S
1,671 articles · English index · Indice italiano-
Scillitan Martyrs, Saints (SCILLITANI, SANTI, MARTIRI)
They are commemorated in the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Calendar of Carthage on July 17. They are considered the protomartyrs of Africa, since… -
Sciò, Filippo (SCIO, FILIPPO)
Piarist bishop, theologian, b. at La Granja (Spain) on 28 Sept. 1738, d. at Valencia on 9 Apr. 1796. After completing his studies in Rome, he taught in various… -
Scitopoli
SCITOPOLI: v. BETHSAN. -
Scitopolis, John of (GIOVANNI DI SCITOPOLI)
Bishop of the 6th century. The first commentator on the pseudo-Areopagitic works. He wrote around 530 against Severus of Antioch and another work against… -
Scitti
SCITTI: v. ISLÀM. -
Sclopis di Salerano, Paolo Federico
Italian politician and jurist, b. January 10, 1798 in Turin, d. there March 8, 1878. Having obtained a degree in jurisprudence, he entered the magistracy. Of… -
Scolopi
SCOLOPI: V. CHIERICI REGOLARI; POVERI DELLA MADRE DI DIO DELLE SCUOLE PIE. -
Scolopiae Figlie of Mary (SCOLOPIE FIGLIE DI MARIA)
Founded at Figueras (diocese of Gerona, Spain) in 1829 by Paola Montalt. The Congregation arose under the patronage of St. Joseph Calasanz and has as its… -
Scopelli, Giovanna, Blessed (SCOPELLI, GIOVANNA, BEATA)
Carmelite nun, b. at Reggio Emilia in 1428, d. in 1491. She took the Carmelite habit, and at the death of her parents she devoted her inheritance to the… -
Scorpion (SCORPIONE)
An animal of the arachnids, arthrogastric, of an olive-brown color; the flat body is provided with two large chelicerae and a long, articulated abdomen that… -
Scotellus
SCOTELLUS: v. PIETRO DELL'AQUILA. -
Scotism (SCOTISMO)
Since the Scotist synthesis is found under the entry Duns Scotus (v.), what is treated here is Scotism taken in the sense of the interpretation and… -
Scotland (SCOZIA)
I. GEOGRAPHY. - It is the northern part of Great Britain, but it preserves a marked individuality of its own, having long constituted a state distinct from the… -
Scottì Gallarati, Filippo (SCOTTI GALLARATI, FILIPPO)
Cardinal, b. in Milan on 25 Feb. 1747, d. at Gualtieri near Orvieto on 7 Oct. 1819. Admitted by Pius VI into the prelature, he was apostolic protonotary… -
Scottish School (SCOZZESE, SCUOLA)
Also called the school of "common sense," whose founder and leader is T. Reid (v.) and, after him, his best disciple D. Stewart (v.). The influence of the… -
Scotton, Brothers (SCOTTON, FRATELLI)
All three were priests and polemicists who, from their residence at Breganze, conducted for over thirty years clamorous controversies in defense of the rights… -
Scotus Eriugena, John (SCOTO ERIUGENA, GIOVANNI)
Philosopher and theologian, b. in Ireland (in Celtic Eriu, also called Scotia Maior; whence presumably the double appellation) in the first decades of the 9th… -
Scranton, Diocese of (SCRANTON, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city in the State of Pennsylvania (U.S.A.). In 1868 several dioceses were created in the United States. Apostolic vicariates were erected in… -
Scribe (SCRIBA)
I. In the sense of "scribe, copyist, secretary" there were "scribes" in Israel from the age of David and throughout the royal period (II Sam. 8:17; etc.)… -
Scriniarii
From the Latin scrinium (= chest), which properly indicated a cabinet where precious objects and documents were kept, and later came to mean "office" and… -
Scriptorium
According to Isidore (Orig., VI, 9, 2), it is the stylus used to impress signs on wax: but in medieval vocabulary it denoted the base on which the sheet was… -
Scripture (SCRITTURA)
The invention of writing occupies a most eminent place in the development of human civilization: by means of it man succeeded in fixing language materially… -
Scruple (SCRUPOLO)
It is the vain apprehension that there is sin where there is no sin. Hence a person is called scrupulous who finds himself durably unable to recognize the… -
Scrutiny (SCRUTINIO)
SCRUTINIO: V. CATECUMENATO E CATECUMENO; INVESTIGAZIONE. -
Sculpture (SCULTURA)
It is properly the art tending to bring out the forms of figures and things in any material, either fully in the round, or in relation to a background plane… -
Scupoli, Lorenzo
Theatine ascetical writer, b. at Otranto ca. 1530, d. at Naples on 28 Nov. 1610. Having entered the Theatines of S. Paolo Maggiore in Naples in 1569, he was at… -
Scurati, Giacomo
Second superior general of the Institute for Foreign Missions of Milan, b. in Milan on 25 Feb. 1831, d. there on 31 May 1901. A priest in 1854 and a professor… -
Seal (SIGILLO)
SIGILLO : v. SFRAGISTICA. -
Seasons (STAGIONI)
The theme of the Seasons, because of its allegorical scope, interested Christian art from its very origins (v. PERSONIFICATIONS). At a later stage it became… -
Seat of Truth (SIERO DELLA VERITÀ)
SIERO DELLA VERITÀ: v. NARCOANALISI. -
Seattle, Diocese of (SEATTLE, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city in the State of Washington (U.S.A.). A suffragan of Portland, Oregon, the diocese of S. was first erected as the diocese of Walla Walla on May… -
Sebaste (Sebastia), Armenian Diocese of (SEBASTE (SEBASTIA), DIOCESI ARMENA DI)
Ancient capital of Armenia. It had, around 260, first a bishop; Eulalius then took part in the Council of Nicaea and among the ranks of its titulars S. glories… -
Sebastianelli, Guglielmo
Canonist, b. at Castro dei Volsci, diocese of Veroli, on 4 Dec. 1855, d. at Rome in Apr. 1920. He took his degree in philosophy (1873), theology (1879) and… -
Sebastian, King of Portugal (SEBASTIANO, RE DI PORTOGALLO)
B. in Lisbon on 20 Jan. 1554, d. at Ksar el-Kebir (Morocco) on 4 Aug. 1578. Penultimate king of the Aviz dynasty, grandson of Charles V (whose daughter Joanna… -
Sebastiano del Piombo
S. Luciani, known as S. del P., painter, b. probably in Venice ca. 1485, d. in Rome on 21 June 1547. The erroneous reading of an inscription on the Pietà… -
Sebastian of the Apparition, Blessed (SEBASTIANO DELL'APPARIZIONE, BEATO)
Of the Friars Minor, b. in the province of Galicia in 1502, d. at Puebla de los Angeles (Mexico) on 25 Feb. 1600. A household servant and farmer at Salamanca… -
Sebastian, Saint, Martyr (SEBASTIANO, SANTO, MARTIRE)
He is commemorated in the Depositio martyrum on 20 January, as buried in the cemetery in catacumbas. On the same date and in the same place he is remembered by… -
Sebha (SEBA)
A Benjaminite, son of Bichri (Gen. 46:21), the "pestilent man" of whom 2 Sam. 20 speaks. He stirred up the northern tribes against David (v.) just as Absalom's… -
Secchi, Angelo
Jesuit and astronomer, b. at Reggio Emilia on 18 June 1818, d. at Rome on 26 Feb. 1876. Having entered the Society of Jesus in 1833 and the Collegio Romano in… -
Secco, Anacleto
Barnabite, b. at Cremona in 1585, d. at Milan on 13 Sept. 1636. He was Superior of several houses of his Order and a Lenten preacher. He published De… -
Seckau, Diocese of (SECOVIA (SECKAU), DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and abbey in Styria (Austria). I. THE DIOCESE. - The present diocese of S. has an area of 16,373 sq km with 1,106,581 inhabitants, of whom 970,000 are… -
Secret (SEGRETO)
A secret materially understood is the same hidden thing; formally understood it is the knowledge of that same thing with the obligation not to divulge or… -
Secret Almoner of His Holiness (ELEMOSINIERE SEGRETO DI SUA SANTITÀ)
The s. a. of His Holiness is a palatine prelate and the first among the ecclesiastical secret participating chamberlains. He holds the archiepiscopal title; he… -
Secretan, Charles
Philosopher, b. in Lausanne on 19 Jan. 1815, d. there on 20 Jan. 1895. He taught philosophy there for about thirty years. The central problem of S.'s… -
Secretariat of Briefs to Princes (SEGRETERIA DEI BREVI AI PRINCIPI)
It is the first Latin Secretariat of the Roman Curia. Its name derives from one of the tasks entrusted to it: namely, that of drafting in Latin the letters to… -
Secretariat of Latin Letters (SEGRETERIA DELLE LETTERE LATINE)
It is an office of the Roman Curia, standing on its own, collateral to the Secretariat of State, under the direct authority of the Supreme Pontiff. The origin… -
Secretariat of State (SEGRETERIA DI STATO)
It is one of the offices of the Roman Curia, through which the Holy See handles all questions of ecclesiastical policy. I. HISTORICAL NOTES. - The most distant… -
Secretaries of the Sacred Congregations (SEGRETARI DELLE SACRE CONGREGAZIONI)
SEGRETARI DELLE SACRE CONGREGAZIONI: v. CONGREGAZIONI ROMANE, SACRE. -
Secreta (SECRETA)
The prayer of the Mass that is recited over the offerings before the Preface, called Super oblata in books of the Gregorian type. The title S. occurs in the… -
Secret Chaplains of His Holiness (CAPPELLANI SEGRETI DI SUA SANTITÀ)
CAPPELLANI SEGRETI DI SUA SANTITÀ: V. FAMIGLIA PONTIFICIA. -
Secular Arm (BRACCIO SECOLARE)
It is not known precisely when this expression began to be used. Today the CIC, can. 2198, uses it, but with a meaning different from that of the Middle Ages.… -
Secular Institutes (ISTITUTI SECOLARI)
These are the name given to new forms of religious life without the obligation of common life, as this is juridically conceived in religious orders and in… -
Secularization (SECOLARIZZAZIONE)
SECOLARIZZAZIONE (dei religiosi): v. ESCLAUSTRAZIONE E SECOLARIZZAZIONE; (of ecclesiastical property): v. USURPAZIONE DEI BENI ECCLESIASTICI. -
Secularization of Ecclesiastical Goods (INCAMERAMENTO DEI BENI ECCLESIASTICI)
INCAMERAMENTO DEI BENI ECCLESIASTICI: v. SECOLARIZZAZIONE; USURPAZIONE. -
Secular Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (ORATORIO SECOLARE DI SAN FILIPPO NERI)
Having become a priest, Philip Neri saw a nucleus of friends and admirers gather around him from as early as 1552; he guided them along the path of perfection… -
Secunda, Saint, Martyr (SECONDA, SANTA, MARTIRE)
SECONDA, santa, martire: v. MASSIMA, DOMITILLA E SECONDA, Sts., martyrs. -
Secundianus, Bishop of Singidunum (SECONDIANO, VESCOVO DI SINGIDUNO)
In 366 he was still a priest and a follower of Ursacius and Valens, as appears from the letter addressed by them to Germinius, bishop of Sirmium (CSEL, 65, p.… -
Secundus, Saverian and Companions, Saints, Martyrs (SECONDO, SAVERIANO E CONSOCI, SANTI, MARTIRI)
SECONDO, SAVERIANO e CONSOCI, santi, martiri: v. CORONATI QUATTRO, santi. -
Secundus (Secondinus) of Trent (SECONDO (SECONDINO) DI TRENTO)
He wrote a "succinctam de Langobardorum gestis historiolam" which Paul the Deacon (v.) used. In May 599 Pope Gregory I sent a reply "to Secundinus, servant of… -
Secusio, Bonaventure (SECUSIO, BONAVENTURA)
Friar Minor, patriarch of Constantinople and nuncio, b. at Caltagirone ca. 1558, d. at Catania on 29 March 1618. Admired for his learning and eloquence, he was… -
Sedecias (SEDECIA)
Last king of Judah (597-86), son of King Josiah (v.) and brother of Jehoahaz (v.); he was placed on the throne at the age of 21 by Nebuchadnezzar (v.) in place… -
Seder (Sēdher "Order") (SEDER (SĒDHER « ORDINE »))
A Hebrew liturgical term, which refers in particular to the "order" or ceremonial to be used for the Jewish Passover supper and which aims, according to Ex.… -
Sede Vacante
SEDE VACANTE: V. VACANZA DELLA SEDE APOSTOLICA. -
Sedibus Caeli Nitidis Receptos
Hymn of Vespers in the Office of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, whose feast Leo XIII made obligatory for the universal Church on Sept. 30, 1880. The hymn was… -
Sedition (SEDIZIONE)
S. (from seorsum ire) is the violent collective uprising against the public authorities or against specific persons invested with authority or with public… -
Seduction (SEDUZIONE)
In biblical language the term has various meanings. Sometimes it denotes any action directed at inducing others to error or to sin: in this sense the devil is… -
Sedulius (SEDULIO)
The place of birth and the period in which St. Sedulius (Caelius or Coelius Sedulius) lived are uncertain. From the "subscriptiones" to the ancient Pitean and… -
Sedulius Scotus (The Younger) (SEDULIO SCOTO (IL GIOVANE))
Writer of the 9th century, scholar and theologian, called Scotus or Scottus from his native land, Ireland, and Junior, to distinguish him from the Christian… -
Seeber, Josef
Tyrolean poet, b. at Bruneck in 1856, d. at Enns (Austria) in 1919. A priest in 1878, he was a professor at the minor seminary "Vinzentinum" of Brixen. Later… -
Seeböck, Philibert
Prolific Franciscan writer on asceticism, b. at Innsbruck in 1839, d. at Schwaz (Tyrol) in 1914. He was a gymnasium professor at Hall (Tyrol) from 1863 to… -
Seeck, Otto
Protestant historian, b. in Riga on 2 February 1850, d. in Münster on 29 July 1921. He first studied chemistry, then from 1867 to 1869 history at the… -
Seekers (SEEKERS (CERCATORI))
Name of many sects of illuminati and Protestant extremists. As S. one cites the pantheistic group of the ranters (= declaimers), led by John Saltmarsh… -
Seelsorger, Der
A periodical that arose in Vienna in 1925, following the Congress on pastoral life held there in December 1924. Its subtitle determined its purpose and nature… -
Seert, Chronicle of (SEERT, CRONACA DI)
This is the name given by its editor A. Scher to an ancient chronicle written by a Nestorian in Arabic, probably in the first half of the 13th century. It is… -
Seert, Diocese of (SEERT, DIOCESI DI)
Chaldean episcopal see in Iraq, probably already existing in the 4th century. The series of Catholic bishops begins again in 1553. The diocese had, in 1913… -
Sées (formerly Séez), Diocese of (SÉEZ (OGGI SÉES), DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the department of Orne in Normandy (France). It has the same boundaries as the civil department, with an area of about 6,200 sq km. Its… -
Sefarad
A biannual periodical that takes its title from the Jewish name for Spain. It first appeared in 1941, as the organ of the « Instituto Arias Montano de estudios… -
Segala, Alessio da Salò
Capuchin preacher and writer on asceticism, b. at Salò in 1558, entered the Order in 1580, d. at Brescia on 8 January 1628. He wrote short ascetical works… -
Segantini, Giovanni
Painter b. at Arco in Trentino on 15 Jan. 1858, d. on the Schafberg in Engadine on 28 Sept. 1899. Left motherless while still a boy, he was taken by his… -
Segarelli (Segalelli), Gerard (SEGARELLI (SEGALELLI), GERARDO)
Around 1260 he began in Parma the heretical movement known as that of the "Apostles" and "Apostolissae Christi" (= Fratres and Sorores Apostolorum), continued… -
Segato
SEGATO. GIROLAMO: v. DEFUNTI, VENEZAZIONE dei, VI. In medicine. -
Segesser, Philipp Anton
Swiss politician, b. in Lucerne on 5 April 1817, d. there on 30 June 1888. In 1851 a member of the Grand Council of Lucerne, in the years 1863-67 and 1871-88 a… -
Seghers, Daniel
Jesuit, painter, b. in Antwerp on 6 Dec. 1590, d. there on 2 Nov. 1661. As a pupil in art of his father Peter and of Jan Brueghel, he attained the rank of… -
Segneri, Paolo
Jesuit, orator and classical writer, b. at Nettuno on 20 March 1624, d. at Rome on 9 Dec. 1694. Educated at the Collegio Romano, where his teacher was the… -
Segneri, Paolo the Younger (SEGNERI, PAOLO, IUNIORE)
Jesuit, popular missionary, nephew of the great preacher, b. in Rome on 18 Oct. 1673, d. at Senigallia on 15 June 1713. Having entered the Order, after… -
Segni, Diocese of (SEGNI, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in the province of Rome, 58 km. from which, at 665 m. above sea level. It has an area of 250 sq km. with a popula- (phot. Alinari) SEGNI… -
Segorbe, Diocese of (SEGORBE, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese in Spain, suffragan of Valencia, in whose civil province and that of Castellon de la Plana it is situated; a few parishes are in those of… -
Segor (SEGOR)
An ancient city of Palestine, south of the Dead Sea (Gen. 13:10; Deut. 34:3), first called Bala (Bela: Gen. 14:2-8). It was the smallest of the Pentapolis… -
Segovia, Diocese of (SEGOVIA, DIOCESI DI)
Diocese and city of Spain, suffragan of Valladolid, situated almost entirely in the civil province of the same name, except for a few parishes existing in… -
Ségur, Gaston de
Apologetic and ascetic writer, b. to the counts of S. in Paris on 15 April 1820, d. there in the odour of sanctity on 9 June 1881. His mother, Sophie… -
Sehon (SEHON)
Amorite king of Heshbon, beyond the Jordan. Even before their arrival from the desert to Canaan, the Israelites had conquered certain territories between the… -
Seicento, Art of the (SEICENTO, ARTE DEL)
SEICENTO, ARTE del: v. BAROCCA, ARTE; ROCOCÒ. -
Seipel, Ignaz
Austrian politician, b. in Vienna on 19 July 1876, d. at Berndorf near Vienna on 2 Aug. 1932. The son of humble and modest parents (his father was a cab… -
Seir
Geographical name in use in the Old Testament (Heb. Sē'ir; cf. Sā'ir "hairy, shaggy" and "goat"; also "wild demonic being": Is. 13:21). 1. A mountainous… -
Seisdedos y Sanz, Jerónimo (SEISDEDOS Y SANZ, JERONIMO)
Theologian of mysticism, b. at Barcial de la Loma (Valladolid) on 20 Feb. 1847, d. at Carrión de los Condes (Palencia) on 28 Sept. 1923. A priest, he was a… -
Seismology (SISMOLOGIA)
The fundamental task of s[eismology] is the study of the physical characteristics of the Earth's interior. To this end, it develops research on the propagation… -
Seitenstetten
Benedictine abbey, in the diocese of Sankt Pölten (Lower Austria). It was founded around 1100 as a house of Canons Regular, but the founder, Count Udalscalco… -
Seitz, Ludovico
Painter, b. in Rome on 11 June 1844, d. there on 11 Sept. 1908, son of the painter Alessandro Massimiliano, who in Munich had been a pupil of Cornelius. He… -
Seleucia
A maritime city of Syria, mentioned twice in the Bible (1 Macc. 11:8; Acts 13:4); the most important among the various cities of this name. From the nearby… -
Seleucians (SELEUCIANI)
Term used to denote the followers of a Gnostic sect of the 3rd century, widespread in Galatia and mentioned by Philastrius of Brescia (4th century) and by St.… -
Seleucids (SELEUCIDI)
Dynasty that reigned in Asia Minor from 312 to 65 B.C. The Seleucid kingdom, which underwent many territorial changes during its long duration, had Syria (v.)… -
Seleucus I Nicator, Monophthalmos, who under Alexander the Great commanded the cavalry and ruled Babylon (SELEUCO I, MONOFTALMO NICATORE, CHE SOTTO ALESSANDRO MAGNO COMANDAVA LA CAVALLERIA, EBBE IL GOVERNO DI BABILONIA)
SELEUCUS I, Monophthalmus Nicator (312-280 B.C.), who under Alexander the Great (v.) commanded the cavalry, received the government of Babylonia. He took part… -
Self-Consciousness (AUTOCOSCIENZA)
Consciousness, awareness of self. Whereas consciousness (v.) indicates rather the awareness of the subject's acts in their objective presence, and of the… -
Self-Denial (ABNEGAZIONE)
A disposition to sacrifice oneself for others, a disinterestedness that is realized in the renunciation of personal advantage. 1. The term does not exist in… -
Sella, Quintino
Italian Minister of Finance, b. at Sella di Mosso (Vercelli) on 7 July 1827, d. at Biella on 14 March 1884. The son of a wool manufacturer, he graduated in… -
Sellin, Ernst
Biblical archaeologist and Protestant exegete of a moderate critical tendency, opponent of J. Wellhausen (v.) and of the comparative school of religions of W.… -
Sellum (SELLUM)
Name of about fifteen figures of the Old Testament. The principal ones are: 1. S. son of Jabesh, king of Israel (744 B.C.), who took the throne and the life of… -
"Šēma' Jīšrā'ēl" ("Hear, Israel") (ŠĒMA' JĪŠRĀ'ĒL» («ASCOLTA, ISRAELE»))
Hebrew words of Deut. 6:49, which together with Deut. 11:13-21 and Num. 15:37-41 constitute a profession of faith in the unity of God, which stands at the… -
Semarang, Apostolic Vicariate of (SEMARANG, VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
Located in the central part of the island of Java (Indonesia), it comprises the civil districts of Temangung, Megelang, Pati and Japara. Its area is 21,296 sq.… -
Semeia (Semeias)
Name (Heb. Šēma'īāh = "Yahweh has heard") of various figures of the Old Testament. > (courtesy of Msgr. P. Paschini) > SEMERIA, GIOVANNI - Portrait. remiah… -
Semei (SEMEI)
Name of many people in the Bible. The best known is the Benjaminite who on the Mount of Olives fiercely insulted David (v.), as he was abandoning Jerusalem to… -
Semendria
SEMENDRIA: v. BELGRADO, DIOCESI di. -
Semenenko, Pietro
Cofounder and general of the Congregation of the Resurrection, theologian, preacher, philosopher, ascetic and mystical writer, b. near Tykocin (Poland) in… -
Semeria, Giovanni
Barnabite orator and writer, b. at Coldirodi (Imperia) on 26 Sept. 1867, d. at Sparanise (Caserta) on 15 March 1931. At the age of 15 he entered the Barnabite… -
Semeria, Stefano
Missionary, b. 17 Feb. 1813 at La Colla (Ventimiglia), d. at Marseille on 23 Jan. 1868. In 1829 he entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; having become a… -
Sem (SEM)
One of the sons of Noah, perhaps the firstborn, since he appears in first place in the enumerations (S., Ham [v.] and Japheth [v.]: Gen. 5:32; 6:10; 9:18… -
Semi-Arianism (SEMIARIANESIMO)
SEMIARIANESIMO: V. ARIANESIMO. -
Seminary (SEMINARIO)
It is that college which, according to the ordinances of the Church, is destined for the spiritual and literary formation of aspirants to the ecclesiastical… -
Seminary (SEMINARISTICO)
It is the tribute that the Ordinary may impose on the income of all diocesan ecclesiastical bodies in order to provide for the material needs of the Seminary.… -
Seminary for Foreign Missions of Yarumal (SEMINARIO PER LE MISSIONI ESTERE DI YARUMAL)
It was opened on July 3, 1927, on the initiative of Msgr. Michelangelo Bulles. Its purpose is to undertake missionary work in certain regions of Colombia. On… -
Semi-Pelagianism (SEMIPELAGIANESIMO)
This is the generic name given from the 17th century onward to the whole complex of theological movements that arose in Gallo-Roman circles in the 5th century… -
Semipenal (SEMIONICALE)
SEMIONICALE: v. ONCIALE E SEMIONICALE, SCRITTURE. -
Semitic-Hamitic (SEMITO-CAMITI)
The name of Semites and Hamites goes back to the list of peoples in the Bible (Gen. 10), where a certain number of peoples are presented as descendants of Shem… -
Semitic Languages (SEMITICHE, LINGUE)
A group of languages characterized by a large number of common phonetic, morphological, syntactic and lexical elements which, preserving themselves through… -
Semma (SEMMA)
Name of several figures of the Old Testament. 1. Son of Jesse, brother of David and father of Jonadab (II Sam. 13:3, 32). In I Sam. 16:9; 17:13 he is called… -
Semo Sancus (SEMO SANCO)
Semo Sancus Dius Fidius, an Italic deity of the sky of Jupiter whose name recalls a) the Semones of the Arval cult; b) the characteristic of sanctioning, that… -
Sempiternus Rex
Encyclical of Pius XII for the 15th centenary of the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (Sept. 8, 1951). The Council of Chalcedon is the third of the great… -
Sena, Diocese of (SENA, DIOCESI DI)
Chaldean diocese in Persia (Kurdistan). Probably already existing in the 3rd century, re-established in 1851. The bishop resides in Tehran. Catholics: 5000… -
Sénanque (SENANQUE)
A Cistercian abbey, formerly in the territory of the diocese of Cavaillon, today incorporated into that of Avignon in Provence. It stands in the valley at the… -
Senator, Saint (SENATORE, SANTO)
He is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 28 May, but in the ancient Milanese catalogues he is listed on the following day. In 450, still a priest, he was… -
Senator, Viator, Cassiodorus, Saints (SENATORE, VIATORE, CASSIODORO, SANTI)
SENATORE, VIATORE, CASSIODORO, santi: v. SAN MARCO ARGENTANO and BISIGNANO, DIOCESI di. -
Sendai, Diocese of (SENDAI, DIOCESI DI)
Located on the island of Hondo, it comprises four civil prefectures, namely: Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori. This mission was erected as an apostolic… -
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus
Roman philosopher, son of Annaeus Seneca the rhetorician, born at Cordova, in Spain, between 4 and 8 A.D., died at Rome in 65. Having come early to the City… -
Senestrey, Ignaz von
Bishop, b. 13 July 1818 at Bärnau, in the Upper Palatinate, d. 16 Aug. 1906 at Regensburg. He studied at the German College and remained in Rome from 1836 to… -
Senigallia, Diocese of (SENIGALLIA, DIOCESI DI)
City and diocese of the Marche. It has an area of 533 sq km, with a population of 110,000 inhabitants, of whom 109,919 are Catholics, distributed in 49… -
Senj (Segna, Zengg), Diocese of (SEGNA (SENJ. ZENGG), DIOCESI DI)
In Croatia (Yugoslavia); united with the diocese of Modruš; it is a suffragan of Zagreb. It has an area of 10,513 sq. km. with a population of 370,000… -
Senlis
Ancient diocese and city, seat of a subprefecture of the department of Oise in France, situated on the right bank of the river Nonette, surrounded by great… -
Sennaar (SENNAAR)
A geographical term that in certain biblical passages means the land of Babylonia, e.g., Gen. 10:10 ff. (even in opposition to Assyria); ibid. 11:1-9 (Tower of… -
Sennacherib
Assyrian king (Assyrian Šin-ahhē-eriba "Sin has given me a substitute for the [dead] little brothers"; Hebrew Sanhērībh), who ruled the Neo-Assyrian Empire… -
Sens, Archdiocese of (SENS, ARCIDIOCESI DI)
City in the department of the Yonne in France. It has a population of 271,685 inhabitants, of whom 25,000 are Catholics. The present diocese of S. is divided… -
Sensation (SENSAZIONE)
From sensus, sensatio, Gk. αἴσθησις, it is the original and fundamental manifestation of psychic life, whereby there occurs the first form of the presence of… -
Sensibility (SENSIBILITÀ)
The concept of sensibility is not univocally established. It is commonly said that a subject has sensibility for certain problems or aspects of life, meaning… -
Sensism (SENSISMO)
A philosophical system or tendency that admits sensation (v.) as the sole source of knowledge and resolves into it all the forms or functions of thought (v.).… -
Sentence (SENTENZA)
It is the juridical act by which a lawsuit is concluded that has not ceased for other reasons (prescription, renunciation, settlement); it is defined by the… -
Sentences, Commentaries on the (SENTENZE, COMMENTI ALLE)
The textbook in the Faculty of theology during the 13th and 14th centuries was the Bible, the "sacred page," from which the regent master "read" this or that… -
Sentiment (SENTIMENTO)
A distinction is made between feeling [sentimento] and the simple "sensing" of external or internal sensibility, in that while sensing refers to objective… -
Seoul (Sŏul), Apostolic Vicariate of (SEUL (SÖUL), VICARIATO APOSTOLICO DI)
Located in the southwestern region of Korea, it has an area of 71,820 sq. km. and a population of 5,800,000 inhabitants; the see is in the city of the same… -
Separation of Spouses (SEPARAZIONE DEI CONIUGI)
SEPARAZIONE dei CONIUGI: v. SPOUSES, RIGHTS and DUTIES of. -
Separatism and Jurisdictionalism (SEPARATISMO E GIURISDIZIONALISMO)
SEPARATISM AND JURISDICTIONALISM. 1. The possible systems of relations between State and Church would be, according to a well-known classification… -
Sepharad
SEPHARAD: v. SEPARAD; SEPARDITI. -
Sephardim (SEFARDITI)
Descendants of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who emigrated from the Iberian peninsula, after the massacre of 1491 and the expulsion of 1492, toward North… -
Sepharvaim
A city of the Assyrian Empire, from which the "king of Assyria," probably Sargon II, as from the centers of Cuthah, Avah and Hamath, had emigrants or colonists… -
Sephora
1. (Heb. Siphrâh, Septuagint Σεπφωρά). One of the Hebrew midwives, to whom Pharaoh ordered the killing of the male Israelite newborns (Ex. 1:15). 2. (Heb.… -
Sepphoris (SEFFORIS)
A city of Galilee, whose name is preserved in the present-day village of Şaffürijjeh, 8 km northwest of Nazareth (Israel). Flavius Josephus (Antiq. Iud., XIII… -
Septempeda, Ancient Diocese in Picenum (SEPTEMPEDA, ANTICA DIOCESI NEL PICENO)
SEPTEMPEDA, ANTICA DIOCESI nel PICENO: v. S. SEVERINO, DIOCESI di. -
Septimius Severus (L. Septimius Severus), Roman Emperor (SETTIMIO SEVERO (L. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS), IMPERATORE ROMANO)
Born at Leptis Magna (Libya) on 11 April 146, died at York (England) in February 211. A descendant of an equestrian family, he went to Rome and, under the… -
Septuagesima (SETTUAGESIMA (NEL MESSALE ROMANO «DOMINICA IN SEPTUAGESIMA»))
It is the ninth Sunday before Easter, in preparation for the feast of the Resurrection of Christ. As a paschal preparation, Septuagesima is purely Roman.… -
Septuagint, Version of the (SETTANTA, VERSIONE DEI)
The oldest Greek version, and the oldest of all the versions of the Old Testament. The name, in its full form "version of the seventy-two interpreters"… -
Sequences (SEQUENZE)
At first the sequence was nothing but the vocalization on the final syllable of the Alleluia of the Gradual; it was the jubilus or jubilatio, which was divided… -
Sequestration (SEQUESTRO)
It is a precautionary measure by virtue of which either a disputed thing is entrusted to a third party (sequestrator) to keep it until the dispute is resolved… -
Serafina di Dio, Venerable (SERAFINA DI DIO, VENERABILE)
Carmelite mystic, in the world Prudenza Pisa, b. in Naples on 24 Oct. 1621, d. on Capri on 17 March 1699. Of profound interior life, endowed with supernatural… -
Serafini, Camillo
Numismatist, b. 21 April 1864 in Rome to a well-known and well-to-do Roman family, d. in the Vatican on 21 March 1952. After completing his literary and… -
Serafini, Domenico
Cardinal, b. in Rome on 3 Aug. 1852, d. there on 5 March 1918. At the age of nineteen he entered the Benedictine monastery of S. Scolastica at Subiaco and in… -
Serafino da Fermo
Ascetical writer and preacher, b. at Fermo in 1496, d. at Bologna in 1540. He entered the Canons Regular of the Lateran, preached with fruit in northern Italy… -
Serafino di Sarov
In the world Prokhor Moshnin, together with St. Theodosius of the Caves and St. Sergius of Radonezh, one of the three most important figures of Russian… -
Seraphim (SERAFINO)
St. in Isaiah's vision (Is. 6:2-7), Ministura of the end of the 9th century. Detail of fol. 67v of the Greek ms. 510, of the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. >… -
Seraphim (SERAFINO)
The only biblical text that speaks of S. is the vision with which Isaiah's prophetic ministry is inaugurated: the S. surround the throne of God, to whom they… -
Seraphin of Montegranaro, Saint (SERAFINO DA MONTEGRANARO, SANTO)
Capuchin lay brother, b. at Montegranaro (Ascoli Piceno) in 1540, entered the novitiate of Iesi in about 1557, d. at Ascoli Piceno on 12 Oct. 1604. Declared… -
Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis, Saint (SERAPIONE, VESCOVO DI THMUIS, SANTO)
In the Syriac Calendar a St. Serapion is recorded on 19 March; from there he passed into the Hieronymian Martyrology on the 21st of the same month; Eusebius… -
Serapion, Saint (SERAPIONE, SANTO)
Eighth bishop of Antioch, from 190 (191 according to Julius Africanus) to 30 Oct. 211. Eusebius (Hist. eccl., V, 19, 22; VI, 11) recalls the figure of St.… -
Serarius, Nicolaus
Jesuit theologian, b. at Rambervillers (Metz) in 1555, d. at Mainz in 1609. After his philosophical studies at Cologne, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1573… -
Serbelloni, Family (SERBELLONI, FAMIGLIA)
Of Milanese origin, it acquired importance in the 16th century. CECILIA was the wife of Bernardino Medici and the mother of Pius IV. Cardinal Gian Angelo… -
Serbia
Historical region of the Balkans, forming the core of the present-day unit of the same name included as a federal republic in the Yugoslav state. S. today… -
Sercambi, Giovanni
Apothecary, soldier, notable citizen, writer, dear to the Guinigi, b. at Lucca on 18 Feb. 1347, d. there on 27 May 1424. He wrote a Monito for Lazzaro Guinigi… -
Serdica (Sardica) (SARDICA (SERDICA))
Today Sofia. Its name derives from the Thracian tribe of the Serdi (Cassius Dio, LI, 25). In the arrangement given by Trajan to the Dacian region after the… -
Serédi, György Justinianus
Hungarian Benedictine cardinal and jurist, b. at Deáki on 23 Apr. 1884, d. at Strigonia (Esztergom) on 29 March 1945. Having completed his gymnasium studies in… -
Serfs of the Glebe (SERVI DELLA GLEBA)
SERVI DELLA GLEBA: v. SCHIAVITÙ. -
Sergius and Bacchus, Saints, Martyrs (SERGIO E BACCO, SANTI, MARTIRI)
Much venerated in antiquity in the East; their names appear in the Hieronymian Martyrology, but they appear in the Roman liturgical books only in the 11th… -
Sergius III, Pope (SERGIO III, PAPA)
Roman by origin, d. 15 April 911. Ordained subdeacon by Marinus I (882-84), deacon by Stephen V (885-91), bishop of Cere "per vim," Sergius assures us, by… -
Sergius II, Pope (SERGIO II, PAPA)
A member of a noble family from which Pope Stephen V had already come, he was ordained priest by Paschal I (817-24). He died on January 27, 847. He seems to… -
Sergius I, Patriarch of Constantinople (SERGIO I, PATRIARCA DI COSTANTINOPOLI)
Of Syrian origin, he was consecrated on 8 April 610, and died on 9 December 638. He placed the treasures of the churches at the disposal of the emperor… -
Sergius I, Pope, Saint (SERGIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
Of Antiochene origin, born in Palermo to a certain Tiberius, died in Rome on 8 September 701. During the pontificate of Adeodatus (672-76) he came to Rome… -
Sergius IV, Pope (SERGIO IV, PAPA)
Pietro Boccaporco, bishop of Albano, died on May 12, 1012. He was elected Pope on July 31, 1009, at a time when the Crescenzi still held predominance in Rome.… -
Sergius of Radonezh, Saint (SERGIO DI RADONESC, SANTO)
In the world Bartholomew, one of the great Russian saints. Born between 1314-19 and died in the vicinity of Radonezh on 25 September 1392. Brought to piety… -
Sergius, Patriarch of Moscow (SERGIO, PATRIARCA DI MOSCA)
Ioann Nikolaevič Stragorodskij, b. at Arzamas in the eparchy of Nižnij-Novgorod to a priestly family on 11 Jan. 1867, d. at Moscow on 15 May 1944. In 1905… -
Sergius Paulus (SERGIO PAOLO)
Roman proconsul in Cyprus during the first missionary journey of St. Paul (Acts 13:7-12). Luke praises his intelligent prudence. S. called Paul and Barnabas to… -
Serio, Rosa Maria, Venerable (SERIO, ROSA MARIA, VENERABILE)
Carmelite, b. at Ostuni (Lecce) on 6 Aug. 1674, d. in the Carmel of Fasano (Bari) on 9 May 1726, where she had entered at the age of sixteen in 1690… -
Seripando, Girolamo
SERIPANDO, GIROLAMO.-Troiano S. (in the Order, Girolamo) descends from a noble Neapolitan family, belonging to the seat of Capua. Felice Milensio and other… -
Serlio, Sebastiano
Architect and architectural theorist, b. in Bologna on 5 Sept. 1475, d. in Lyon in 1554. He is found between 1509 and 1514 in Pesaro as a painter of… -
Sermini Gentile, da Siena
Traditional but not certain author of "uno paneretto d'insalatella", a kind of miscellany and book of recollections in verse and prose, interspersed with 40… -
Seroux d'Agincourt, Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Georges
French archaeologist and numismatist, b. at Beauvais (France) on 5 Apr. 1730, d. at Rome on 24 Sept. 1814 and buried in S. Luigi de' Francesi. In 1778 he set… -
Serpent, in Ancient Religions (SERPENTE, NELLE RELIGIONI ANTICHE)
The cult of the serpent is quite widespread in the ancient religions and in those of primitive peoples, where it sometimes represents the supreme being who has… -
Serpieri, Alessandro
Scolopian scientist, b. at S. Giovanni di Marignano, near Rimini, on 31 Oct. 1825, d. at the College of the Badia Fiesolana, on 22 Feb. 1885. An astronomer… -
Serpotta, Giacomo
Sculptor, b. in Palermo on 10 March 1656, d. there on 27 Feb. 1732. A distant ancestor of his was a certain Guglielmo S. of the 16th century, followed by a… -
Serra, Junipero
Franciscan friar, in the world Miguel, b. at Petra (Majorca) on 24 Nov. 1731, d. at Monterey (California) on 28 Aug. 1784. On 14 Sept. 1730 he took the… -
Serra, Luigi
Painter, b. in Bologna on 8 June 1846, d. there on 11 Aug. 1888. In 1868 he went to study in Florence; then he was in Rome, whence he sent to Bologna paintings… -
Serrano, Francesco, Blessed (SERRANO, FRANCESCO, BEATO)
Spanish Dominican missionary and martyr, b. at Hueneja (Guadix, Andalusia) on 4 Dec. 1695, d. at Fuceu (Fokien, China) on 28 Oct. 1748. He professed at the… -
Serrano y Pineda, Luciano
Spanish Benedictine and historian, b. 7 Jan. 1879 at Castroceniza (Burgos), d. 17 July 1944 at Burgos. A Benedictine in Sept. 1894, ordained priest in Dec.… -
Serrao, Giovanni Andrea
Bishop of Potenza, a Calabrian born at Castelmonado (now Filadelfia, province of Catanzaro) in 1731, died at Potenza on 24 February 1799, known as the leading… -
Serra, Renato
Literary critic, b. at Cesena on 5 Dec. 1884, d. on the Podgora on 20 July 1915. In 1908 he was a teacher at the normal school of Cesena and the following year…