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1,512 articles · English index · Indice italiano-
Piffl, Friedrich Gustav
Cardinal, b. 15 Oct. 1864 at Landskron (diocese of Königgrätz, in Bohemia), d. 21 Apr. 1932 at Vienna. In 1883 he had entered the Canons Regular of the Lateran… -
Pigafetta, Antonio
Navigator belonging to a noble Vicentine family, b. around 1480 or perhaps even a few years later. Nothing is known of him until 1519, when he is found… -
Piggott, Henry James
Founder of American Methodism in Italy, b. at Lowestoft (England) on 18 July 1831, d. at Rome on 30 Nov. 1917. Educated at the Wesleyan school of Kingswood, in… -
Pighi, Giovanni Battista
Moral theologian and historian, b. at Parona in 1847, d. at Verona on 23 February 1926. Having earned a doctorate in theology at the Gregorian University, he… -
Pighius (Pigghe), Albert (PIGGHE (PIGHIUS), ALBERT)
Theologian and controversialist, b. at Kempen, whence the name Campensis, in 1490, d. at Utrecht on 26 Dec. 1542. He studied philosophy and theology at… -
Pignatelli, Francesco
Cardinal, born in Naples on 6 February 1652 and died there on 5 December 1734. Of the dukes of Monteleone, he entered the Order of the Theatines at a very… -
Pignatelli, Giacomo
Canonist, b. at Grottaglie (Taranto) on 8 April 1625, d. at Rome in 1698. A priest and member of the chapter of the collegiate church of Grottaglie, he took… -
Pignatelli, Giuseppe Maria, Blessed (PIGNATELLI, GIUSEPPE MARIA, BEATO)
Jesuit and first organizer of the revived Society of Jesus in Italy, b. in Zaragoza to the Italian family of the princes of Monteleone on 27 Dec. 1737; d. in… -
Pigneau de Behaine, Pierre-Joseph-Georges
Missionary, b. at Origny-en-Thiérache (Aisne, France), he pursued his studies in Paris at the Collège des Trente-Trois and entered the priesthood at the… -
Pignotti, Lorenzo
Poet and fabulist, b. at Figline on 9 Aug. 1739, d. at Pisa on 5 Aug. 1812. After completing his studies at the Seminary of Arezzo, he took his degree in… -
Pijjūt
Synagogal Hebrew poetry, cultivated by the "paytanim" (from ποιητής), largely liturgical, in which echo the biblical Psalms, the preceptive literature (v.… -
Pilate, Pontius (PILATO, PONZIO)
I. LIFE. - Roman procurator of Judea, at the time of Jesus. A descendant of the family of the Pontii, of Samnite origin, already famous in the earliest times… -
Pilati, Carlo Antonio
Political writer, b. at Tassullo, near Trento, on 28 Dec. 1733, d. there on 27 Oct. 1802. A professor of civil law at Trento, he began his publicistic activity… -
Pilcomayo, Apostolic Vicariate of (PILCOMAYO, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
The mission of P., situated in the north-western part of Paraguay and the south-western part of Bolivia, was erected as a prefecture on 26 February 1925 with… -
Pileo
A cap of leather or cloth, from the Greek πῦος, used by the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. In ancient Christian monuments it is given to Orpheus, to the… -
Pileo of Prata (PILEO DI PRATA)
Cardinal, b. ca. 1320-30, d. in 1400. Count of Prata, a descendant of the noble Porcia family and related to the Carraresi of Padua through his mother… -
Pilgram, Friedrich
German thinker, sociologist and lay theologian, b. at Imbach near Solingen in 1819, d. at Monheim on the Rhine on 21 Nov. 1890. Educated in Protestant… -
Pilgrimage (PELLEGRINAGGIO)
From the Latin peregrinatio "journey in a foreign land", it is a devotional practice consisting in going collectively or individually to a sanctuary or to a… -
Pilgrim Brothers (FRATELLI PELLEGRINI)
Name given in the Middle Ages to the missionary friars of the Order of St. Dominic. Not belonging to any particular province, they were subject to their own… -
Pilgrim Fathers (PILGRIM FATHERS (PADRI PELLEGRINI))
In England, in the 16th century, alongside the official Church two dissenting groups formed: the Puritans (v.) and the Separatists, who wanted complete… -
Pillio da Medicina
Glossator, civilist, b. in the first half of the 12th century, disciple of Oderico, continuator and, for some, pupil of Piacentino. There is notice of him in… -
Pimenio, Saint (PIMENIO, SANTO)
His real name was Poemen (= Shepherd); he was born in Egypt around 340. From his youth he devoted himself to a penitential life, and at the age of 15 he… -
Pimodan, Georges-Auguste-Marie-Elie de Rarécourt de La Vallée, Marquis of (PIMODAN, GEORGES-AUGUSTE-MARIE-ELIE DE RARÉCOURT DE LA VALLÉE, MARCHESE DI)
Papal general, b. in Paris on 29 Jan. 1822, from an ancient family of the Argonne; he pursued classical studies with the Jesuits of Fribourg, then entered the… -
Pinacotheques (PINACOTECHE)
PINACOTECHE: v. MUSEO E MUSEOLOGIA. -
Pinamonti, Giovanni Pietro
Jesuit, preacher and writer of ascetical works, b. at Pistoia on 27 Dec. 1632, d. during a mission, at Orta (diocese of Novara), on 26 June 1703. Having… -
Pinar del Río, Diocese of (PINAR DEL RIO, DIOCESI DI)
City of the Republic of Cuba in the Antilles, and seat of a diocese, suffragan of San Cristóbal de la Habana. It has an area of 13,500 sq km with a population… -
Pindemonte, Ippolito
Poet, b. at Verona on 13 Nov. 1753, d. there on 18 Nov. 1828. He studied at Modena. When barely more than twenty, also for reasons of health, he undertook… -
Pineda, Juan de
Spanish exegete, b. in 1558 at Seville, d. there in 1637. A Jesuit from 1572, even before his priesthood he taught Aristotle at Granada and then at Seville. As… -
Pinerolo, Diocese of (PINEROLO, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of Piedmont, suffragan of the archdiocese of Turin. The diocese extends over an area of 100 sq km, with a population of 79,850 inhabitants, of… -
Pingliang, Diocese of (PINGLIANG, DIOCESI DI)
In the north-eastern part of the province of Kansu (northern China). Erected as an apostolic prefecture with 17 civil sub-prefectures detached from the… -
Pinheiro
City and nullius prelature in the State of Maranhão in Brazil. The territory of the prelature extends for 44,463 sq km between the bay of São Marcos on the… -
Pini, Giovanni Domenico
Assistant of Catholic Action, b. in Milan on 29 Jan. 1871, d. at Arona on 11 Apr. 1930. He attended the University of Pavia and of Genoa, where he earned his… -
Pini, Michele, Blessed (PINI, MICHELE, BEATO)
Camaldolese recluse, b. in Florence in 1442, d. at Camaldoli on 21 Jan. 1522. Raised at the court of the Medici, he was a favorite of Lorenzo the Magnificent… -
Pinito, Bishop of Knossos, Saint (PINITO, VESCOVO DI CNOSSO, SANTO)
He is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 10 October, but it is not established that he had a cult in antiquity. According to Eusebius, he was bishop… -
Pinot, Noël, Blessed (PINOT, NOËL, BEATO)
Martyr of the French Revolution, b. at Angers on 19 Dec. 1747, d. there on 21 Feb. 1794. A priest in 1771, in that same year he was vicar of Bousse, in 1776 at… -
Pinsk-Pinsk, Diocese of (PINSK-PINSK, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of Poland. Over an area of 50,000 sq km it has 319,603 Catholics, distributed in 133 parishes, served by 148 diocesan priests; 7 female… -
Pinto, Hettor
Portuguese mystical writer, b. at Covilhã around 1528, d. in 1584, Knight of St. John. He studied at Coimbra and Sigüenza. More than for his works in Latin… -
Pinturicchio, Bernardino Betti (di Betto) detto Il
Painter, b. in Perugia in 1454, d. in Siena in 1513. Trained in the Umbrian milieu, perhaps under the guidance of Caporali, he was later influenced in… -
Piny, Alexandre
Dominican mystical writer, b. at Allos (Provence) on 25 Feb. 1640, d. at Paris on 20 Jan. 1709. He took the religious habit at Draguignan. He taught at… -
Pio da Carpi, Family (PIO DA CARPI, FAMIGLIA)
A PIO who was podestà of Modena in 1177 can be considered its progenitor. One of his descendants, EGIDIO, was expelled from Modena in 1264 together with other… -
Piombatore della Cancelleria Apostolica
Among the Chancery personnel assigned to the drafting and dispatch of papal bulls or to the collection of the related fees, the plumbator is properly the one… -
Piona
Ancient abbey in the diocese of Como situated on a promontory almost at the mouth of the Adda. It was a Cluniac abbey in the 12th century, then passed into… -
Pionius (PIONIO)
He suffered martyrdom at Smyrna on the day of the feast (natale) of Polycarp, according to the Martyrdom of P. in the persecution of Decius; according to… -
Pious Causes (CAUSE PIE)
CAUSE PIE: v. BENI ECCLESIASTICI; FONDAZIONE PIA. -
Pious Daughters of Mary Most Holy (MAESTRE PIE FIGLIE DI MARIA S.MA)
On the eve of Corpus Christi in 1829 (19 June), Caterina Molinari (later Sister Maria Vittoria Crocifissa) gathered with three other companions in the ancient… -
Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PIE DISCEPOLE DEL DIVIN MAESTRO)
Fondate ad Alba nel 1924 da d. Alberione. Scopo: essere di aiuto con la preghiera e le opere ai due rami, maschile e femminile, della Società S. Paolo da lui… -
Pious Legate (LEGATO PIO)
A pious bequest is a modal bequest, in which the modus is a pious purpose of charity or religion. SUMMARY: I. Notion. - II. Various legal and historical forms.… -
Pious Mothers of the Negroes (PIE MADRI DELLA NIGRIZIA)
Religious congregation dependent on Propaganda, founded in 1872 in Verona by the servant of God Daniele Comboni (v.) with the support of the diocesan bishop… -
Pious Rural Catechists (PII OPERAI CATECHISTI RURALI)
A congregation whose purpose is religious assistance in the countryside and the establishment of agricultural schools for the children of peasants. It is… -
Pious Sisters of Redemption (PIE SUORE DELLA REDENZIONE)
Institute founded in Cagliari in 1935 by Mother Anna of Jesus. It was elevated to an Institute of pontifical right in 1949. Its purpose is the redemption of… -
Pious Sisters of the Little Mission for the Deaf-Mute (PIE SORELLE DELLA PICCOLA MISSIONE PER LE SORDOMUTE)
Istituto fondato a Bologna, nel 1890, dai due fratelli sacerdoti Giuseppe e Cesare Gualandi.It is the female branch for the education of deaf-mute girls… -
Pious Union (UNIONE PIA)
It is an association of the faithful established for a purpose of piety or charity. It is not strictly required that it be a moral person, since the simple… -
Pious Union of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (PIA UNIONE DI GESÙ, MARIA E GIUSEPPE)
Religious congregation with simple vows founded in 1880 by Sister Rita Amata of Jesus in Portugal and then transferred to Brazil following the suppressive… -
Pious Union of Saint Paul the Apostle (UNIONE DI SAN PAOLO APOSTOLO, PIA)
A meritorious association founded in Rome in 1790 and canonically erected in 1797 in the archhospital of St. Mary of Consolation. Its purpose was to gather… -
Pious Work (OPERA PIA)
OPERA PIA: v. FONDAZIONE PIA; LEGATO PIO. -
Pious Workers of the Immaculate Conception (PIE OPERAIE DELL'IMMACOLATA CONCEZIONE)
Founded in 1744 by Msgr. Fr. A. Marcucci, bishop of Montaldo Marche. The purpose is the instruction and the civil and religious formation of children in… -
Pippin III, the Short (PIPINO III, IL BREVE)
B. in 714, son of Charles Martel and considered the adoptive son of Liutprand as a sign of friendship between Lombards and Franks, with the title of maior… -
Piracicaba, Diocese of (PIRACICABA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of São Paulo in Brazil. It has an area of 1400 sq km with a population of 167,000 inhabitants, of whom 160,000 are Catholics. It… -
Pirandello, Luigi
Writer of short stories, novels and plays, b. in Agrigento on 28 June 1867, d. in Rome on 1 Dec. 1930. Nobel Prize 1934. While still a high-school student he… -
Piranesi, Giovanni Battista
Architect and engraver, b. at Mojano di Mestre on 4 Oct. 1720, d. at Rome on 9 Nov. 1778. He initiated certain aspects of neoclassical taste in Rome, both as… -
Pirhing, Ehrenreich
Canonist and moralist, b. at Siegarthing (Lower Bavaria) on 12 Apr. 1606, d. at Dillingen (Bavaria) on 15 Sept. 1679. A Jesuit in 1628, he taught philosophy at… -
Pirkheimer, Charitas (PIRKHEIMER (PIRKHEIMER), CHARITAS)
Poor Clare nun, b. at Eichstätt on 21 March 1466, d. at Nuremberg on 19 Aug. 1532. Sister of the humanist Willibald P., she was highly learned, a friend of… -
Pirkheimer, Willibald (PIRKHEIMER (PIRKHEIMER), WILLIBALD)
A noted humanist of Germany, b. at Eichstätt on 5 Dec. 1470, d. at Nuremberg on 22 Dec. 1530. He attended the University of Padua (1489) for Greek letters, and… -
Piromalli, Paolo
Dominican theologian and missionary, b. at Siderno (Reggio Calabria) in 1591, d. at Bisignano (Calabria) in 1667. A religious at S. Giorgio Morgeto, he studied… -
Pirot, Louis
New Testament exegete, b. at Châteauroux on 10 July 1881, d. at Lille on 5 Dec. 1939. He was professor of Sacred Scripture at the Grand Seminary of Bourges… -
Pirroni, Carlo Giovanni
Piarist, b. at Campi Salentina (Lecce) on 7 June 1640, d. at Rome on 13 Apr. 1685. Founder, together with Fr. Angelo Morelli, of the philosophical studentate… -
Pirrotti, Pompilio Maria, Saint (PIRROTTI, POMPILIO MARIA, SANTO)
PIRROTTI, POMPILIO MARIA, santo: v. POMPILIO M. PIRROTTI. -
Pisa, Archdiocese of (PISA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese of Tuscany. Its suffragan dioceses are Apuania, Livorno, Pescia, Pontremoli and Volterra. The extent of the diocese varied from one age to… -
Pisacane, Carlo
Patriot and writer, b. in Naples on 22 Aug. 1818, d. at Sanza on 2 July 1857. Of a noble family, he entered the Collegio della Nunziatella at the age of… -
Pisanello, Antonio Pisano, called Il (PISANELLO, ANTONIO PISANO, DETTO IL)
Painter, draughtsman, medallist, b. at Pisa before 1395, d. probably at Naples in 1450. Having moved with his mother to Verona he was called il P., and Stefano… -
Pisani, Francesco
Cardinal, b. in Venice around 1494 to Alvise, procurator of St. Mark's, and Cecilia Giustinian. At the request of the doge he was created cardinal deacon by… -
Piscator (Fischer), Johannes
PISCATOR (FISCHER), JOHANNES : v. PESCATORE, GIOVANNI. -
Piscetta, Luigi
Theologian, b. at Comignano (Novara) on 12 Feb. 1858, d. at Turin on 25 Oct. 1925. He professed in the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) from 17 July… -
Piscina
PISCINA : v. BATTISTERO; CANTARO. -
Pisides, George (Γεώργιος ὁ Πισίδης) (PISIDES, GIORGIO (ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ Ὁ ΠΙΣΊΔΗΣ))
A native of Pisidia, deacon and skeuophylax of Hagia Sophia, he lived under the emperor Heraclius (610-41) and the patriarch Sergius, with whom he was in close… -
Pistelli, Ermenegildo
Philologist and writer, b. at Camaiore (Lucca) on 15 Feb. 1862, d. at Florence on 14 Jan. 1927. A Piarist in 1884, having earned his degree in letters at… -
Pistis, Saint (PISTIS, SANTA)
PISTIS, santa: v. SOPHIA, PISTIS, ELPIS and AGAPE, saints. -
Pistis Sophia
It is the title given by Schwartz to a Gnostic writing of the 3rd century in the Coptic language, contained in the Codex Askewianus of the British Museum. The… -
Pistocchi, Mario
Canonist, b. at Meldola (Forlì) on 16 Sept. 1874, d. at Forlì on 10 Dec. 1943. Ordained a priest in 1897, he obtained a doctorate in utroque iure at the… -
Pistoia, Diocese of (PISTOIA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese, capital of a province in Tuscany. The diocese, which already existed in the 5th century, was declared by Martin V in 1420 a suffragan of… -
Pistorius, Johann
Polemicist and historian, b. at Nidda on 14 Feb. 1546 (hence the name Niddanus), d. at Freiburg im Breisgau on 18 July 1608. Son of the namesake P. J. Niddanus… -
Pitati, Bonifacio de
PITATI, BONIFACIO de: v. BONIFACIO VERONESE. -
Pithou, Pierre
Jurist, b. at Troyes on 1 Nov. 1539, d. at Nogent-sur-Seine on 1 Nov. 1596. He completed his legal studies together with his brother François at the University… -
Pitigliano, Diocese of (PITIGLIANO, DIOCESI DI)
PITIGLIANO, DIOCESI di: v. SOVANA E PITIGLIANO, DIOCESI di. -
Pitra, Jean-Baptiste
Benedictine, cardinal, librarian of the Holy Roman Church, b. at Champforgeuil (dept. of Saône-et-Loire) on 1 Aug. 1812, d. in Rome on 9 Feb. 1889. First a… -
Pitrè, Giuseppe
The greatest scholar of folk traditions that Italy can boast of, and one of the most distinguished in Europe, b. at Palermo on 22 Dec. 1841, d. there on 9 Apr.… -
Pittoni, Giambattista
Painter, b. in 1687, perhaps in Venice, d. there on 17 Nov. 1767. He received the first rudiments of the art from his uncle Francesco, a mediocre painter, but… -
Pittsburgh, Diocese of (PITTSBURG, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The diocese of P., a suffragan of Philadelphia, today covers a territory of 7,238 square miles; it has a… -
Piura, Diocese of (PIURA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of Peru, suffragan of Trujillo. It has an area of 43,588 sq km and a population of 500,000 inhabitants, of whom 498,975 are Catholics, with 60… -
Pius III, Pope (PIO III, PAPA)
Francesco Todeschini, b. at Siena around 1440, d. at Rome on 18 Oct. 1503. Son of a sister of Pius II, he received from him the surname of Piccolomini, the… -
Pius II, Pope (PIO II, PAPA)
Born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory on 18 Oct. 1405, died at Ancona on 15 Aug. 1464. I. THE YOUNG HUMANIST. - Enea Silvio Piccolomini, from a decayed… -
Pius I, Pope, Saint (PIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
In the Roman Martyrology he is commemorated on July 11; it was Ado who first inserted him into his Martyrology. He succeeded Hyginus, but the chronology is… -
Pius IV, Pope (PIO IV, PAPA)
For more than four months the three factions in the Sacred College—the Spanish, the French, and the group of cardinals loyal to Paul IV—assembled in conclave… -
Pius IX, Pope (PIO IX, PAPA)
Descendant of the Mastai family of Cesena, which received the comital title for its merits from the Duke of Parma and added to its own surname that of the… -
Piusverein
Association founded in Mainz in 1848 by A. F. Lenning, canon of the Cathedral, and by G. Riffel in order to organize the Catholics of Germany in defense of… -
Pius VIII, Pope (PIO VIII, PAPA)
Francesco Saverio Castiglioni, b. at Cingoli on 20 Nov. 1761, d. at Rome on 30 Nov. 1830. He studied at the Campana college of Osimo and then at the Montalto… -
Pius VII, Pope (PIO VII, PAPA)
Barnaba Gregorio Chiaramonti, b. 14 Aug. 1740 (not 1742) at Cesena, son of Count Scipione and the marchioness Giovanna Ghini. After his early studies at the… -
Pius VI, Pope (PIO VI, PAPA)
Giannangelo Braschi, b. at Cesena on 25 Dec. 1717 to Count Marc'Aurelio Tommaso and Anna Teresa Bandi. Educated by the Jesuits, he received his doctorate in… -
Pius V, Pope, Saint (PIO V, PAPA, SANTO)
The last Pope to be canonized, b. 17 Jan. 1504 at Bosco, near Alessandria, to Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria: he entered the Dominican Order at Voghera… -
Pius XII, Pope (PIO XII, PAPA)
Eugenio Pacelli, born in Rome on 2 March 1876 to the lawyer Filippo (v. PACELLI, family) and to Virginia Graziosi, received his formation in Rome itself: after… -
Pius XI, Pope (PIO XI, PAPA)
Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, b. at Desio on May 31, 1857, to Francesco and Teresa Galli, both of modest condition, d. in Vatican City on Feb. 10, 1939… -
Pius X, Pope, Blessed (PIO X, PAPA, BEATO)
Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, born at Riese, a village in the diocese of Treviso, on 2 June 1835, to Giovanni Battista Sarto, a municipal messenger, and… -
Pizarro, Francisco
Spanish conqueror of Peru, b. around 1475 at Trujillo (Cáceres, Extremadura), d. June 26, 1541 at Lima. The natural son of Gonzalo P., he received no education… -
Pizzicolli, Cyriacus de' (Ciriaco de' Pizzicolli) (PIZZICOLLI, CIRIACO DE' (KYRIACUS DE PICENI COLLIBUS))
One of the most singular figures of Humanism for his versatility of genius and his curiosity for learning: painter, poet, orator, and above all archaeologist… -
Pizzolo, Niccolò
Painter and sculptor, b. ca. 1420, d. in Padua in 1453. Unlike many other contemporary Paduan artists, he did not frequent Squarcione's workshop but trained… -
Placare Christe Servulis
Hymn of Vespers for the feast of All Saints, by an unknown author; it is found in manuscripts from as early as the 10th century. It is a succession of… -
Place, Charles-Philippe
Cardinal, b. 14 February 1814 in Paris, d. 5 March 1893 in Rennes. (phot. Geb. fot. una.) PIZZOLO, NICCOLÒ. - Madonna in throne among various saints.… -
Placet
PLACET (REGIO): v. EXEQUATUR E PLACET. -
Placid, Eutychius and Companions, Saints, Martyrs (PLACIDO, EUTICHIO E CONSOCI, SANTI, MARTIRI)
They probably perished in the Diocletianic persecution (303-13). The Hieronymian Martyrology commemorates them on 5 October as Sicilian martyrs: « in Sicilia… -
Placid, Saint (PLACIDO, SANTO)
Disciple of St. Benedict. His only biographical source is the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great (II, 3-7: PL 66, 140-46; critical edition by U. Moricca, Rome… -
Plagues of Egypt (PIAGHE DI EGITTO)
Punitive portents wrought by God through Moses and Aaron in Egypt following Pharaoh's repeated refusals to let the people of Israel go free. There are ten of… -
Plain Chant Music (PLAIN CHANT MUSICAL)
In 1669 Henri Du Mont published five masses that have become universally famous. It seems that he was also the inventor of the term by which are designated… -
Planck, Gottlieb Jakob
Lutheran theologian, b. 15 Nov. 1751 at Nürtingen in Württemberg, d. at Göttingen on 31 Aug. 1833. He was an eminent figure both in his territorial church (he… -
Planck, Max
Thinker and scientist, b. in Kiel on 23 April 1858, d. in Göttingen on 4 October 1947. > (from J. Demers, Oud nederlandsche Kunstmakers in betrekking met… -
Planets (PIANETI)
PIANETI: v. ASTRALI DIVINITÀ. -
Planning and Planism (PIANIFICAZIONE E PIANISMO)
There is economic planning when, in a nation, the functions of economic life are, for particular needs, programmed and controlled by the State in order to… -
Plant, Cult of the (PIANTA, CULTO DELLA)
The sacred value of the plant, whether herb or tree, is documented among all peoples, whether the plant is part of a forest, or stands solitary in the middle… -
Plantin, Christophe
One of the most distinguished and active printers of the 16th century, creator of a typographic-publishing enterprise that lasted over 3 centuries and, from… -
Planudes, Maximos
Byzantine theologian and humanist of the 13th-14th centuries, whose deeds were handed down almost exclusively in his own letter collection. Born at Nicomedia… -
Plasencia (Placentin), Diocese of (PLASENCIA (PLACENTIN), DIOCESI DI)
A city and diocese in Spain, whose territory extends not only into the civil province of Cáceres, but in part also into those of Salamanca, Badajoz and Avila.… -
PLATA (la) o CHARCAS, DIOCESI di
PLATA (la) o CHARCAS, DIOCESI di: v. SUCRE, DIOCESI di. -
Platina, Bartolomeo Sacchi detto Il
Humanist, b. at Piadena (whence his name), near Cremona in 1421, d. at Rome of the plague on 21 Sept. 1481. For four years he served as a soldier under… -
Plato Levšin (PLATONE LEVŠIN)
In the world Pyotr Georgievich Levshin, Metropolitan of Moscow, celebrated as a preacher, writer and ecclesiastical administrator, b. at Tschachinikowa, near… -
Platonia
From platoma or platomum: marble slab. The term is found used in the Liber Pontificalis, in the biography of Liberius, of whom it is said that "he adorned with… -
Platonism (PLATONISMO)
For ancient Greek Platonism, see the entry ACCADEMIA (I. Greek Platonism). Here we shall treat: I. Platonism in the Fathers; II. Platonism in the Middle Ages… -
Plato (ΠΛΆΤΩΝ) (PLATONE (ΠΛΆΤΩΝ))
Greek philosopher of the 5th-4th century B.C., among the greatest thinkers of humanity. SUMMARY: I. His life. - II. The works: authenticity and chronology. -… -
Pleasure (PIACERE)
In general, in classical usage it indicates the "joy" of the senses when they are satisfied and therefore also the physical well-being that derives from it… -
Plebiscite (PLEBISCITO)
In Roman public law "p." indicated a resolution adopted by the concilia plebis on the proposal of the tribunes, and was therefore distinct from a law, in the… -
Pledge, Right of (PEGNO, DIRITTO DI)
I. NOTION. - It is the ius in re by which the creditor has a special guarantee over a movable good and constitutes one of the legitimate causes of preference.… -
Plekhanov, Georgi Valentinovich (PLECHANOV, GEORGI VALENTINOVIČ)
Born in 1856, died on May 31, 1918, one of the most important theorists of Russian Marxism and, more generally, of international Marxism. Originally a follower… -
Pleroma (ΠΛΉΡΩΜΑ)
Technical term of the gnosis of Valentinus and his followers (Marcus, Ptolemy, Pistis Sophia, etc.). The word, which was also in use outside gnosis (e.g., Rom.… -
Pliny the Elder (PLINIO IL VECCHIO)
Scholar, b. at Como in 23 A.D., d. near Misenum on 24 Aug. 79 A.D. during the eruption of Vesuvius that buried Stabiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii. He studied at… -
Pliny the Younger (Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus) (PLINIO IL GIOVANE (CAIUS PLINIUS CAECILIUS SECUNDUS))
A nephew on his sister's side of the naturalist Pliny the Elder (v.), born at Como in 62 A.D., he came to Rome where he had Quintilian as his teacher, was… -
Plombières, Congress of (PLOMBIÈRES, CONVEGNO DI)
The personal policy of Napoleon III, tending on the one hand to ensure the triumph of the principle of nationality in Italy and desirous on the other of… -
Plotinus (PLOTINO)
Greek philosopher, b. at Lycopolis (Egypt) in 205 A.D. A disciple, for eleven years, of Ammonius Saccas in Alexandria, he followed the emperor Gordian III in… -
Plumier, Charles
Minim, naturalist-botanist, b. at Marseille on 20 Apr. 1646, d. at Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) on 16 Nov. 1704. He professed among the Minims at Marseille in… -
Plunkett, Oliver, Blessed, Martyr (PLUNKET, OLIVER, BEATO, MARTIRE)
Of a noble Irish family, b. at Loughcrew (county Meath) in 1629, d. in London on 11 July 1681. Having gone to Rome in 1645 with Cardinal Legate P. F. Scarampi… -
Pluntēria (Πλυντήρια) (PLINTERIE (ΠΛΥΝΤΉΡΙΑ))
From πλύνω "I wash," a purification festival celebrated - probably on 25 Thargelion (May-June) - in honor of Athena as the second cleansing of the temple in… -
Pluralism (PLURALISMO)
In opposition to monism (v.), it is the doctrine according to which reality is constituted of multiple and diverse entities. Aristotelian philosophy can be… -
Plutarch and Companions, Saints, Martyrs (PLUTARCO E COMPAGNI, SANTI MARTIRI)
Commemorated together on 28 June although they did not die on the same day. The entry in the Hieronymian Martyrology was certainly taken from Eusebius'… -
Plutarch of Chaeronea (PLUTARCO DI CHERONEA)
Greek philosopher and historian, b. in Chaeronea (Boeotia) between 46 and 50 A.D. He studied philosophy and mathematics in Athens. He stayed for a long time in… -
Pluteo
This refers to an element mostly of marble or also of wood (in Syria) used as a screen. Famous were the p. of Trajan (anaglypta Traiani) in the loggia of the… -
Plutocracy (PLUTOCRAZIA)
In the etymological sense, p. (from πλοῦτος = "wealth" and κράτος = "power") means the dominion of wealth or of the men who possess it — industrialists… -
Plymouth Brethren (PLYMOUTH, FRATELLI DI)
PLYMOUTH, FRATELLI di: v. DARBITI. -
Plymouth, Diocese of (PLYMOUTH, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in England established as a separate see in 1850; it comprises the counties of Devonshire, Cornwall, Dorsetshire and the Isles of Scilly. It… -
Pneumatology (PNEUMATOLOGIA)
From πνεῦμα (spirit) and λόγος (word-concept), it means the science of the spirit. An expression by now little or not at all used. Some authors call… -
Pneumatomachi
Trinitarian heretics who denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit (c. 360-5th century). I. HISTORY. - In the Creed of the Council of Nicaea, as regards the Holy… -
Pobedonostsev, Konstantin Petrovich (POBÉDONOSCEV, KONSTANTINI PETROVIĆ)
Russian jurist and statesman, b. in Moscow on 18 Nov. 1827, d. in St. Petersburg on 10 March 1907. After completing his studies in jurisprudence, P. entered… -
Poccetti, Bernardino Barbattelli detto Il (POCCETTI, BERNARDINO BARBATELLI, DETTO IL)
Painter, also called Bernardino delle Facciate, delle Muse and delle Grottesche, b. in Florence in 1548, d. there on 9 Nov. 1612. In 1580 and 1585 he worked in… -
Podesti, Francesco
Painter, b. in Ancona on 21 March 1800, d. in Rome on 10 Feb. 1895. Having moved early to Rome, at S. Luca he was a pupil of Camuccini and of Landi, winning… -
Podgorica (PODGORITZA)
It is the ancient "Dioclea" in eastern Illyricum, where in 1873 a large dish of diaphanous white glass with raised rims was discovered, on which scenes drawn… -
Podlachia, Diocese of (PODLACHIA, DIOCESI DI)
PODLACHIA, DIOCESI di: v. SIEDLCE, DIOCESI di. -
Podocataro, Ludovico
Cardinal, physician, papal secretary, b. in Nicosia on the island of Cyprus ca. 1430 to a noble family, d. in Rome on 25 Aug. 1504. Because of the fortunes of… -
Poe, Edgar Allan
American poet and storyteller, b. in Boston on Jan. 9, 1809, d. in Baltimore on Oct. 7, 1849. After a failed attempt at a military career, he entered… -
Poggi, Giuseppe
Born at Piozzano (Piacenza) on 21 Aug. 1761, died at Ruebelle, near Montmorency, on 19 Febr. 1842. Known as the director of the Annali politico-ecclesiastici… -
Poggio, Giovanni
Cardinal, born in Bologna on 21 January 1493 to Cristoforo, secretary of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, and to Francesca Quistelli. He was in Spain as a guitar… -
Poggio Mirteto, Diocese of (POGGIO MIRTETO, DIOCESI DI)
POGGIO MIRTETO, DIOCESI di: v. SABINA, DIOCESI di. -
Pogliasca, Giovanni Francesco
Scholar and jurist, born at La Spezia. Died in the year 1561. He was chaplain of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, then referendary of the two Signatures, master… -
Pohle, Joseph
Theologian, b. at Niederspay (Coblenz) on 13 March 1852, d. at Breslau on 21 Feb. 1922. He studied philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University.… -
Poimandres
POIMANDRES: v. ERMETICI, LIBRI. -
Poimen
POIMEN: v. PIMENIO. -
Poincaré, Jules-Henri (POINCARÉ, JULES-HENRY)
Mathematician and thinker, b. at Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle) on 29 April 1854, d. at Paris on 17 July 1912. He taught (1881) in the Faculty of Sciences at… -
Poincaré, Raymond
French politician, b. 20 Aug. 1860 at Bar-le-Duc (Meuse), d. 15 Oct. 1934 in Paris. At the age of 27, in 1887, he became a deputy for the first time.… -
Pointe-Noire, Apostolic Vicariate of (POINTE-NOIRE, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
In French Equatorial Africa. It originated from the apostolic vicariate of the French Congo, erected on 28 May 1886 with territory detached from that of the… -
Poissy, Colloquy of (POISSY, COLLOQUIO DI)
The discords provoked by Calvinist preaching in the Kingdom of France and the factions that had arisen from it, especially among the high nobility, together… -
Poitiers, Diocese of (POITIERS, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the department of Vienne in France; it comprises the two civil departments of Vienne and Deux-Sèvres with an area of 12,970 sq km and a… -
Polanco, Juan Alonso
Jesuit, historian, b. at Burgos in 1516, d. at Rome on 21 Dec. 1576. "Magister artium" in Paris, apostolic secretary in Rome, he entered the Society of Jesus… -
Poland (POLONIA)
I. GEOGRAPHY. - Poland, as constituted after the Second World War (1945), presents great differences from the state that existed between 1918 and 1939. Poland… -
Poland, Sacred (POLONIA SACRA)
Periodical of the Faculty of Theology of the Jagiellonian University of Kraków, published since 1948. It deals mainly with the ecclesiastical history of Poland… -
Polar Regions (TERRE POLARI)
GEOGRAPHY - This designation refers to the complex of continental or insular territories that extend into the regions nearest the Poles. While in the boreal… -
Polding, John Bede
Archbishop of Sydney, b. 18 Nov. 1794 at Liverpool, d. 16 March 1877 at Sydney. Left an orphan, he was adopted by his uncle J. Bede Brewer, president-general… -
Pole, Margaret, Blessed (POLE, MARGARET, BEATA)
English martyr, b. at Castle Farley, near Bath, on 14 Aug. 1473, to George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, d. in London on 27 May 1541. In 1491 she married Sir… -
Polemio, Silvio (POLEMIO SILVIO)
Gallic writer. He lived in the 5th century and was a friend of St. Hilary and of Bishop Eucherius of Lyon. It seems that he held offices at court and that he… -
Pole, Reginald
Born at Stourton Castle (Staffordshire) in March 1500 to Sir Richard (d. 1505), whose mother was a half-sister of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and… -
Poletti, Luigi
Architect, b. in Modena on 28 Oct. 1792, d. in Milan on 2 Aug. 1869. As a young man he studied in Bologna at the Accademia Clementina, then, from 1818, he… -
Poliander (Graumann), Johann (POLIANDER (GRAUMANN) JOHANN)
Lutheran reformer, b. at Neustadt on the Main in 1487, d. at Königsberg in 1541. He studied at Leipzig and there became rector of the school of St. Thomas, and… -
Policastro, Diocese of (POLICASTRO, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the province of Salerno; it has an area of 1,200 sq km with a population of 70,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed in 41 parishes… -
Polidoro da Caravaggio
Painter, b. c. 1500 at Caravaggio, d. at Messina (killed by a servant boy for the purpose of robbery) in 1543. Lomazzo has handed down his surname: Caldara.… -
Polignac, Melchior de
Cardinal, diplomat and apologist, b. at Puy-en-Velay on 11 Oct. 1661, d. at Paris on 20 Nov. 1741. He studied in Paris, becoming passionately devoted to the… -
Polish Friars (FRATRES POLONI)
Antitrinitarian heretics, Socinians, who existed in Poland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Fausto Socini, when he moved to Poland in 1579, in fact assumed the… -
Political Assemblies (ASSEMBLEE POLITICHE)
ASSEMBLEE POLITICHE : v. PARLAMENTI. -
Political Economy (ECONOMIA POLITICA)
As many definitions of political economy have been given as there have been phases in its doctrinal development; indeed, the nature of every definition derives… -
Political Elections (ELEZIONI POLITICHE)
In a regime of representative democracy every citizen who has the requirements established by law is called to take part in the government of public affairs… -
Political Freedoms (LIBERTÀ POLITICHE)
They are the most immediate practical applications of the principle of liberty in a truly democratic State, that is, one that recognizes the right of all… -
Politics (POLITICA)
Etymology, from the Greek πόλις = city, suggests the first and most general meaning of the term, insofar as it brings into evidence the object to which it… -
Politi, Lancelotto (Ambrosio Catarino) (POLITI, LANCELLOTTO (AMBROGIO CATARINO))
Dominican theologian, b. at Siena ca. 1484, d. at Naples on 8 Nov. 1553. A consistorial advocate under Leo X (1516), he turned toward religious problems… -
Poliziano, Angelo (POLIZIANO, ANGIOLO)
From Montepulciano, where he was born on 14 July 1454 and from which he later took the name Politianus, Agnolo Ambrogini soon came to Florence, to relatives… -
Pollaiuolo, Antonio di Jacopo Benci, called del (POLLAIOLO, ANTONIO DI JACOPPO BENCI, DETTO DEL)
Painter, sculptor, goldsmith, architect, b. in Florence ca. 1431 (according to others 1426, or 1429, or 1433), d. in Rome, where he is buried, in S. Pietro in… -
Polliaco, Johannes de (John of Pouilly) (GIOVANNI DI POUILLY (DE POLLIACO))
Scholastic philosopher and theologian, d. after 1322. A disciple of Godfrey of Fontaines (de Fontibus), in 1295 he became magister artium, before 1307 doctor… -
Pöllmann, Ansgar
German Benedictine writer, b. 21 Sept. 1871 at Hechingen (Hohenzollern), lived for many years in the monastery of Beuron, d. at Eltville am Rhein on 20 June… -
Polo, Marco
One of the greatest Italian travelers, b. in Venice in 1254 to Niccolò, member of a commercial house that had a wide range of trade in the Levant, with a… -
Polvara, Giuseppe
Painter and architect, b. at Pescarenico (Lecco) on 23 Nov. 1884, d. at Milan on 20 Feb. 1950. Ordained a priest in 1909, he assumed the direction of the… -
Polyandrion (POLIANDRO)
From the Greek πολύς = much and ἀνὴρ = man, it is a term used by Fr. G. Marchi to indicate a tomb containing several human bodies (Monumenti delle arti… -
Polyandry (POLIANDRIA)
From the Greek πολύς = much and ἀνήρ = man, it is the simultaneous marital cohabitation of one woman with several men. I. MORAL THEOLOGY AND CANON LAW. -… -
Polybiblion
With the aim of providing information on the content and value of the principal contemporary literary output, both French and foreign, P. first appeared in… -
Polycarp, Saint (POLICARPO, SANTO)
A disciple of the apostle St. John (Eusebius, Hist. eccl., V, 20, 5 ff.) and ordained by him bishop of Smyrna (Tertullian, De praescr., 32, 2), he came to Rome… -
Polycrates of Ephesus (POLICRATE DI EFESO)
In a letter of reply to Pope Victor (189-99) and to the Church of Rome, he defended the Quartodeciman tradition of the Church in Asia Minor. The defense is… -
Polycronius (POLICRONIO)
Bishop of Apamea in Syria, d. c. 430. He was the brother of Theodore of Mopsuestia and by Theodoret, who indeed ends his Ecclesiastical History with the memory… -
Polyembryony (POLIEMBRIONIA)
POLIEMBRIONIA: v. ANIMATION; REGULATION. > POLIDORO DA CARAVAGGIO - Christ Falls under the Cross - Naples, Picture Gallery. -
Polyeuto, Saint, Martyr (POLIEUTO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
On his tomb, at Melitene in Armenia, a church already existed at the end of the 4th century, and another was dedicated to him at Constantinople in the 5th…