECIFE, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
In the State of Pernambuco (Brazil). It is the metropolis of the ecclesiastical province whose boundaries coincide with those of the said State and contain the… -
Oliva, Alessandro
Cardinal, b. at Sassoferrato in 1407, d. at Rome on 20 or 22 Aug. 1463 in the odor of sanctity. He entered the Hermits of St. Augustine, among whom he held the… -
Oliva, Gian Paolo
Eleventh general of the Jesuits, b. in Genoa on 4 Oct. 1600, d. in Rome on 26 Nov. 1681. Having entered the Society in 1616, he was rector of the Roman… -
Olivaint, Pierre
Jesuit, victim of the Commune (v.), b. in Paris on 22 Feb. 1816, d. there on 26 May 1871. Son of a Napoleonic officer, he completed his literary studies (1828)… -
Olivares, Gaspar de Guzmán de (OLIVARES, GASPAR DE GUZMAN DE)
Known as the "count-duke," Spanish minister, b. in Rome in 1587, d. at Toro (Zamora) on 22 July 1645. Son of Henry, ambassador of Spain to Rome. Philip III… -
Oliveira, Diocese of (OLIVEIRA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. It has an area of 6,887 sq km with 198,000 Catholic inhabitants. It has 17 parishes served by 17… -
Olivetan Benedictines (BENEDETTINI OLIVETANI)
A family of the great Benedictine Order, founded in 1313 at Monte Oliveto Maggiore, in the province of Siena, by Bl. Bernardo Tolomei together with his fellow… -
Olivetans (OLIVETANI)
OLIVETANI: v. BENEDETTINI OLIVETANI. Here the Count and the said Duke becomes Imogene Valius. Mch. oronale OB.BIS from Count to Duke. (from Liutprand's works… -
Olivieri, Pier Paolo
Sculptor and architect, b. in Rome in 1551 and d. there in 1599. Both in his architectural works and in his sculptural ones he is bound to the very particular… -
Olivi (Olieu), Pietro di Giovanni
Friar Minor, schoolmaster and leader of the Spiritual group, b. at Sérignan (Languedoc) ca. 1248, d. at Narbonne on 14 March 1298. I. LIFE. - A Friar Minor of… -
Ollegario, Bishop of Barcelona, Saint (OLLEGARIO, VESCOVO DI BARCELLONA, SANTO)
Also called Oldegario and Olaguer, b. in Barcelona around the middle of the 11th century, d. there in 1137. Attached to the cathedral Chapter, he soon became… -
Ollé-Laprune, Léon (OLLE-LAPRUNE, LÉON)
Philosopher, b. in Paris on 25 July 1839, d. there on 13 Feb. 1898. A pupil of the École normale supérieure, he began his teaching at the Lycée of Nice, moving… -
Ologenesis (OLOGENESI)
OLOGENESI: v. EVOLUZIONE. -
Olomouc (Olmütz), Archdiocese of (OLOMOUC (OLMÜTZ), ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Archdiocese and city of Moravia (Czechoslovakia). The city was founded in the 11th century and was the capital of Moravia until 1641. It has an area of 15,591… -
Oloron, Diocese of (OLORON, DIOCESI DI)
OLORON, DIOCESI di: v. BAIONA, DIOCESI di. -
Olshausen, Hermann
Protestant exegete of a positive stance in theology, opponent of rationalism, idealism, and Romanticism, b. at Oldeshoe (Holstein) on 21 Aug. 1796, d. at… -
Olshausen, Justus
Renowned Orientalist, brother of Hermann, b. at Hohenfelde (Holstein) on 9 May 1800, d. at Berlin on 28 Dec. 1882. In 1814 he began the study of Hebrew under… -
O Lux Beata Caelitum
Hymn of Vespers for the feast of the Holy Family, composed by Leo XIII. The poet invokes Jesus, on whom the affection of his parents smiles: Mary, who presses… -
Olympias, Saint (OLIMPIADE, SANTA)
She is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 17 December, but in the Greek Synaxaria on 24 July, which is the true dies natalis. Born in Constantinople in… -
Olympiodorus (OLIMPIODORO)
Deacon of Alexandria, a contemporary of Procopius of Gaza (6th century); he wrote commentaries on the Old Testament, drawing extensively on his predecessors.… -
Omaha, Archdiocese of (OMAHA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese in the State of Nebraska, U.S.A. O. covers an area of 14,051 square miles with a population (1950) of 543,656 inhabitants and 126,221… -
Ombrosi, Giovanni Paolo
Florentine jurist of the 18th century (d. 1774-75). Son of the rotal advocate Bartolomeo, he studied jurisprudence at the school of Vittorio Amadori… -
O'Meara, Kathleen
Irish writer, b. in 1839 in Dublin, d. on 10 Nov. 1888 in Paris. She first devoted herself to the composition of short stories, then to biography and the… -
Omeism (OMEISMO)
OMEISMO : v. ARIANESIMO. -
Omerites, Martyrs (OMERITI, MARTIRI)
OMERITI, MARTIRI: v. ABETA. -
Omnibene
Master of theology, who lived around the middle of the 12th century, probably at Bologna, and is perhaps to be identified with the canonist Omnibonus of… -
Omnis Expertem Maculae Mariam
Hymn of Vespers for the feast of the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes, composed by Leo XIII. In it the author briefly describes the history of the Shrine and… -
Omophagia (OMOPAGIA)
OMOPAGIA: V. ORFICI, MISTERI. -
Omophorion (OMOFORIO)
A liturgical vestment, distinctive of bishops of the Byzantine, Armenian, Syrian, Maronite and Coptic rites, it is a scarf (band, sash) of silk, 3 or 4 m.… -
Onah (ONA)
A small town in the diocese and province of Burgos (Spain), seat of the monastery of St. Saviour, founded in 1011 by the count of Castile and his wife Doña… -
Onan
Second son of Judah, son of the patriarch Jacob, born to him by his Canaanite wife, Shua. Since his brother Er had died without offspring, on his father's… -
Ondo, Diocese of (ONDO, DIOCESI DI)
In the south-eastern part of Nigeria. The evangelization of the territory began in 1913 through the work of the Fathers of the Society for African Missions.… -
One (UNO)
UNO: V. TRASCENDENTALI. -
O'Neill Family (O'NEILL, FAMIGLIA)
A famous Irish family, descended from Niall, king of Ireland in the 5th century. To it belonged Muircheartach Mac Neill, who was perhaps the first king of… -
Onesimus (ONESIMO)
A fugitive slave, probably Phrygian and from Colossae (Col. 4:9), on whose behalf St. Paul wrote the Epistle to Philemon (v.). The name of O. (=Useful) was… -
Onesiphorus (ONESIFORO)
A figure of the Church of Ephesus, mentioned in II Tim. 1:16 ff. and 4:19 (the "house of O."). From the whole context it appears that he was already dead when… -
Onias (ONIA)
Name of four Jewish high priests of the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. (Fl. Josephus, Antiq. Iud., XII-XIII; and Bell. Iud., VII). The first and the third are… -
O Nimis Felix Meritique Celsi
It is the third part of the hymn of the Office for the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, composed by Paul the Deacon, and it is sung at Lauds. In… -
Onitsha, Archdiocese of (ONITSHA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
In the central-southern part of Nigeria. The missionaries of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, coming from Gabon (French Equatorial Africa), settled there… -
Onofrius, Saint (ONOFRIO, SANTO)
Hermit of the Thebaid in Egypt, died toward the end of the 4th century or at the beginning of the 5th (the date 375 has no foundation). His feast in the Latin… -
Onofri, Vincenzo
Bolognese sculptor, first recorded in 1493 for the payment for two statues of Bl. Albertus Magnus and of Raymond of Peñafort in St. Dominic's in Bologna; he is… -
'Onqēlos ('ONQĒLÒS)
'ONQĒLÒS : v. TABGUM. -
Ontological Argument (ONTOLOGICO, ARGOMENTO)
In the history of philosophy, the o. a. is that form of demonstration which seeks to deduce the existence of God from His own concept. It is also called a… -
Ontologism (ONTOLOGISMO)
A philosophical trend, of varied meaning, characteristic especially of modern philosophy. I. NOTION AND HISTORY. - Many controversies have arisen around the… -
Ontology (ONTOLOGIA)
From ὄν and λόγος, science of being, it is synonymous with metaphysics (v.) and seems to have been introduced for the first time by J. Clauberg (v.), who used… -
O.N.U.
O.N.U.: v. ORGANIZZAZIONE DELLE NAZIONI UNITE. -
Onyx (ONICE)
A term that in the Vulgate denotes both a perfume and a precious stone. In Ex. 30:34 it is the perfume of the fragrant nail (blatta byzantina; Heb. lēhēlētō)… -
Oolla and Ooliba (OOLLA E OOLIBA)
Symbolic names chosen by Ezekiel (ch. 23) to designate Samaria and Jerusalem. Both are transcriptions of the Hebrew 'Ohôlâh = "a tent of her own" or "she who… -
Ophel
The southeastern hill of Jerusalem. The name, from the root 'áphal = "to swell," properly "protuberance," "prominence" (Deut. 28:27; I Sam. 54:61), came to… -
Ophir
Region reached by Solomon's fleet (1 Kings 9:28; 10:22), which King Jehoshaphat attempted to renew (ibid. 22:49) — with its base at the port of Ezion-geber… -
Ophites (OFITI)
Name of a group of Gnostics, which derives from the prominence they gave to the serpent in the account of paradise. These Gnostics were originally either Jews… -
Opicino de Canistris
Priest, draftsman and miniaturist of talent, b. at Lomello (Pavia) on 24 Dec. 1296, d. after 1334. In 1323 he became curate at S. Maria di Copella in Pavia.… -
Opinion (OPINIONE)
An assertion to which assent is given, but without absolute certainty and without there being evidence (v.) of its truth. Parmenides identifies opinion (δόξα)… -
Opi, Opalia, Opiconsivia
Ops, an ancient Roman goddess, is often identified in literary testimonies with the Greek Rhea and thus appears as the wife of Saturn (Kronos). Originally… -
Opium (OPPIO)
OPPIO: v. STUPEFACENTI. -
Oppido Mamertina, Diocese of (OPPIDO MAMERTINA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city in the province of Reggio Calabria, in a delightful position on the north-western spurs of the Aspromonte; a short distance from the sea, amid… -
Oppizzoni, Carlo (OPPIZZONI CARLO)
Cardinal, b. in Milan on 15 April 1769, d. in Bologna on 13 April 1855. After completing his studies in his native city and being ordained a priest, he devoted… -
Opposition of Third (OPPOSIZIONE DI TERZO)
It is one of the means of impugnment against a judgment (v.), and precisely the one granted to a person who, being a stranger to the trial, might be harmed by… -
O Prima Virgo Prodita
Hymn of Vespers for the feast of the Assumption, composed by the Jesuit Father V. Genovesi, for the new office of the Assumption, imposed by Pius XII on the… -
Optatus of Milevi in Numidia (Optatus Miletianus), Saint (OTTATO DI MILEVI IN NUMIDIA (OPTATUS MILETIANUS), SANTO)
Bishop of this city, in the 4th century, known for his polemical work against the Donatist Parmenian. The exact title of this work has not come down to us… -
Optics (OTTICA)
This name originally denoted that part of physics which deals with the modes of luminous phenomena. By light is meant a something which, coming — directly or… -
Optimism (OTTIMISMO)
In the narrower philosophical sense the term refers, at the beginning of the 18th century, to the doctrine of Leibniz (v.) which holds the existing world, and… -
Optina Pustyn'
Russian monastery near Kozelsk, in the province of Kaluga. Its origins are uncertain and date back to the 14th-15th century. During the 18th century it… -
Opus Decusque Regium Reliqueras
Hymn of Lauds in the Office of St. Elizabeth, queen of Portugal (July 8), written by Urban VIII, who had canonized her in 1625. The hymn is entirely a prayer… -
O Quot Undis Lacrymarum
Hymn of Matins in the Office of the feast of the Sorrows of Mary Most Holy (Sept. 15), composed in the 18th century by an unknown author. In it all the sorrow… -
Oracle (ORACOLO)
A divine communication given in specific places (cave, grove, sanctuary and the like) by a person consecrated to the sacrifice of a specific deity and invested… -
Oracula Vivae Vocis
These are privileges granted orally by the competent authority. The institution goes back to the time of St. Gregory the Great (Reg. 8, 16; MGH, Epistolae, II… -
Oradea Mare, Diocese of (ORADEA MARE, DIOCESI DI)
A united Catholic diocese in north-western Transylvania, in Romania after 1918. After the ecclesiastical union of a part of the Romanians of Transylvania with… -
Oradea Mare of the Latins, Diocese of (ORADEA MARE DEI LATINI, DIOCESI DI)
ORADEA MARE DEI LATINI, DIOCESI di: v. SATU MARE, DIOCESI di. -
Oral Informations (INFORMATIONES ORALES)
They are explanations or illustrations of the case that the advocate sets before the judge, in order to clarify the arguments that tell in his favor. They are… -
Oran, Diocese of (ORANO (ORAN), DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of Algeria, suffragan of the archdiocese of Algiers. It has an area of 67,353 sq km with a population of 1,990,729 inhabitants, of whom… -
Orange
City and ancient diocese in the department of Vaucluse in southern France. It is the ancient Arausio of Gallia Narbonensis. There Augustus founded the "colonia… -
Orante
The early Christians adopted for prayer the same gestures used by the pagans (Cicero, Fam. 7, 5; Virgil, Aen., II, 687 ff.; Apuleius, De mundo, 33) and by the… -
Orarium
ORARIUM: v. STOLA. -
Oratorio (Music) (ORATORIO (MUSICA))
The oratorio is distinguished from theatrical production by being absolutely devoid of the aid of scenery and of any visible expressive means; it is likewise… -
Oratory (Liturgy) (ORATORIO (LITURGIA))
It is a building or a sacred place destined, rather than for the use of all the faithful, for that of a college, a community, a family or a private individual… -
Oratory of Divine Love (ORATORIO DEL DIVINO AMORE)
ORATORIO DEL DIVINO AMORE: v. COMPAGNIA DEL DIVINO AMORE. -
Oratory of Eternal Wisdom (ORATORIO DELL'ETERNA SAPIENZA)
An association or Company of ecclesiastics and laypeople desirous of a more intense spiritual life, born and flourishing in Milan (early 1500s) through the… -
Oratory of Jesus and of Immaculate Mary (ORATORIO DI GESÙ E DI MARIA IMMACOLATA)
A society of priests living in community without vows, founded in Paris in 1611 by Pierre de Bérulle (v.). Its inspiration came to him from the Roman… -
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (ORATORIO DI SAN FILIPPO NERI)
ORATORIO DI SAN FILIPPO NERI: V. ISTITUTO DELL'ORATORIO DI SAN FILIPPO NERI. -
Orazio da Pennabilli (ORAZIO DA PENNABILI)
ORAZIO da PENNABILI: v. FRANCESCO ORAZIO da PENNABILI. -
Orcagna, Andrea di Cione Arcagnolo, called l' (ORCAGNA, ANDREA DI CIONE ARCAGNOLO, DETTO L')
Florentine painter, sculptor and architect, d. 1376. Recorded among the Florentine painters in 1343, his name reappears in many documents up to 1368. His… -
Orchestra in Liturgical Music (ORCHESTRA NELLA MUSICA LITURGICA)
The Church was always opposed to the use of musical instruments during the sacred rites, notwithstanding that in the early Middle Ages a rather bizarre… -
Orcus (ORCO)
The use of the word Orcus in Latin is manifold: it can indicate a place (the Underworld), a god, or the personification of death. As a god, in literature O.… -
Ordeal (ORDALIA)
From the Anglo-Saxon ordeal, German Urtheil "sentence", "judgment", the ordeal is a judgment that the divinity or a supernatural power is called upon to… -
Ordelaffi, Family (ORDELAFFI, FAMIGLIA)
It held the lordship of Forlì and other Romagna lands for two centuries. The lordship was already taking shape when SCARPETTA, son of Tebaldo, was captain of… -
Order and Ordination (ORDINE E ORDINAZIONE)
Order is the Sacrament, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which the ministers of Christian worship are constituted. I. THE SACRAMENT OF ORDER SUMMARY: I.… -
Order of Alcántara (ALCÁNTARA, ORDINE DI)
A chivalric order founded at S. Juliao de Pereyro in 1156, on the initiative of certain knights of Salamanca, headed by D. Suarez Fernández Barrientos, for the… -
Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge (ORDINE DI NOSTRA SIGNORA DELLA CARITÀ DEL RIFUGIO)
It was founded by St. John Eudes at Caen (Normandy) in 1641, with the primary purpose of the rehabilitation of fallen women, to whom the religious bind… -
Order of Preachers (FRATI PREDICATORI, ORDINE DEL)
Mendicant order founded by St. Dominic (hence: Dominicans) for preaching. Its modern constitutions indicate the means employed to prepare the friars for this… -
Order of the Holy Cross (ORDINE DELLA SANTA CROCE)
On the origin of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross there is no > (from A. A. Huckel, Homen, Fribourg 1861, pl. II) reliable information; however, it is… -
Order of the Most Holy Savior and of Saint Bridget (ORDINE DEL S.mo SALVATORE E DI SANTA BRIGIDA)
Founded, between 1344 and 1346, under the title of «O. of the Most Holy S.», by St. Bridget of Sweden, who dictated its Rule. It comprised nuns and religious… -
Order of the Most Holy Trinity (ORDINE DELLA S.MA TRINITÀ)
Martin, archbishop of Toledo, with the consent of the Chapter, grants to St. John of Matha the perpetual administration of the hospital of the Blessed Virgin… -
Ordinary (ORDINARIO)
He is the subject invested with ordinary power of jurisdiction. According to can. 198 § 1, the following are to be considered Ordinaries, barring express… -
Ordination (CHIROTONIA)
CHIROTONIA : v. MANI, IMPOSIZIONE delle. -
Ordoñez, Bartolomé
Castilian sculptor, b. in Burgos toward the last decades of the 15th century, d. still young at Carrara on 10 Dec. 1520. Biographical information is very… -
Oreb and Zeb (OREB E ZEB)
Totemic names ('ôrêbh "raven"; zê'êbh "wolf") of two Midianite chiefs, captured by the Israelites of Gideon's time (v.) west of the Jordan (Judg. 7:25; 8:3… -
Oreglia di Santo Stefano, Luigi
Cardinal, b. at Benevagienna (Mondovì) on 9 July 1828, d. at Rome on 7 Dec. 1913. A priest in 1851, he served at the Secretariat of State until 1863, when he… -
Oregon City, Diocese of (OREGON CITY, DIOCESI DI)
OREGON CITY, DIOCESI di: v. PORTLAND in OREGON, DIOCESI di. -
O'Reilly, Myles William Patrick
Irish politician, b. 13 March 1825 in Dublin, d. there 6 Feb. 1880. He studied at St. Cuthbert's College in Ushaw and at the University of London. A captain of… -
Oremus (Let Us Pray) (OREMUS (PREGHIAMO))
A generic invitation in the Roman rite from the celebrant to the faithful before the prayers at Mass (Collects, Secreta, Postcommunion, Pater noster), in the…