P
1,512 articles · 275 under Pe · English index · Indice italiano-
Lead (PIOMBO)
Lead was used in antiquity for the most disparate purposes: for conduits, small crosses, weights, tokens, ampullae, small plaques, fibulae, sepulchral urns… -
Peace (PACE)
According to the well-known definition of St. Augustine, peace consists in the tranquillity of order, tranquillitas ordinis (De civ. Dei, 19, 13), and since… -
Peace, Instrument of (PACE, STRUMENTO DI)
A liturgical instrument, mentioned by the Missale romanum (Ritus servandus in celebr. Missa, tit. X, n. 3, n. 8); by the Caerimonia episcoporum (I, 24, 2, 6… -
Peace of God (PACE DI DIO)
The disintegration of the Carolingian Empire brought about the fading of that program of peace and justice which Charlemagne had identified with the imperial… -
Peacock (PAVONE)
The peacock, originally from India, was known in Israel perhaps already in the time of Solomon, then in Greece and in Rome. It was a sacred animal to Hera and… -
Pecci, Giuseppe
Cardinal, b. at Carpineto Romano (diocese of Anagni) on 15 Dec. 1807, d. at Rome on 8 Feb. 1890. Brother of Gioacchino, who later became Leo XIII, he pursued… -
Pecham, John (Ioannes Pecham, Peckham, Peccamus, Pechamus) (PECHAM, JOHN (IOANNES PECKAM, PECKHAM, PECCAMUS, PECHAMUS))
Franciscan theologian and philosopher, b. at Patcham (in Sussex, England) ca. 1215-20, d. 8 Dec. 1292. Around 1250 he entered the Order of Friars Minor at… -
Pecia
As a term of the medieval book industry, it originally meant the whole skin of a calf or other animal tanned for writing use (parchment) or the sheet itself… -
Peckam, John
PECKAM, JOHN: V. PECHAN, JOHN. -
Pecock, Reginald
Theologian, b. in Wales around 1395, d. at Thorney around 1460. He was bishop of St. Asaph (1444) and of Chichester (1450) and one of the most remarkable prose… -
Pecora
Symbol of the soul, it is known from the parable of the Good Shepherd (v.). Gregory of Nyssa, addressing the Good Shepherd with the sheep on his shoulders, >… -
Pécs, Diocese of (CINQUECHIESE, DIOCESI DI)
City (called Pécs in Hungarian and Fünfkirchen in German), episcopal see and capital of the province of Baranya in Hungary. Its origin goes back to very… -
Pécs, Diocese of (PECS, DIOCESI DI)
PECS, DIOCESI di: v. CINQUECHIESE, DIOCESI di. -
Pectoral (PETTORALE)
PETTORALE: v. RAZIONALE. -
Pectorius (PETTORIO)
Mutilated Greek inscription in 7 fragments found on June 24, 1839 in a polyandrion at St-Pierre-l'Estrier near Autun (Saône et Loire). The inscription consists… -
Peculation (PECULATO)
Qualified theft by one who, being a public official or entrusted with a public service and having by reason of his office or service the possession of money or… -
Peculium (PECULIO)
A legal institution of great importance in Roman law, intimately connected with the unitary conception, in civil and economic matters, of the family under the… -
Pedagogy (PEDAGOGIA)
From παῖς = child and ἄγωγὴ = the action of leading by the hand (Latin manuductio), it is the science and art of education. I. PEDAGOGY AS A SCIENCE. - Now… -
Pedagogy, Corrective (PEDAGOGIA EMENDATIVA)
It is the branch of pedagogy whose object is the education of children who differ in varying degrees from normal children and are usually designated by the… -
Pedersen, Christiern
Danish humanist and theologian, b. around 1480 at Helsing, d. there on 16 January 1554. He studied at the University of Greifswald in 1496 and was thereafter a… -
Pedicini, Carlo
Cardinal, b. at Benevento on 2 Nov. 1769, d. at Rome on 19 Nov. 1843. Having entered the prelature at a very young age, in 1814 he was a member of the… -
Pedrini, Giovanni, called Giampietrino (PEDRINI, GIOVANNI, DETTO GIAMPIETRINO)
Painter, active in the first half of the 16th century. The only dated work, if its disputed attribution is accepted, would be the altarpiece (1521) in Pavia… -
Pedrini, Teodorico
Missionary of St. Vincent de Paul, b. at Fermo on 30 June 1670, d. at Peking on 10 Dec. 1746. He entered the Congregation of the Mission in Rome on 24 Feb.… -
Pedrosa, Pedro Cornejo de
PEDROSA, PEDRO CORNEJO DE: v. CORNEJO PEDROSA, PEDRO de. -
Pedro V, King of Portugal (PEDRO V, RE DEL PORTOGALLO)
B. Sept. 16, 1837 in Lisbon, d. there Nov. 11, 1861. On the death of his mother Maria II, in 1853, he was not yet of age and ascended the throne in 1855.… -
Peeters, Paul
Jesuit, hagiographer and orientalist, of the College of the Bollandists, b. at Tournai on 20 Sept. 1870, d. at Brussels on 18 Aug. 1950. Having entered the… -
Pègues, Thomas
Dominican theologian, b. at Marcillac (Aveyron) on 2 Aug. 1866, d. at Dax on 28 Apr. 1936. A religious in 1888 and a priest on 11 June 1892, he was entrusted… -
Péguy, Charles
Writer, b. at Orléans on 7 January 1873, d. in combat at Villeroy on 5 September 1914. In 1894, a first-year student at the École Normale in Paris, he joined… -
Peiresc, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de
Polymath humanist, b. at Beaugensiers on the Var on 1 Dec. 1590, d. at Aix in Provence on 24 June 1637. He traveled through Italy as far as Malta, Germany… -
Peking [Beijing], Archdiocese of (PECHINO, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
Peking, a city in the province of Hopeh, formerly the capital of China, is rich in monuments of ancient Chinese civilization. The vicissitudes of the spread of… -
Pelagia, Saint, Martyr (PELAGIA, SANTA, MARTIRE)
She is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology and in the Greek Synaxaria on 9 June, but the true "dies natalis" is 8 Oct., as the Syriac Martyrology attests.… -
Pelagius and Pelagianism (PELAGIO E PELAGIANESIMO)
I. LIFE. - Born in Britain (not in Ireland) around 354, died perhaps in the region of Alexandria ca. 427. First in Rome, where he settled perhaps ca. the year… -
Pelagius II, Pope (PELAGIO II, PAPA)
Of Germanic origin, born in Rome to Unigild. Having entered the clergy, in 579, upon the death of Benedict I, he was elected pontiff and consecrated on 26… -
Pelagius I, Pope (PELAGIO I, PAPA)
Son of John, a Roman official, from an aristocratic family, he was already a deacon in 536 and apocrisiary of Pope Agapetus in Constantinople: in May of that… -
Pelesz, Julian
Bishop, b. in the Lemko region (Carpathians) in 1843 and d. at Przemysl in 1896. He pursued his studies at the Ukrainian Seminary of St. Barbara in Vienna. A… -
Pelican (PELLICANO)
A bird of the order Steganopodes, family Pelecanidae, which lives on the shores of lakes in warm regions; its white plumage tends toward pink or yellow; its… -
Pelingotto, Giovanni Pelino Goto, called Il, Blessed (PELINGOTTO, GIOVANNI PELINO GOTO, DETTO IL, BEATO)
Franciscan tertiary, b. in Urbino of illustrious parents in 1240, d. there on 1 June 1304. As a young man he was set by his father to commerce, in which… -
Pella
Ancient city east of the Jordan (Bihil in the letters of el-'Amārnah, p'-hjr' in the list of Thutmosis III and in the stele of Seti I found at Bejsān), called… -
Pellegrini, Alessandro
Preacher and exegete, b. at Matelica in 1600, d. at Rome on 28 Aug. 1647. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1621; he was a professor of humanities and a… -
Pellegrini (Peregrini et Vagi)
In canon law, a peregrinus is one who for any reason is momentarily in a place other than that in which he has his domicile (v.) or quasi-domicile (CIC, can.… -
Pellegrino da Modena
PELLEGRINO da MODENA: v. MUNARI, PELLEGRINO. -
Pellegrino delle Alpi, Saint (PELLEGRINO DELLE ALPI, SANTO)
Scottish prince, b. toward the end of the 7th century. At the age of 15, having lost his father, he refused the crown offered to him and, after distributing… -
Pellegrino Laziosi, Saint (PELLEGRINO LAZIOSI, SANTO)
Born of a noble family after 1320 in Forlì, died there on 1 May 1402. Having turned to the religious life after a vision of the Virgin, he went to Siena, where… -
Pelliccia, Alessio Aurelio
Neapolitan priest, historian, archaeologist, b. in 1740 (or '44), d. in 1823 (or '22). At the age of 16 he composed a pamphlet on the origin and purpose of… -
Pellico, Silvio
Writer and patriot, b. at Saluzzo on 25 June 1789, d. at Turin on 31 Jan. 1854. The second-born of the numerous children of Onorato P. and Margherita Tournier… -
Pellikan, Konrad
Born at Ruffach (Alsace) on 8 or 9 January 1478, died at Zurich on 6 April 1556. He studied at Heidelberg from 1491 to 1492; in the following year he became a… -
Pellipario, Nicola
Painter of majolica, b. at Casteldurante (Urbania) no later than 1480, d. before 1547. After working in his native city and in Fabriano, he moved between 1515… -
Pellisson-Fontanier, Paul
Historian and apologist, b. at Castres into a Protestant family on 30 Oct. 1624, d. in Paris on 7 Feb. 1693. He graduated in law at Toulouse. Councillor of the… -
Pelotas, Diocese of (PELOTAS, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It has an area of 43,757 sq. km., with a population of 600,000 inhabitants, of whom 480,000 are… -
Pelplin, Diocese of (PELPLIN, DIOCESI DI)
PELPLIN, DIOCESI di: v. CULMA, DIOCESI di. -
Pelten, Theodorus
Jesuit, theologian, b. at Pelta (Overpelt, Belgium), from which he took his name, ca. 1510, d. at Augsburg on 2 May 1584. He was one of the first professors of… -
Pelusium (PELUSIO)
An ancient Egyptian city, situated on the easternmost branch of the Nile, corresponding to the present-day plain of et-Tineh. Being, by virtue of its position… -
Pembroke, Diocese of (PEMBROKE, DIOCESI DI)
In the province of Ontario, Canada. On July 11, 1882, Leo XIII created the apostolic vicariate of Pontiac, which was elevated to a diocese by the bull Cum ex… -
Penal Remedy (RIMEDIO PENALE)
By p. r. is meant all those means that the competent ecclesiastical authority uses for the purpose of preventing a crime, into which the faithful, clerics or… -
Peñalver y Cardenas, Luis Ignatius
Prelate, b. in Havana on 3 April 1749, d. there on 17 July 1810. A pupil of the Jesuits, he was forced to interrupt his studies because of the suppression of… -
Penance (PENA)
It is, in general, the suffering (privation or diminution of an individual good) imposed by law upon one who violates a command of that same law. Under most… -
Penance (PENITENZA)
Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ, by which personal p. (paenitentia virtus) is linked with an ecclesiastical judgment to which Christ has granted the power… -
Penati
From penates, the household gods, a term in which P. functions as an adjective, it means literally the gods "of the interior" (cf. penitus). Penus, in… -
Pendasio, Federico
Mantuan philosopher; from 1564 to 1570 he was a rival of Francesco Piccolomini for the chair of natural philosophy at Padua. From 1571 until his death (19 Dec.… -
Pendola, Tommaso
Piarist, b. in Genoa on 23 June 1800, d. in Siena on 12 Feb. 1882. While still very young he was appointed professor of logic and metaphysics at the University… -
Penedo, Diocese of (PENEDO, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Alagoas in Brazil. It has an area of 16,643 sq km with a population of 454,000 inhabitants, of whom 450,000 are Catholics. It… -
Pengpu [Bengbu], Diocese of (PENGPU, DIOCESI DI)
In the northern part of the province of Anhwei, in central China. It was erected as an apostolic vicariate on 21 February 1929 with 21 civil sub-prefectures… -
Penitential Books (LIBRI PENITENZIALI)
LIBRI PENITENZIALI: v. PENITENZIALI. -
Penitential Psalms (PENITENZIALI, SALMI)
A group of psalms (Ps. 6; 31; 37; 50; 101; 129; 142 [Vulg.]) that express trust in God's infinite mercy toward the sinner and toward the persecuted. They… -
Penitentials, Books of (PENITENZIALI, LIBRI)
They are collections of canons, more or less extensive, in which are listed the various penances (mortifications, prayers, fasts, alms, etc.) that can be… -
Penitentiary (PENITENZIARIO)
In the technical sense it is the place where an individual, sentenced by a final judgment, must expiate the penalty imposed upon him. It is therefore bound up… -
Penitentiary Canon (CANONICO PENITENZIERE)
In every cathedral church there must exist, as far as possible, the office of canon penitentiary, which may also be instituted in collegiate churches… -
Pennabilli, Diocese of (PENNABILI, DIOCESI DI)
PENNABILI, DIOCESI di: v. MONTEFELTRO, DIOCESI di. -
Penne e Pescara, Diocese of (PENNE E PESCARA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese with its seat at Pescara, it has 235,000 inhabitants, 70 parishes grouped into 14 foranias. It has another 290 churches and oratories. The territory… -
Penn, William
English Quaker, founder of Pennsylvania, b. at Tower Hill (London) on 14 Oct. 1644, d. at Ruscombe (England) on 30 July 1718. Raised under Puritan influence… -
Pentapolis (Gk. ΠΕΝΤΆΠΟΛΙΣ) (PENTAPOLI)
The "five cities" (called P. in Wis. 10:6) that stood in Abraham's time in the Jordan region (Gen. 13:10) near the valley of Siddim (ibid. 14:10): Sodom… -
Pentateuch (PENTATEUCO)
A great narrative and legislative work, which occupies the first place among the books that make up the Bible, composed of "five volumes": Genesis (v.), Exodus… -
Pentecost (PENTECOSTE)
I. SACRED SCRIPTURE. - A Jewish feast, 7 weeks or 50 days (whence the Greek name "fiftieth" [day]) after Passover, which became a Christian solemnity because… -
Pentecostals (PENTECOSTALI)
I. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT. - The name P. (Pentecostal Churches) is given to three groups of Christians derived from Methodism or Wesleyanism, which are of… -
Pentecostarion
Liturgical book of the Byzantine rite, which contains the proper parts of the Divine Office for the Easter season, that is, from Easter day until the 1st… -
Pentini, Francesco
Cardinal, b. in Rome on 11 Dec. 1797, d. there on 17 Dec. 1869. Son of Ulisse, formerly Catherine II of Russia's representative to Pius VI, as a youth he… -
Penula
Among the Romans the paenula was a dark-colored cloak, perhaps of Celtic origin, closed also at the front and sleeveless, circular in shape with a hole in the… -
People's Houses (CASE POPOLARI)
Popular houses are civil buildings, urban or rural, intended for the housing of families of modest condition, who live on a fixed wage or a low income.… -
Peoria, Diocese of (PEORIA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city in the state of Illinois, in the United States of America. This diocese was erected in 1875 by dismemberment from the archdiocese of Chicago… -
Pepoli, Family (PEPOLI, FAMIGLIA)
The first P. of whom there is certain record is the blessed NICCOLÒ, Franciscan, who lived in the 13th century; but only a little later did this family begin… -
Peraga, Bonaventura
PERAGA, BONAVENTURA: v. BONAVENTURA di PERAGA. -
Peramiho, Abbatia Nullius of (PERAMIHO, ABBAZIA NULLIUS DI)
In the southwestern part of the territory of Tanganyika, east of Lake Nyasa. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it is entrusted to the Benedictines of the… -
Peratè, Joseph André
Archaeologist and art critic, b. in Nancy in 1862, d. in 1947. He was for two years a member of the École française in Rome; in 1889 assistant curator and then… -
Peraudi, Raimondo
Cardinal, b. in 1435 at Sugères in the diocese of Saintes, d. at Viterbo on 5 Sept. 1505, Augustinian prior in his homeland, then apostolic protonotary. As… -
Perboyre, Jean-Gabriel, Blessed (PERBOYRE, JEAN-GABRIEL, BEATO)
Born at Puech (Montgesty, France) on 6 January 1802, died at Wuchang (China) on 11 September 1840. From the Seminary of Montauban (1817) he passed the… -
Perception (PERCEZIONE)
It generally indicates the awareness of something in both external and internal experience and becomes almost synonymous with "consciousness" (v.): perception… -
Perceptionism (PERCEZIONISMO)
In philosophy, it is that theory of sensible knowledge which affirms the ordinary formal objectivity of sensible qualities, both primary (v.) and secondary. It… -
Percoto, Antonio Maria
Barnabite missionary, bishop of Massul and vicar apostolic of the Kingdoms of Ava and Tavai (Burma), b. 25 June 1729 at Udine, d. at Ava (Burma) on 12 Dec.… -
Perea
Region east of the Jordan, which remained Jewish after the conquest and the new organization of Syria carried out by Pompey in 64-65 B.C. P. extended from the… -
Peregrini Et Vagi
PEREGRINI et VAGI: V. PELLEGRINI. -
Pereira de Figueiredo, Antonio
Portuguese theologian, scholar and musician, b. at Macao (Portugal) on 14 Feb. 1725 and d. at Lisbon on 14 Aug. 1797. He studied with the Jesuits at Villa… -
Perenzione
In canon law it can mean the cessation of the right of action, or it can indicate a manner in which the instance of a lawsuit comes to an end. Peremptio… -
Pereyra, Benito
Theologian and exegete, b. at Ruzafa, near Valencia, ca. 1535, d. at Rome on 6 March 1610. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1552. He taught rhetoric… -
Pérez, Antonio
Benedictine writer and theologian, archbishop, b. at S. Domenico di Silos on 2 May 1559, d. at Madrid on 1 May 1637. Abbot of S. Vincenzo di Salamanca until… -
Pérez Bayer, Francisco
Spanish scholar and polygraph, b. at Valencia in 1711, d. there in 1794. After brilliant studies undertaken at Gandia and Salamanca, he taught Hebrew at the… -
Pérez de Montalbán, Juan
Spanish poet and playwright, b. in Madrid in 1602, d. there on 25 June 1638. He studied theology at Alcalá and became a priest in 1625. A friend and imitator… -
Pérez di Valenza, Jaime
Augustinian theologian, b. ca. 1408, d. 30 Aug. 1490. A religious in Valencia (1436), he taught theology at that University from 1459. Having become titular… -
Pérez Florido, Anna
In religion, Piera di S. Giuseppe, foundress of the Madri degli abbandonati, b. at Valle de Abdelajis (diocese of Malaga) on 6 Dec. 1845, d. at Barcelona on 16… -
Pérez Galdós, Benito
Writer, b. at Las Palmas (Canary Islands) on 10 May 1843, d. at Madrid on 4 Jan. 1920. He lived almost always in Madrid, whose life and customs he described.… -
Perfice Munus
Monthly magazine of practical life for the clergy, begun in Turin in 1926 by the publisher Roberto Berruti, under the direction of expert theologians… -
Pergamena
P. or parchment (in Latin membrana) is animal skin tanned according to a process which, according to Pliny the Elder (Nat. hist., XIII, 11), citing Varro, was… -
Pergamum (PERGAMO)
In the New Testament, P. is mentioned in Rev. 1:11 and 2:12 (Πέργαμος) as the seat of a flourishing Christian community, which had long since (ibid. 2:13)… -
Perge (Πέργα, Perga)
City of Pamphylia, whose ruins survive near Murtana, between the rivers Cestros (Ak Su) and the Cataractos. Inhabited by colonists who came from the Argolid… -
Pergmayr, Joseph
Jesuit, preacher and missionary, b. at Häblkofen (diocese of Regensburg) on 4 Feb. 1713, d. at Munich on 23 March 1765. Having entered the Society of Jesus on… -
Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista
Musician, b. Jan. 4, 1710 at Jesi, d. at Pozzuoli on March 16 or 17, 1736. After learning the first rudiments of music in his native city, in 1726, thanks to… -
Pericoli, Paolo
Lawyer, pioneer of Catholic Action, b. in Rome on 14 March 1859, d. there on 19 Jan. 1943. Of a noble Roman family devoted to the Holy See, while still a youth… -
Periculum Animae Et Scandali
In its common theological meaning it is (cc. 1131 § 1, 1935 § 2) the possibility that an exterior act may furnish one's neighbor with the occasion of a sin and… -
Périer, Casimir-Pierre
French politician, b. 11 Oct. 1777 at Grenoble, d. 16 May 1832 at Paris. A deputy from 1817 until his death and president of the Chamber in 1830. President of… -
Périer, Gilberte
Elder sister of B. Pascal, born at Clermont in 1620, died in Paris in 1687. In 1641 she was married to a magistrate of Clermont, Florin Périer; the following… -
Périgueux, Diocese of (PÉRIGUEUX, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese, capital of the prefecture of the department of Dordogne, in southwestern France. The city is situated in a valley on the right bank of the… -
Perilous Archipelago (ARCIPELAGO PERNICIOSO)
ARCIPELAGO PERNICIOSO: v. ISOLE TAHITI. -
Périn, Charles-Henry-Xavier
Economist, b. at Mons (Belgium) on 29 Aug. 1815, d. at Ghlin, near Mons, on 4 Apr. 1905. After having practiced law, he held from 1844 to 1881 the chair of… -
Periodica de Re Morali Canonica Liturgica
A quarterly journal published by professors of the Pontifical Gregorian University. It originated from a periodical publication begun in the year 1901 in… -
Periodoute (PERIODEUTE)
This was the name given to the traveling physician and later to the priest who, in the name of the bishop, visited the most distant regions. The function of… -
Peripatetic, School (PERIPATETICA, SCUOLA)
The followers of Aristotle were called οἱ ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου in reference to the walk (περίπατος) of the Lyceum (the seat of the school), and περιπατητικοί (a… -
Perito
The expert has been defined as a delegate of the judge for an investigation and an evaluation of the facts, which the judge will then re-examine on his own… -
Perizei (FEREZEI)
One of the ethnic groups that inhabited Palestine before the Hebrew occupation (Gen. 13:7; 15:20; Ex. 3:8, 17; etc.). From the probable meaning of the name… -
Perlo, Filippo
Missionary bishop, b. at Caramagna (Piedmont) on 8 Feb. 1873, d. at Rome on 4 Nov. 1948. Having entered the Seminary of Fossano, he later moved to that of… -
Permoser, Baltiasar
German sculptor, b. at Kammer, near Otting im Chiemgau, in Aug. 1651, d. at Dresden on 20 Feb. 1732. He was in Italy in 1675 where, in Florence, he was known… -
Pernet, Étienne (PERNET, ETIENNE)
Assumptionist, founder of the Little Sisters of the Assumption, b. at Velleson (diocese of Besançon) on 23 July 1824, d. in Paris on 3 Apr. 1899. Having… -
Perotinus (Magnus)
Choirmaster of the cathedral of Paris, successor of Leoninus and, with him, one of the principal exponents of the Ars antiqua (v.), whose activity unfolded… -
Perozzi, Silvio
Jurist, b. in Vicenza on 2 Dec. 1857, d. in Bologna on 4 Jan. 1931. He completed his studies at the University of Padua, where he graduated in jurisprudence in… -
Perpetua, Felicity and Companions, Saints, Martyrs (PERPETUA, FELICITA E COMPAGNI, SANTI, MARTIRI)
The Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis recounts the martyrdom of three catechumens: Saturus, Saturninus and Revocatus, of P., a young woman of high family, and of… -
Perpetual Adorers of Saint Mary of Guadalupe (ADORATRICI PERPETUE DI S. MARIA DI GUADALUPE)
They arose in Mexico in 1881 through the work of Sister Maddalena dell'Incarnazione, and took the name and rules of the homonymous institution founded in Rome… -
Perpetual Nocturnal Adoration (ADORAZIONE PERPETUA NOTTURNA)
ADORAZIONE PERPETUA NOTTURNA: v. SACRAMENTO. -
Perpignan, Diocese of (PERPIGNANO, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese, seat of a prefecture of the department of the Eastern Pyrenees, situated in the plain of Roussillon, on the right bank of the river Têt. The… -
Perplexing Case (CASO PERPLESSO)
Before the Code, authors used this term for the case of a marriage to be celebrated or to be validated (quasi-perplexed case) as a matter of urgency, when the… -
Perquisition (PERQUISIZIONE)
It is a search that may be carried out coercively in order to secure for the trial material elements of evidence or to arrest the suspect or the fugitive. The… -
Perraud, Adolphe-Louis
Oratorian apologist and cardinal, b. 7 Feb. 1828, d. at Autun 10 Feb. 1906. A pupil of the École normale supérieure, agrégé in history in 1850, he was… -
Perreyre, Henri
Writer and preacher, b. in Paris on 11 April 1831, d. there on 26 June 1865. Having entered in 1853 the Oratory of France, restored by Fr. Gratry, he had to… -
Perrone, Giovanni
Jesuit, theologian, b. at Chieri (diocese of Turin) on 11 March 1794, d. at Castel Gandolfo on 28 Aug. 1876. Having earned a degree in theology at the… -
Persecutions Against Christians (PERSECUZIONI CONTRO I CRISTIANI)
This expression designates the harassments that the Church suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire, from Nero (64 A.D.) to the promulgation of the so-called… -
Persepolis (PERSEPOLI)
Persian city (Iranian Parsa), built by Darius I Hystaspes (521-485 B.C.) and enlarged by Xerxes I (485-465 B.C.), who made it their royal spring residence. Its… -
Perseverance (PERSEVERANZA)
The virtue that disposes a person to continue in good, according to the dictates of reason, despite the prolonging of troubles and difficulties (Sum. Theol.… -
Persia
From 1925 to 1950 P. was called Irân (from ĕrân = "nobles", that is, the Aryans); in the broad sense it comprises the entire plateau that joins Anatolia to… -
Persichetti, Augusto
Organizer of Catholic associations, b. in Rome on 2 Aug. 1854, d. there on 8 June 1922. In 1877 he graduated in medicine; but, after practicing briefly, he… -
Persico, Ignazio
Cardinal, b. in Naples on 30 Jan. 1823, d. in Rome on 7 Dec. 1895; he entered the Capuchins in 1839 and was ordained a priest in 1846. He immediately asked to… -
Person (PERSONA)
It indicates the dignity of subsistent spiritual nature: « Persona significat id quod est perfectissimum in tota natura, scilicet subsistens in rationali… -
Personal Injury (LESIONE PERSONALE)
There is personal injury in Italian criminal law when, without intent to kill, one causes another a harm to the body, health or mental state. If the intent to… -
Personalism (PERSONALISMO)
From persona (v.), the term goes back to the 19th century (Schleiermacher, Feuerbach, Grote, Teichmüller), used in opposition to pantheism (v.) or to the… -
Personality (PERSONALITÀ)
In the metaphysical sense, p. expresses the constitutive determination of the person (v.), the foundation from which the possibilities and capacities of its… -
Personifications (PERSONIFICAZIONI)
Early Christian art generally continued to make use of the personifications created by classical art. For example, the personifications of the four seasons as… -
Perth, Archdiocese of (PERTH, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
It is located in Western Australia and the city of P. is the capital of the State. In 1842 the Catholics of P. asked Archbishop Msgr. Polding John Bede… -
Perticari, Giulio
Man of letters, b. at Savignano (Rimini), 15 Aug. 1779, d. at S. Costanzo (Pesaro) 26 June 1822. Son-in-law and collaborator of Monti, he stood close to him in… -
Pertile, Antonio
Historian of Italian law, b. at Agordo on 10 Sept. 1830, d. at Padua on 4 March 1895. He studied at the Universities of Graz, Vienna and Padua, where he… -
Pertinacity (PERTINACIA)
Insofar as it is constancy in any operation, or insofar as it manifests itself in one who does not allow himself to be moved by difficulties, it is nothing… -
Peru (PERÙ)
I. GEOGRAPHY. - It is the largest (1.25 million sq. km.), but not the most populous (8.2 million inhabitants; 7 per sq. km.), of the Andean states. The… -
Perugia, Archdiocese of (PERUGIA, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City and archdiocese, capital of the province of the same name in Umbria. It has an area of 1,600 sq km, but for the greater part it is hilly, furrowed in part… -
Perugino, Pietro Vannucci detto Il
Painter, b. at Città di Castello in 1445. Despite the flourishing of studies around this artist, the problem of his formation has not yet been clarified, and… -
Peruzzi, Baldassarre
Architect and painter, b. in Siena on 6 March 1481, d. in Rome on 6 Jan. 1536. At the age of 20, in Siena, he collaborated with Pinturicchio on the decoration… -
Perversion (PERVERSIONE)
It is the action or the effect of perverting, that is, of corrupting, of inducing someone to do what is not fitting. Generically it is said of diverting from… -
Pesarini, Santi
Historian and archaeologist, b. at S. Piero in Bagno on 8 Jan. 1853, d. in Rome on 10 March 1922. He was a profound connoisseur of the churches of Rome and of… -
Pesaro, Diocese of (PESARO, DIOCESI DI)
Capital city of the province of the same name and a suffragan diocese of Urbino. It extends over 287 sq km with a population of 77,700 inhabitants, of whom… -
Pescatore (Piscator, Fischer), Johann
Calvinist theologian, b. at Strasbourg on 27 March 1546, d. at Herborn on 27 July 1625. After humanistic studies in his native city, he was at Tübingen a pupil… -
Pesch, Christian
Jesuit, theologian, b. at Mühlheim (Cologne) on 25 May 1853, d. at Valkenburg (Holland) on 26 Apr. 1925. Having entered the Society of Jesus on 30 Sept. 1869… -
Pesch, Heinrich
Jesuit, writer on social politics and national economy, b. in Cologne on 17 Sept. 1854, d. in Valkenburg on 1 April 1926. Having entered the Society of Jesus… -
Pesch, Tillmann
Jesuit, brother of the preceding, philosopher, b. at Cologne on 1 February 1836, d. at Valkenburg on 18 October 1899. Having entered the Society of Jesus… -
Pescia, Diocese of (PESCIA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city in the province of Pistoia in Tuscany. It has an area of about 143 sq km, with a population of 87,441 inhabitants, of > (phot. Enit) > PESCIA… -
Pesellino, Francesco di Stefano detto Il
Painter, b. in Florence ca. 1422, d. there in 1457. The lack of certain works makes it impossible to assess how much P. owes to the teaching and influence of… -
Peshitta, Biblical Version (PESHITTA, VERSIONE BIBLICA)
PESHITTA, BIBLICAL VERSION: V. SIRIACHE, VERSIONI DELLA BIBLIA. -
Pēsiqthā'
Title of midrashic works (v. MIDHRĀŠ) of a homiletic character. The P. dē-rabh Kahanā', first known only from fragmentary citations, was edited by S. Buber… -
Pesqueira, Diocese of (PESQUEIRA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the State of Pernambuco in Brazil. It has an area of 35,000 sq km with a population of 392,887 inhabitants, of whom 392,000 are Catholics.… -
Pessimism (PESSIMISMO)
It is the conception that contrasts with optimism (v.) insofar as it affirms the predominance of evil (v.) over good (v.): thus neither does optimism wholly… -
Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich
Pedagogue and one of the pioneers of modern education, b. in Zurich on 12 Jan. 1746, to a family originally from Chiavenna, which had gone over to the… -
Petau (Petavius), Denys
Jesuit, theologian and patrologist, b. at Orléans on 21 Aug. 1583, d. at Paris on 11 Dec. 1652. At the age of 16 a "Magister philosophiae" with a dissertation… -
Peter (Almadura) of Bergamo (PIETRO (ALMADURA) DA BERGAMO)
Dominican theologian and writer, b. at Bergamo at the beginning of the 15th century, d. at Piacenza on 15 Oct. 1482. A religious at Bergamo, he taught theology… -
Peter and Marcellinus, Saints, Martyrs (PIETRO E MARCELLINO, SANTI, MARTIRI)
PIETRO e MARCELLINO, santi, martiri: v. MARCELLINUS and PETER, saints, martyrs. -
Peter, Apostle, Saint (PIETRO, APOSTOLO, SANTO)
First of the Apostles, appointed by Jesus as head of his Church. SUMMARY: I. Life. - II. St. Peter in Rome. - III. Martyrdom. - IV. Tomb. - V. Letters. - VI.… -
Peter Arbués (PIETRO ARSBUE)
Spanish martyr, b. at Epila (Aragon) in 1442, d. at Saragossa on 15 Sept. 1485. A descendant of a noble family, he completed his studies of canon and civil law… -
Peter, Archbishop of Tarentaise, Saint (PIETRO, ARCIVESCOVO DI TARANTASIA, SANTO)
He was one of the most illustrious saints of the 12th century for his miracles and his social influence, b. in 1102 at St-Maurice-de-l'Exil in the diocese of… -
Peter Bernardino (PIETRO BERNARDINO)
A follower of Savonarola, b. in Florence in 1473, d. at Mirandola in 1502. A man of low condition, without learning but shrewd, through his assiduous… -
Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, Saint (PIETRO, VESCOVO DI SEBASTE, SANTO)
Brother of St. Basil the Great and of St. Gregory of Nyssa, born before 349. Educated by his sister Macrina to a strict Christian life, once grown he shut… -
Peterborough, Diocese of (PETERBOROUGH, DIOCESI DI)
In the province of Ontario, Canada. Pius IX founded the apostolic vicariate of Northern Canada on 3 February 1874 with the bull Arcano divinae Providentiae… -
Peter (Cambiani) of Ruffia, Blessed (PIETRO (CAMBIANI) DI RUFFIA, BEATO)
Dominican preacher, b. at Ruffia (Cuneo), at the beginning of the 14th century, martyred at Susa on 2 February 1365. Having devoted himself to preaching, he… -
Peter Canisius (PIETRO CANISIO)
B. at Nijmegen (Holland) on 8 May 1521, d. at Fribourg on 21 Dec. 1597. Son of the burgomaster Jakob Kanis, P. was sent at the age of 15 to Cologne to study… -
Peter Cantor (PIETRO CANTORE)
Theologian and preacher, b. in the first half of the 12th century, d. at Longpont on 22 September 1197. Master at Paris from 1171, cantor of the Chapter… -
Peter Chrysologus, Saint (PIETRO CRISOLOGO, SANTO)
Bishop of Ravenna from 425 to about 451. Doctor of the Church. I. LIFE. - Agnellus (Liber Pontif. Ecclesiae Ravennatis, col. 49, ed. Holder-Egger [MGH, Script.… -
Peter Claver, Saint (PIETRO CLAVER, SANTO)
Jesuit, missionary, called the "Apostle of the Negroes," b. at Verdú (Cartagena) in June 1580, d. at Cartagena (Colombia) on 8 Sept. 1654. Having entered the… -
Peter Comestor (PIETRO COMESTORE)
Theologian, thus called perhaps because of the ardor with which he read books, b. probably at Troyes (Champagne) in the first half of the 12th century, d. at… -
Peter Damian, Saint (PIER DAMIANI, SANTO)
Doctor of the Church, b. at Ravenna in 1007, d. at Faenza on 23 February 1072. After a troubled childhood (see the sad episodes narrated by St. John of Lodi… -
Peter, Deacon, Saint (PIETRO, DIACONO, SANTO)
Roman deacon at the time of St. Gregory the Great, d. in 606. Still young, after distributing all his patrimony to the poor, he withdrew to the monastery of… -
Peter Fourier, Saint (PIETRO FOURIER, SANTO)
Regular canon, parish priest, founder of the Regular Canonesses of Our Lady, reformer of the canonical life, b. at Mirecourt in the Duchy of Lorraine on 30… -
Peter Fullo, Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch (PIETRO FULLONE, PATRIARCA MONOFISITA DI ANTIOCHIA)
The date and place of his birth are unknown; he died at Antioch in 490. Having become a priest, he directed a shrine at Chalcedon and from there in 464 went… -
Peter Geremia of Palermo, Blessed (PIETRO GEREMIA DA PALERMO, BEATO)
Dominican orator and reformer, b. in Palermo, of the noble Geremia (or De Jeremiis) family, on 1 August 1381, d. there on 3 March 1452. After completing his… -
Peter Gonzalez, Blessed (PIETRO GONZALEZ, BEATO)
Spanish Dominican popularly called St. Elmo or St. Telmo, b. at Fromista (Palencia) toward the close of the 12th century, d. at Tuy ca. 1246. Of a noble… -
Peter Igneus (PIETRO IGNEO)
The Blessed one passes unharmed through the flames. Sculpture by Benedetto da Rovezzano (15th century) - Florence, Museo nazionale. With Giovanni de Tecto he… -
Peter Igneus, Blessed (PIETRO IGNEO, BEATO)
Of Florentine origin, born at the beginning of the 11th century. He entered the Order of Vallombrosa while the holy founder was still alive. He received the… -
Peter III, Patriarch of Antioch (PIETRO III, PATRIARCA DI ANTIOCHIA)
Born c. 982 at Antioch, died there in Sept. 1056; he pursued his studies at Constantinople from 1009 onward and embraced a civil career, becoming a superior… -
Peter Lombard (PIETRO LOMBARDO)
Theologian and bishop, called the Master of the Sentences, b. at Novara at the end of the 11th century, d. at Paris on 21 (or 22) July 1160. I. LIFE. - His… -
Peter Martyr d'Anghiera (PIETRO MARTIRE D'ANGHIERA)
Historian and geographer, born at Arona of a modest family in 1459, he came, not yet twenty years old, to Rome, where he was in the service of Cardinals… -
Peter Mongus (PIETRO MONGO)
Monophysite patriarch of Alexandria, b. at the beginning of the 5th century, d. 29 Oct. 489. He was probably a deacon of Dioscorus of Alexandria and his… -
Peter Monoculus, Blessed (PIETRO MONOCOLO, BEATO)
Cistercian, relative of Philip II king of France, b. in the castle of Marlac near Cluny, d. at Poigny on 29 Oct. 1186. A monk of Igny, in 1169 abbot of Valroy… -
Peter Nolasco, Saint (PIETRO NOLASCO, SANTO)
Born in the south of France in the last quarter of the 12th century; still a young man, he moved around 1213 to Spain, largely dominated by the Saracens, and… -
Peter of Abano (PIETRO D'ABANO)
Physician and philosopher, b. at Abano (Padua) in 1257, d. at Padua ca. 1315. After completing his early studies at Padua, following many travels he went to… -
Peter of Ailly (PIETRO D'AILLY)
PIETRO d'AILLY: v. AILLY, PIERRE d'. -
Peter of Alcantara, Saint (PIETRO D'ALCANTARA, SANTO)
Franciscan, promoter of a reform within the Order. I. LIFE. - Born at Alcántara (Estremadura) in 1499, died at Arenas (diocese of Ávila) on 19 October 1562. He… -
Peter of Alexandria, Martyr (PIETRO D'ALESSANDRIA, MARTIRE)
Head of the catechetical school of Alexandria, he became bishop of that city in 300. His flight during the persecution of Diocletian caused the Melitian… -
Peter of Alfonso (PIETRO D'ALFONSO)
Jewish physician (Moshe Sephardi), b. in Huesca (Aragon) in 1062, converted at the age of 44, d. ca. 1110. A profound connoisseur of the Bible and of Arab… -
Peter of Anagni, Saint (PIETRO DI ANAGNI, SANTO)
Of the princes of Salerno, he died on 3 August 1105. Having become a monk in his city, he was called to the papal Court for various assignments which, carried… -
Peter of Ancarano (PIETRO D'ANCAMANO)
Canonist and glossator, b. between 1330 and 1333 at Ancarano, d. at Bologna on 13 May 1416. A disciple of Baldo degli Ubaldi, he was a professor at Bologna in…