
Doctrine of the Atonement
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The word atonement , which is almost the only theological term of English origin, has a curious history. The verb "atone", from the adverbial phrase "at one" (M.E. at oon ), at first meant to reconcile, or make "at one"; from this it came to denote the action by which such reconciliation was effected, e.g. satisfaction for all offense or an injury. Hence, in Catholic theology, the Atonement is the Satisfaction of Christ, whereby God and the world are reconciled or made to be at one. "For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself" ( 2 Corinthians 5:19 ). The Catholic doctrine on this subject is set forth in the sixth Session of the Council of Trent, chapter ii. Having shown the insufficiency of Nature, and of Mosaic Law the Council continues:
Whence it came to pass, that the Heavenly Father, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1, 3 ), when thatblessed fullness of thetime was come (Galatians 4:4 ) sent unto men Jesus Christ, His own Son who had been, both before the Law and during the time of the Law, to many of the holy fathers announced and promised, that He might both redeem the Jews, who were under the Law and that theGentiles who followed not afterjustice might attain to justice and that all men might receive the adoption of sons. Him God had proposed as a propitiator, through faith in His blood (Romans 3:25 ), for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world (I John ii, 2).More than twelve centuries before this, the same dogma was proclaimed in the words of the Nicene Creed, "who for us men and for our salvation, came down, took flesh, was made man ; and suffered. "And all that is thus taught in the decrees of the councils may be read in the pages of the New Testament. For instance, in the words of Our Lord, "even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a redemption for many" ( Matthew 20:28 ); or of St. Paul, "Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven." ( Colossians 1:19-20 ).
The great doctrine thus laid down in the beginning was further unfolded and brought out into clearer light by the work of the Fathers and theologians. And it may be noted that in this instance the development is chiefly due to Catholic speculation on the mystery, and not, as in the case of other doctrines, to controversy with heretics. At first we have the central fact made known in the Apostolic preaching, that mankind was fallen and was raised up and redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ. But it remained for the pious speculation of Fathers and theologians to enter into the meaning of this great truth, to inquire into the state of fallen man, and to ask how Christ accomplished His work of Redemption. By whatever names or figures it may be described, that work is the reversal of the Fall, the blotting out of sin, the deliverance from bondage, the reconciliation of mankind with God. And it is brought to pass by the Incarnation, by the life, the sufferings, and the death of the Divine Redeemer. All this may be summed up in the word Atonement . This, is so to say, the starting point. And herein all are indeed at one. But, when it was attempted to give a more precise account of the nature of the Redemption and the manner of its accomplishment, theological speculation took different courses, some of which were suggested by the various names and figures under which this ineffable mystery is adumbrated in Holy Scripture . Without pretending to give a full history of the discussions, we may briefly indicate some of the main lines on which the doctrine was developed, and touch on the more important theories put forward in explanation of the Atonement.
(a) In any view, the Atonement is founded on the Divine Incarnation. By this great mystery, the Eternal Word took to Himself the nature of man and, being both God and man, became the Mediator between God and men. From this, we have one of the first and most profound forms of theological speculation on the Atonement, the theory which is sometimes described as Mystical Redemption. Instead of seeking a solution in legal figures, some of the great Greek Fathers were content to dwell on the fundamental fact of the Divine Incarnation. By the union of the Eternal Word with the nature of man all mankind was lifted up and, so to say, deified. "He was made man ", says St. Athanasius, "that we might be made gods" (De Incarnatione Verbi, 54). "His flesh was saved, and made free the first of all, being made the body of the Word, then we, being concorporeal therewith, are saved by the same (Orat., II, Contra Arianos, lxi). And again, "For the presence of the Saviour in the flesh was the price of death and the saving of the whole creation (Ep. ad Adelphium, vi). In like manner St. Gregory of Nazianzusproves the integrity of the Sacred Humanity by the argument, "That which was not assumed is not healed; but that which is united to God is saved" ( to gar aproslepton, atherapeuton ho de henotai to theu, touto kai sozetai ). This speculation of the Greek Fathers undoubtedly contains a profound truth which is sometimes forgotten by later authors who are more intent on framing juridical theories of ransom and satisfaction. But it is obvious that this account of the matter is imperfect, and leaves much to be explained. It must be remembered, moreover, that the Fathers themselves do not put this forward as a full explanation. For while many of their utterances might seem to imply that the Redemption was actually accomplished by the union of a Divine Person with the human nature, it is clear from other passages that they do not lose sight of the atoning sacrifice. The Incarnation is, indeed, the source and the foundation of the Atonement, and these profound thinkers have, so to say, grasped the cause and its effects as one vast whole. Hence they look on to the result before staying to consider the means by which it was accomplished.
(b) But something more on this matter had already been taught in the preaching of the Apostles and in the pages of the New Testament. The restoration of fallen man was the work of the Incarnate Word. " God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" ( 2 Corinthians 5:19 ). But the peace of that reconciliation was accomplished by the death of the Divine Redeemer, "making peace through the blood of His cross" ( Colossians 1:20 ). This redemption by death is another mystery, and some of the Fathers in the first ages are led to speculate on its meaning, and to construct a theory in explanation. Here the words and figures used in Holy Scripture help to guide the current of theological thought. Sin is represented as a state of bondage or servitude, and fallen man is delivered by being redeemed, or bought with a price. "For you are bought with a great price" ( 1 Corinthians 6:20 ). "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed to God, in thy blood" ( Revelation 5:9 ). Looked at in this light, the Atonement appears as the deliverance from captivity by the payment of a ransom. This view is already developed in the second century. "The mighty Word and true Man reasonably redeeming us by His blood, gave Himself a ransom for those who had been brought into bondage. And since the Apostasy unjustly ruled over us, and, whereas we belonged by nature to God Almighty, alienated us against nature and made us his own disciples, the Word of God, being mighty in all things, and failing not in His justice, dealt justly even with the Apostasy itself, buying back from it the things which were His own" (Irenaeus Aversus Haereses V, i). And St. Augustine says in well-known words: "Men were held captive under the devil and served the demons, but they were redeemed from captivity. For they could sell themselves. The Redeemer came, and gave the price; He poured forth his blood and bought the whole world. Do you ask what He bought? See what He gave, and find what He bought. The blood of Christ is the price. How much is it worth? What but the whole world? What but all nations?" (Enarratio in Psalm xcv, n. 5).
It cannot be questioned that this theory also contains a true principle. For it is founded on the express words of Scripture, and is supported by many of the greatest of the early Fathers and later theologians. But unfortunately, at first, and for a long period of theological history, this truth was somewhat obscured by a strange confusion, which would seem to have arisen from the natural tendency to take a figure too literally, and to apply it in details which were not contemplated by those who first made use of it. It must not be forgotten that the account of our deliverance from sin is set forth in figures. Conquest, captivity, and ransom are familiar facts of human history. Man, having yielded to the temptations of Satan, was like to one overcome in battle. Sin, again, is fitly likened to a state of slavery. And when man was set free by the shedding of Christ's precious Blood, this deliverance would naturally recall (even if it had not been so described in Scripture ) the redemption of a captive by the payment of a ransom.
But however useful and illuminating in their proper place, figures of this kind are perilous in the hands of those who press them too far, and forget that they are figures. This is what happened here. When a captive is ransomed the price is naturally paid to the conqueror by whom he is held in bondage. Hence, if this figure were taken and interpreted literally in all its details, it would seem that the price of man's ransom must be paid to Satan. The notion is certainly startling, if not revolting. Even if brave reasons pointed in this direction, we might well shrink from drawing the concluslon. And this is in fact so far from being the case that it seems hard to find any rational explanation of such a payment, or any right on which it could be founded. Yet, strange to say, the bold flight of theological speculation was not checked by these misgivings. In the above-cited passage of St. Irenæus, we read that the Word of God "dealt justly even with the Apostasy itself [i.e. Satan ], buying back from it the things which were His own." This curious notion, apparently first mooted by St. Irenæus , was taken up by Origen in the next century, and for about a thousand years it played a conspicuous part in the history of theology. In the hands of some of the later Fathers and medieval writers, it takes various forms, and some of its more repulsive features are softened or modified. But the strange notion of some right, or claim, on the part of Satan is still present. A protest was raised by St. Gregory of Nazianzus in the fourth century, as might be expected from that most accurate of the patristic theologians. But it was not till St. Anselm and Abelard had met it with unanswerable arguments that its power was finally broken. It makes a belated appearance in the pages of Peter Lombard .
(c) But it is not only in connection with the theory of ransom that we meet with this notion of " rights " on the part of Satan. Some of the Fathers set the matter in a different aspect. Fallen man, it was said, was justly under the dominion of the devil, in punishment for sin. But when Satan brought suffering and death on the sinless Saviour, he abused his power and exceeded his right, so that he was now justly deprived of his dominion over the captives. This explanation is found especially in the sermons of St. Leo and the "Morals" of St. Gregory the Great . Closely allied to this explanation is the singular "mouse-trap" metaphor of St. Augustine. In this daring figure of speech, the Cross is regarded as the trap in which the bait is set and the enemy is caught. "The Redeemer came and the deceiver was overcome. What did our Redeemer do to our Captor? In payment for us He set the trap, His Cross, with His blood for bait. He [ Satan ] could indeed shed that blood; but he deserved not to drink it. By shedding the blood of One who was not his debtor, he was forced to release his debtors" (Serm. cxxx, part 2).
(d) These ideas retained their force well into the Middle Ages. But the appearance of St. Anselm's "Cur Deus Homo?" made a new epoch in the theology of the Atonement. It may be said, indeed, that this book marks an epoch in theological literature and doctrinal development. There are not many works, even among those of the greatest teachers, that can compare in this respect with the treatise of St. Anselm. And, with few exceptions, the books that have done as much to influence and guide the growth of theology are the outcome of some great struggle with heresy ; while others, again, only summarize the theological learning of the age. But this little book is at once purely pacific and eminently original. Nor could any dogmatic treatise well be more simple and unpretending than this luminous dialogue between the great archbishop and his disciple Boso. There is no parade of learning, and but little in the way of appeal to authorities. The disciple asks and the master answers; and both alike face the great problem before them fearlessly, but at the same time with all due reverence and modesty. Anselm says at the outset that he will not so much show his disciple the truth he needs, as seek it along with him; and that when he says anything that is not confirmed by higher authority, it must be taken as tentative, and provisional. He adds that, though he may in some measure meet the question, one who is wiser could do it better; and that, whatever man may know or say on this subject, there will always remain deeper reasons that are beyond him. In the same spirit he concludes the whole treatise by submitting it to reasonable correction at the hands of others.
It may be safely said that this is precisely what has come to pass. For the theory put forward by Anselm has been modified by the work of later theologians, and confirmed by the testimony of truth. In contrast to some of the other views already noticed, this theory is remarkably clear and symmetrical. And it is certainly more agreeable to reason than the "mouse-trap" metaphor, or the notion of purchase money paid to Satan. Anselm's answer to the question is simply the need of satisfaction of sin. No sin, as he views the matter, can be forgiven without satisfaction. A debt to Divine justice has been incurred; and that debt must needs be paid. But man could not make this satisfaction for himself; the debt is something far greater than he can pay; and, moreover, all the service that he can offer to God is already due on other titles. The suggestion that some innocent man, or angel, might possibly pay the debt incurred by sinners is rejected, on the ground that in any case this would put the sinner under obligation to his deliverer, and he would thus become the servant of a mere creature. The only way in which the satisfaction could be made, and men could be set free from sin, was by the coming of a Redeemer who is both God and man. His death makes full satisfaction to the Divine Justice, for it is something greater than all the sins of all rnankind. Many side questions are incidentally treated in the dialogue between Anselm and Boso. But this is the substance of the answer given to the great question, "Cur Deus Homo?". Some modern writers have suggested that this notion of deliverance by means of satisfaction may have a German origin. For in old Teutonic laws a criminal might pay the wergild instead of undergoing punishment. But this custom was not peculiar or to the Germans, as we may see from the Celtic eirig, and, as Riviere has pointed out, there is no need to have recourse to this explanation. For the notion of satisfaction for sin was already present in the whole system of ecclesiastical penance, though it had been left for Anselm to use it in illustration of the doctrine of the Atonernent. It may be added that the same idea underlies the old Jewish "sin-offerings" as well as the similar rites that are found in many ancient religions. It is specially prominent in the rites and prayers used on the Day of Atonement. And this, it may be added, is now the ordinary acceptance of the word; to "atone" is to give satisfaction, or make amends, for an offense or an injury.
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(e) Whatever may be the reason, it is clear that this doctrine was attracting special attention in the age of St. Anselm. His own work bears witness that it was undertaken at the urgent request of others who wished to have some new light on this mystery. To some extent, the solution offered by Anselm seems to have satisfied these desires, though, in the course of further discussion, an important part of his theory, the absolute necessity of Redemption and of satisfaction for sin, was discarded by later theologians, and found few defenders. But meanwhile, within a few years of the appearance of the "Cur Deus Homo?" another theory on the subject had been advanced by Abelard. In common with St. Anselm, Abelard utterly rejected the old and then still prevailing, notion that the devil had some sort of right over fallen man, who could only be justly delivered by means of a ransom paid to his captor. Against this he very rightly urges, with Anselm, that Satan was clearly guilty of injustice in the matter and could have no right to anything but punishment. But, on the other hand, Abelard was unable to accept Anselm's view that an equivalent satisfaction for sin was necessary, and that this debt could only be paid by the death of the Divine Redeerner. He insists that God could have pardoned us without requiring satisfaction. And, in his view, the reason for the Incarnation and the death of Christ was the pure love of God. By no other means could men be so effectually turned from sin and moved to love God. Abelard's teaching on this point, as on others, was vehemently attacked by St. Bernard. But it should be borne in mind that some of the arguments urged in condemnation of Abelard would affect the position of St. Anselm also, not to speak of later Catholic theology.
In St. Bernard's eyes it seemed that Abelard, in denying the rights of Satan, denied the "Sacrament of Redemption " and regarded the teaching and example of Christ as the sole benefit of the Incarnation. "But", as Mr. Oxenham observes,
he had not said so, and he distinctly asserts in his "Apology" that "the Son of God was incarnate to deliver us from the bondage of sin and yoke of the Devil and to open to us by His death the gate of eternal life." And St. Bernard himself, in this very Epistle, distinctly denies any absolute necessity for the method of redemption chosen, and suggests a reason for it not so very unlike Abelard's. "Perhaps that method is the best, whereby in a land of forgetfulness and sloth we might be more powerfully as vividly reminded of our fall, through the so great and so manifold sufferings of Him who repaired it." Elsewhere when not speaking controversially, he says still more plainly: "Could not the Creator have restored His work without that difficulty? He could, but He preferred to do it at his own cost, lest any further occasion should be given for that worst and most odious vice of ingratitude in man " (Bern., Serm. xi, in Cant.). What is this but to say, with Abelard that "He chose the Incarnation as the most effectual method for eliciting His creature's love ?" (The Catholic Doctrine of the Atonement, 85, 86).(f) Although the high authority of St. Bernard was thus against them, the views of St. Anselm and Abelard, the two men who in different ways were the fathers of Scholasticism, shaped the course of later medieval theology. The strange notion of the rights of Satan, against which they had both protested, now disappears from the pages of our theologians. For the rest, the view which ultimately prevailed may be regarded as a combination of the opinions of Anselm and Abelard. In spite of the objections urged by the latter writer, Anselm's doctrine of Satisfaction was adopted as the basis. But St. Thomas and the other medieval masters agree with Abelard in rejecting the notion that this full Satisfaction for sin was absolutely necessary. At the most, they are willing to admit a hypothetical or conditional necessity for the Redemption by the death of Christ. The restoration of fallen man was a work of God's free mercy and benevolence. And, even on the hypothesis that the loss was to be repaired, this might have been brought about in many and various ways. The sin might have been remitted freely, without any satisfaction at all, or some lesser satisfaction, however imperfect in itself, might have been accepted as sufficient. But on the hypothesis that God as chosen to restore mankind, and at the same time, to require full satisfaction as a condition of pardon and deliverance, nothing less than the Atonement made by one who was God as well as man could suffice as satisfaction for the offense against the Divine Majesty. And in this case Anselm's argument will hold good. Mankind cannot be restored unless God becomes man to save them.

In reference to many points of detail the Schoolmen, here as elsewhere, adopted divergent views. One of the chief questions at issue was the intrinsic adequacy of the satisfaction offered by Christ. On this point the majority, with St. Thomas at their head, maintained that, by reason of the infinite dignity of the Divine Person, the least action or suffering of Christ had an infinite value, so that in itself it would suffice as an adequate satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Scotus and his school, on the other hand, disputed this intrinsic infinitude, and ascribed the all-sufficiency of the satisfaction to the Divine acceptation. As this acceptation was grounded on the infinite dignity of the Divine Person, the difference was not so great as might appear at first sight. But, on this point at any rate the simpler teaching of St. Thomas is more generally accepted by later theologians. Apart from this question, the divergent views of the two schools on the primary motive of the Incarnation naturally have some effect on the Thomist and Scotist theology of the Atonement. On looking back at the various theories noticed so far, it will be seen that they are not, for the most part, mutually exclusive, but may be combined and harmonized. It may be said, indeed, that they all help to bring out different aspects of that great doctrine which cannot find adequate expression in any human theory. And in point of fact it will generally be found that the chief Fathers and Schoolmen, though they may at times lay more stress on some favourite theory of their own, do not lose sight of the other explanations.
Thus the Greek Fathers, who delight in speculating on the Mystical Redemption by the Incarnation, do not omit to speak also of our salvation by the shedding of blood. Origen, who lays most stress on the deliverance by payment of a ransom, does not forget to dwell on the need of a sacrifice for sin. St. Anselm again, in his "Meditations", supplements the teaching set forth in his "Cur Deus Homo?" Abelard, who might seem to make the Atonement consist in nothing more than the constraining example of Divine Love has spoken also of our salvation by the Sacrifice of the Cross, in passages to which his critics do not attach sufficient importance. And, as we have seen his great opponent, St. Bernard, teaches all that is really true and valuable in the theory which he condemned. Most, if not all, of these theories had perils of their own, if they were isolated and exaggerated. But in the Catholic Church there was ever a safeguard against these dangers of distortion. As Mr. Oxenham says very finely,
The perpetual priesthood of Christ in heaven, which occupies a prominent place in nearly all the writings we have examined, is even more emphatically insisted upon by Origen. And this deserves to be remembered, because it is a part of thedoctrine which has been almost or altogether dropped out of many Protestant expositions of the Atonement, whereas those most inclining among Catholics to a merely juridical view of the subject have never been able to forget the present and living reality of a sacrifice constantly kept before their eyes, as it were, in the worship which reflects on earth the unfailingliturgy of heaven. (p. 38)The reality of these dangers and the importance of this safeguard may be seen in the history of this doctrine since the age of Reformation. As we have seen, its earlier development owed comparatively little to the stress of controversy with the heretics. And the revolution of the sixteenth century was no exception to the rule. For the atonement was not one of the subjects directly disputed between the Reformers and their Catholic opponents. But from its close connection with the cardinal question of Justification, this doctrine assumed a very special prominence and importance in Protestant theology and practical preaching. Mark Pattison tells us in his "Memoirs" that he came to Oxford with his "home Puritan religion almost narrowed to two points, fear of God's wrath and faith in the doctrine of the Atonement". And his case was possibly no exception among Protestant religionists. In their general conception on the atonement the Reformers and their followers happily preserved the Catholic doctrine, at least in its main lines. And in their explanation of the merit of Christ's sufferings and death we may see the influence of St. Thomas and the other great Schoolmen. But, as might be expected from the isolation of the doctrine and the loss of other portions of Catholic teaching , the truth thus preserved was sometimes insensibly obscured or distorted. It will be enough to note here the presence of two mistaken tendencies.
- The first is indicated in the above words of Pattison in which the Atonement is specially connected with the thought of the wrath of God. It is true of course that sin incurs the anger of the Just Judge, and that this is averted when the debt due to Divine Justice is paid by satisfaction. But it must not be thought that God is only moved to mercy and reconciled to us as a result of this satisfaction. This false conception of the Reconciliation is expressly rejected by St. Augustine (In Joannem, Tract. cx, section 6). God's merciful love is the cause, not the result of that satisfaction.
- The second mistake is the tendency to treat the Passion of Christ as being literally a case of vicarious punishment. This is at best a distorted view of the truth that His Atoning Sacrifice took the place of our punishment, and that He took upon Himself the sufferings and death that were due to our sins.
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Danti, VincenzoVincenzo DantiSculptor, brother of Ignazio, b. at Perugia, 1530; d. 24 May, 1576. He also enjoyed some ... |
Dantine, MaurusMaurus DantineBenedictine of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, and chronologist, born at Gourieux near Namur, ... |
Darboy, GeorgesGeorges DarboyArchbishop of Paris and ecclesiastical writer, b. at Fayl-Billot, near Langres, 1813; ... |
DardanusDardanusA titular see in the province of Hellespont, suffragan of Cyzicus. Four or five bishops are ... |
Dardel, JeanJean DardelFriar Minor of the French province of the order, chronicler of Armenia in the fourteenth century, ... |
Darerca, SaintSt. DarercaSt. Darerca, of Ireland, a sister of St. Patrick. Much obscurity attaches to her history, and ... |
Dareste de la Chavanne, Antoine-ElisabethAntoine-Elisabeth Dareste de la ChavanneHistorian and professor, b. in Paris, 25 October, 1820; d. at Lucenay-lès-Aix, 6 August, ... |
Darius and Chrysanthus, SaintsSts. Chrysanthus and DariaRoman martyrs, buried on the Via Salaria Nova, and whose tombs, according to the testimony of ... |
DarnisDarnisA metropolitan titular see of Libya, in Egypt. Ptolemy (IV, 4, 2; 5; 6) and Ammian. Marcell., ... |
Darras, Joseph-EpiphaneJoseph-Epiphane DarrasChurch historian, b. at Troyes, France, 1825; d. at Paris, Nov. 8, 1878. He completed his ... |
Darrell, WilliamWilliam DarrellTheologian, b. 1651, in Buckinghamshire, England ; d. 28 Feb., 1721, at St. Omer's, France. ... |
Dates and DatingDates and DatingIn classical Latin even before the time of Christ it was usual for correspondents to indicate ... |
Daubrée, Gabriel-AugusteGabriel-Auguste DaubreeFrench geologist, b. at Metz, 25 June, 1814; d. at Paris, 29 May, 1896. He studied mining ... |
DauliaDauliaA titular see of Greece. Daulis, later Daulia, Dauleion, often Diauleia, even Davalia, was a ... |
Daumer, Georg FriedrichGeorg Friedrich DaumerGerman poet and philosopher, b. at Nuremberg, 5 March, 1800; d. at Wurzburg, 14 December, 1875. ... |
DavenportDavenportDIOCESE OF DAVENPORT (DAVENPORTENSIS) The Diocese of Davenport, erected 8 May, 1881, embraces ... |
Davenport, ChristopherChristopher DavenportAlso known as FRANCISCUS À SANCTA CLARA and sometimes by the alias of FRANCIS HUNT and ... |
David of AugsburgDavid of Augsburg(DE AUGUSTA). Medieval German mystic, b. probably at Augsburg, Bavaria, early in the ... |
David of DinantDavid of DinantA pantheistic philosopher who lived in the first decades of the thirteenth century. Very little ... |
David ScotusDavid ScotusA medieval Irish chronicler, date of birth unknown; d. 1139. Early in the twelfth century ... |
David, ArmandArmand DavidMissionary priest and zoologist, b. 1826; d. 1900. He entered the Congregation of the Mission ... |
David, GheeraertGheeraert DavidSon of John David, painter and illuminator, b. at Oudewater, South Holland, c. 1450, d. 13 ... |
David, KingKing DavidIn the Bible the name David is borne only by the second king of Israel, the great-grandson of ... |
David, SaintSt. David(DEGUI, DEWI). Bishop and Confessor, patron of Wales. He is usually represented standing on ... |
Davies, Venerable WilliamVen. William DaviesMartyr, one of the most illustrious of the priests who suffered under Queen Elizabeth, b. in ... |
Dawson, Æneas McDonnellAeneas McDonnell DawsonAuthor, b. in Scotland, 30 July, 1810; d. in Ottawa, Canada, 29 Dec., 1894. He studied at the ... |
Dax, Diocese ofDaxAn ancient French diocese which was suppressed by the Concordat of 1801, its territory now ... |
Day of AtonementDay of Atonement (Yom Kippur)( Hebrew Yom Hakkippurim . Vulgate, Dies Expiationum , and Dies Propitiationis — ... |
Day, GeorgeGeorge DayBishop of Chichester ; b. in Shropshire, England, c. 1501; d. 2 August, 1556. He was graduated ... |
Day, John Charles, SirSir John Charles DayJurist, b. near Bath, England, 1826; d. 13 June, 1908, at Newbury. He was educated at Rome and ... |
De L'Orme, PhilibertPhilibert de l'OrmeCelebrated architect of the French Renaissance, born at Lyons, c. 1515 or a little later; died at ... |
De La Croix, CharlesCharles de la CroixMissionary, b. at Hoorbeke-St-Corneille, Belgium, 28 Oct., 1792; d. at Ghent, 20 Aug., 1869. He ... |
De Lisle, Ambrose Lisle March PhillippsAmbrose Lisle March Phillipps de LisleBorn 17 March, 1809; died 5 March, 1878. He was the son of Charles March Phillipps of Garendon ... |
De Paul UniversityDePaul UniversityDePaul University, Chicago, is the outgrowth of St. Vincent's College, which opened in Sept., ... |
De ProfundisDe Profundis("Out of the depths"). First words of Psalm 129. The author of this Psalm is unknown; it was ... |
De Rossi, Giovanni BattistaGiovanni Battista de RossiA distinguished Christian archaeologist , best known for his work in connection with the Roman ... |
De Smet, Pierre-JeanPierre-Jean de SmetMissionary among the North American Indians , b. at Termonde (Dendermonde), Belgium, 30 Jan., ... |
De Soto, HernandoHernando de SotoExplorer and conqueror, born at Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, Spain, 1496 or 1500; died on the ... |
De Vere, Aubrey Thomas HuntAubrey Thomas Hunt de VerePoet, critic, and essayist, b. at Curragh Chase, County Limerick, Ireland, 10 January, 1814; died ... |
DeaconessesDeaconessesWe cannot be sure that any formal recognition of deaconesses as an institution of consecrated ... |
DeaconsDeaconsThe name deacon ( diakonos ) means only minister or servant, and is employed in this sense ... |
Dead SeaDead SeaThe name given to the lake that lies on the south-eastern border of Palestine. The Old Testament ... |
Dead, Prayers for thePrayers For the DeadThis subject will be treated under the following three heads: I. General Statement and Proof of ... |
Deaf, Education of theEducation of the Deaf and DumbEducation essentially includes the process of encouraging, strengthening, and guiding the ... |
DeanDean(Gk. déka , ten; Latin decanus ). One of the principal administrative officials of ... |
Dean, William, VenerableVen. William DeanBorn in Yorkshire, England, date uncertain, martyred 28 August, 1588. He studied at Reims and ... |
Dease, ThomasThomas DeaseBorn in Ireland, 1568; died at Galway, 1651. He sprang from an ancient Irish family at one ... |
Death PenaltyCapital Punishment (Death Penalty)The infliction by due legal process of the penalty of death as a punishment for crime. The ... |
Death, Dance ofDance of Death(French, Dance Macabre , German Todtentanz ) The "Dance of Death" was originally a ... |
Death, Preparation forPreparation for DeathThe basic preparation for death When should a priest be called? Winding up our earthly affairs ... |
DebboraDebboraProphetess and judge: she was the wife of Lapidoth and was endowed by God with prophetic gifts ... |
DebtDebt( debitum ) That which is owed or due to another; in general, anything which one person is ... |
DecalogueDecalogue(Greek deka , ten and logos , word). The term employed to designate the collection of ... |
DecapolisDecapolis(From Greek Deka , ten, and polis , city) Decapolis is the name given in the Bible and ... |
Dechamps, AdolpheAdolphe DechampsBelgian statesman and publicist, brother of Cardinal Dechamps, born at Melle near Ghent, 17 ... |
Dechamps, Victor Augustin IsidoreVictor Augustin Isidore DechampsCardinal, Archbishop of Mechlin, and Primate of Belgium ; born at Melle near Ghent 6 Dec., ... |
DeciusDecius(C AIUS M ESSIUS Q UINTUS T RAJANUS D ECIUS ). Roman Emperor 249-251. He was born, ... |
Decker, HansHans DeckerA German sculptor of the middle of the fifteenth century. Very little is recorded concerning ... |
Declaration, The RoyalThe Royal DeclarationThis is the name most commonly given to the solemn repudiation of Catholicity which, in ... |
Decorations, PontificalPontifical DecorationsPontifical decorations are the titles of nobility, orders of Christian knighthood and other ... |
DecreeDecree( Latin decretum , from decerno , I judge). In a general sense, an order or law made by a ... |
Decretals, PapalPapal DecretalsI. DEFINITION AND EARLY HISTORY (1) In the wide sense of the term decretalis (i.e. epistola ... |
DedicationDedicationA term which, though sometimes used of persons who are consecrated to God's service, is more ... |
Dedication, Feast of theFeast of the DedicationAlso called the Feast of the Machabees and Feast of Lights ( Josephus and Talmudic ... |
DeductionDeduction( Latin de ducere , to lead, draw out, derive from; especially, the function of deriving truth ... |
Deer, Abbey ofAbbey of DeerA once famous Scotch monastery. According to the Celtic legend St. Columcille, his disciple ... |
Defender of the Matrimonial TieDefender of the Matrimonial Tie( Defensor matrimonii ) The Defender of the Matrimonial Tie is an official whose duty is to ... |
Definitions, TheologicalTheological DefinitionThe Vatican Council (Sess. iv, cap. iv) solemnly taught the doctrine of papal infallibility ... |
Definitor (in Canon Law)Definitor (In Canon Law)An official in secular deaneries and in certain religious orders. Among regulars, a definitor is ... |
Definitors (in Religious Orders)Definitors (In Religious Orders)Generally speaking, the governing council of an order. Bergier describes them as those chosen to ... |
Deger, ErnstErnst DegerHistorical painter, born in Bockenem, Hanover, 15 April, 1809; died in Düsseldorf, 27 ... |
DegradationDegradation( Latin degradatio ). A canonical penalty by which an ecclesiastic is entirely and ... |
Deharbe, JosephJoseph DeharbeTheologian, catechist, b. at Straburg, Alsace, 11 April, 1800; d. at Maria-Laach, 8 November, ... |
Dei gratia; Dei et Apostolicæ Sedis gratiaDei Gratia; Dei Et Apostolicae Sedis Gratia( By the grace of God; By the grace of God and the Apostolic See ) A formulæ added ... |
Deicolus, SaintSt. Deicolus(DICHUIL) Elder brother of St. Gall, b. in Leinster, Ireland, c. 530; d. at Lure, France, 18 ... |
DeismDeism( Latin Deus , God ). The term used to denote certain doctrines apparent in a tendency ... |
DeityDeity( French déité ; Late Latin deitas ; Latin deue , divus , "the divine ... |
Delacroix, Ferdinand-Victor-EugèneFerdinand-Victor-Eugene DelacroixFrench painter, b. at Charenton-St-Maurice, near Paris, 26 April, 1798; d. 13 August, 1863. He was ... |
Delaroche, HippolyteHippolyte Delaroche(Known also as P AUL ) Painter, born at Paris, 17 July, 1797; died 4 November, 1856. A pupil ... |
DelatoresDelatores( Latin for DENOUNCERS) A term used by the Synod of Elvira (c. 306) to stigmatize those ... |
DelawareDelawareDelaware, one of the original thirteen of the United States of America. It lies between ... |
Delaware IndiansDelaware IndiansAn important tribal confederacy of Algonquian stock originally holding the basin of the Delaware ... |
DelcusDelcusA titular see of Thrace, suffragan of Philippopolis. The Greek name of the place was Delkos or ... |
DelegationDelegation( Latin delegare ) A delegation is the commission to another of jurisdiction, which is to be ... |
Delfau, FrançoisFrancois DelfauTheologian, born 1637 at Montel in Auvergne, France ; died 13 Oct., 1676, at Landevenec in ... |
Delfino, PietroPietro DelfinoA theologian, born at Venice in 1444; died 16 Jan., 1525. He entered the Camaldolese ... |
DelilahDelilah(Or Dalila ). Samson, sometime after his exploit at Gaza ( Judges 16:1-3 ), " loved a ... |
Delille, JacquesJacques DelilleFrench abbé and litterateur , born at Aigueperse, 22 June, 1738; died at Paris, 1 May, ... |
Delisle, GuillaumeGuillaume DelisleReformer of cartography, born 28 February, 1675, in Paris ; died there 25 January, 1726. His ... |
Delphine, BlessedBlessed DelphineA member of the Third Order of St. Francis, born in Provence, France, in 1284; died 26 ... |
Delrio, Martin AntonMartin Anton DelrioScholar, statesman, Jesuit theologian, born at Antwerp, 17 May, 1551; died at Louvain, 19 ... |
Delta of the Nile, Prefecture Apostolic of thePrefecture Apostolic of the Delta of the NileThe Prefecture Apostolic of the Delta of the Nile is situated in the north of Egypt and ... |
DelugeDelugeDeluge is the name of a catastrophe fully described in Genesis 6:1 - 9:19 , and referred to in the ... |
Demers, ModesteModeste DemersAn apostle of the Pacific Coast of North America, and the first Catholic missionary among most ... |
DemetriusDemetriusThe name of two Syrian kings mentioned in the Old Testament and two other persons in the ... |
Demetrius, SaintSt. DemetriusBishop of Alexandria from 188 to 231. Julius Africanus, who visited Alexandria in the time of ... |
DemiurgeDemiurgeThe word means literally a public worker, demioergós, demiourgós, and was ... |
Democracy, ChristianChristian DemocracyIn Christian Democracy , the name and the reality have two very different histories, and ... |
DemonDemons(Greek daimon and daimonion , Latin daemonium ). In Scripture and in Catholic ... |
DemoniacsDemoniacs( See also DEMONOLOGY, EXORCISM, EXORCIST, POSSESSION.) (Greek daimonikos, daimonizomenos, ... |
DemonologyDemonologyAs the name sufficiently indicates, demonology is the science or doctrine concerning demons. ... |
Dempster, ThomasThomas DempsterSavant, professor, author; b., as he himself states at Cliftbog, Scotland, 23 August, 1579; d. at ... |
Denaut, PierrePierre DenautTenth Bishop of Quebec, b. at Montreal, 20 July, 1743; d. at Longueuil in 1806. After studying ... |
Denifle, Heinrich SeuseHeinrich Seuse Denifle( Baptized JOSEPH.) Paleographer and historian, born at Imst in the Austrian Tyrol, 16 Jan., ... |
Denis, Johann Nepomuk Cosmas MichaelJohann Nepomuk Cosmas Michael DenisBibliographer and poet, b. at Schärding, Bavaria, 27 September, 1729; d. at Vienna, 29 ... |
Denis, JosephJoseph Denis( Baptized JACQUES). Born 6 November, 1657, at Three Rivers , Canada ; died 25 January, ... |
Denis, SaintSt. DenisBishop of Paris, and martyr. Born in Italy, nothing is definitely known of the time or place, ... |
Denman, WilliamWilliam DenmanPublisher, b. in Edinburgh, Scotland, 17 March, 1784; d. in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. 12 ... |
DenmarkDenmark( Latin Dania ). This kingdom had formerly a much larger extent than at present. It once ... |
Denonville, Seigneur and Marquis deSeigneur and Marquis de Denonville(JACQUES-RENE DE BRISAY, SEIGNEUR AND MARQUIS DE DENONVILLE) Born in 1638 at Denonville in the ... |
Dens, PeterPeter DensTheologian, b. at Boom, near Antwerp, Belgium, 12 September, 1690; d. at Mechlin, 15 February, ... |
DenunciationDenunciationDenunciation ( Latin denunciare) is making known the crime of another to one who is his ... |
DenverDenver, Colorado(D ENVERIENSIS ). A suffragan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fé, erected in 1887 and ... |
Denys the CarthusianDenys(D ENYS VAN L EEUWEN, also L EUW or L IEUWE ). Born in 1402 in that part of the ... |
Denza, FrancescoFrancesco DenzaItalian meteorologist and astronomer, b. at Naples, 7 June, 1834; d. at Rome, 14 December, 1894. ... |
Denzinger, Heinrich Joseph DominicusHeinrich Joseph Dominicus DenzingerOne of the leading theologians of the modern Catholic German school and author of the ... |
Deo GratiasDeo Gratias("Thanks be to God "). An old liturgical formula of the Latin Church to give thanks to God ... |
DepositionDepositionA deposition is an ecclesiastical vindictive penalty by which a cleric is forever deprived of ... |
Deprés, JosquinJosquin DepresDiminutive of "Joseph"; latinized Josquinus Pratensis . Born probably c. 1450 at ... |
DerbeDerbeA titular see of Lycaonia, Asia Minor. This city was the fortress of a famous leader of ... |
Dereser, AntonAnton Dereser(Known also as THADDAEUS A S. ADAMO). Born at Fahr in Franconia, 3 February, 1757; died at ... |
DerogationDerogation(Latin derogatio ). The partial revocation of a law, as opposed to abrogation or the ... |
DerryDerry (Deria)DIOCESE OF DERRY (DERRIENSIS). Includes nearly all the County Derry, part of Donegal, and a ... |
Derry, School ofSchool of DerryThis was the first foundation of St. Columba, the great Apostle of Scotland, and one of the three ... |
Desains, Paul-QuentinPaul-Quentin DesainsPhysicist, b. at St-Quentin, France, 12 July, 1817; d. at Paris, 3 May, 1885. He made his literary ... |
Desault, Pierre-JosephPierre-Joseph DesaultSurgeon and anatomist, b. at Magny-Vernois a small town of Franche-Comté, France, in ... |
Descartes, RenéRene Descartes(Renatus Cartesius), philosopher and scientist, born at La Haye France, 31 March, 1596; died at ... |
Deschamps, EustacheEustache DeschampsAlso called M OREL , on account of his dark complexion; b. at Vertus in Champagne between 1338 ... |
Deschamps, NicolasNicolas DeschampsPolemical writer, born at Villefranche (Rhône), France, 1797; died at Aix-en-Provence, ... |
Desclée, Henri and JulesHenri and Jules DescleeHenri (1830-); Jules (1828-1911). Natives of Belgium, founders of a monastery and a ... |
DesecrationDesecrationDesecration is the loss of that peculiar quality of sacredness, which inheres in places and ... |
DesertDesert (In the Bible)The Hebrew words translated in the Douay Version of the Bible by "desert" or "wilderness", and ... |
DesertionDesertionThe culpable abandonment of a state, of a stable situation, the obligations of which one had ... |
Deshon, GeorgeGeorge DeshonPriest of the Congregation (or Institute) of St. Paul the Apostle , b. at New London, Conn., ... |
DesideriusPope Blessed Victor III(DAUFERIUS or DAUFAR). Born in 1026 or 1027 of a non-regnant branch of the Lombard dukes of ... |
Desiderius of Cahors, SaintSt. Desiderius of CahorsBishop, b. at Obrege (perhaps Antobroges, name of a Gaulish tribe), on the frontier of the ... |
Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, JeanJean Desmarets de Saint-SorlinA French dramatist and novelist, born in Paris, 1595, died there, 1676. Early in life he held ... |
Desolation, The Abomination ofThe Abomination of DesolationThe importance of this Scriptural expression is chiefly derived from the fact that in Matthew ... |
DespairDespair(Latin desperare , to be hopeless.) Despair, ethically regarded, is the voluntary and ... |
Despretz, César-MansuèteCesar-Mansuete DespretzChemist and physicist, b. at Lessines, Belgium, 11 May, 1798; d. at Paris, 11 May, 1863. He ... |
DesservantsDesservantsThe name of a class of French parish priests. Under the old regime, a priest who performed the ... |
Desurmont, AchilleAchille DesurmontAscetical writer, b. at Tourcoing, France, 23 Dec., 1828; d. 23 July, 1898. He attended first the ... |
DeterminismDeterminismDeterminism is a name employed by writers, especially since J. Stuart Mill, to denote the ... |
Detré, WilliamWilliam DetreMissionary, b. in France in 1668, d. in South America, at an advanced age, date uncertain. ... |
DetractionDetraction(From Latin detrahere , to take away). Detraction is the unjust damaging of another's good ... |
DetroitDetroit, Michigan(Detroitensis) Diocese established 8 March, 1838, comprises the counties of the lower ... |
Deus in Adjutorium Meum IntendeDeus in Adjutorium Meum Intende"Deus in adjutorium meum intende," with the response: "Domine ad adjuvandum me festina," first ... |
Deusdedit, CardinalCardinal DeusdeditBorn at Todi, Italy ; died between 1097 and 1100. He was a friend of St. Gregory VII and ... |
Deusdedit, Pope SaintPope St. Deusdedit(Adeodatus I). Date of birth unknown; consecrated pope, 19 October (13 November), 615; d. 8 ... |
Deusdedit, SaintSt. DeusdeditA native of Wessex, England, whose Saxon name was Frithona, and of whose early life nothing is ... |
DeuteronomyDeuteronomyThis term occurs in Deuteronomy 17:18 and Joshua 8:32 , and is the title of one of the five ... |
Deutinger, MartinMartin DeutingerPhilosopher and religious writer, b. in Langenpreising, Bavaria, 24 March, 1815; d. at ... |
Devas, Charles StantonCharles Stanton DevasPolitical economist, b. at Woodside, Old Windsor, England, of Protestant parents, 26 August, ... |
Devereux, John C.John DevereuxBorn at his father's farm, The Leap, near Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Ireland, 5 Aug., 1774; died ... |
Devereux, NicholasNicholas DevereuxBorn near Enniscorthy, Ireland, 7 June, 1791; died at Utica, New York, 29 Dec., 1855, was the ... |
DevilDevil(Greek diabolos ; Latin diabolus ). The name commonly given to the fallen angels, who are ... |
Devil WorshipDevil WorshipThe meaning of this compound term is sufficiently obvious, for all must be familiar with the ... |
Devil's AdvocateAdvocatus Diaboli("Advocate of the Devil" or "Devil's Advocate"). A popular title given to one of the most ... |
DevolutionDevolution( Latin devolutio from devolvere ) Devolution is the right of an ecclesiastical ... |
Devoti, GiovaniGiovani DevotiCanonist, born at Rome, 11 July, 1744; died there 18 Sept., 1820. At the age of twenty he ... |
Devotions, PopularPopular DevotionsDevotion, in the language of ascetical writers, denotes a certain ardour of affection in the ... |
Deymann, ClementineClementine DeymannBorn at Klein-Stavern, Oldenburg, Germany, 24 June, 1844; died at Phoenix, Arizona, U. S. A., 4 ... |
Deza, DiegoDiego DezaTheologian, archbishop, patron of Christopher Columbus, b. at Toro, 1444; d. 1523. Entering the ... |
DhuodaDhuodaWife of Bernard, Duke of Septimania. The only source of information on her life is her "Liber ... |
DiaconicumDiaconicum(Greek diakonikon ) The Diaconicum in the Greek Church is the liturgical book specifying ... |
DiakovárDiakovar(Croatian, Djakovo ). See of the Bishop of the united Dioceses of Bosnia or ... |
DialecticDialectic[Greek dialektike ( techne or methodos ), the dialectic art or method, from dialegomai ... |
DiamantinaDiamantinaDIOCESE OF DIAMANTINA (ADAMANTINA). Located in the north of the State of Minas Geraes, Brazil, ... |
Diana, AntoninoAntonino DianaMoral theologian, born of a noble family at Palermo, Sicily, in 1586; died at Rome, 20 July, ... |
DianoDiano(D IANENSIS ) Diocese and small city in the province of Salermo, Italy ; the ancient ... |
Diario RomanoDiario Romano( Italian for "Roman Daybook") A booklet published annually at Rome, with papal ... |
Diarmaid, SaintSt. DiarmaidBorn in Ireland, date unknown; d. in 851 or 852. He was made Archbishop of Armagh in 834, but ... |
Dias, BartolomeuBartolomeu DiasA famous Portuguese navigator of the fifteenth century, discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope; ... |
DiasporaDiaspora(Or DISPERSION). Diaspora was the name given to the countries (outside of Palestine) through ... |
DibonDibonA titular see in Palæstina Tertia. Dîbîn (Septuagint, Daibon or Debon ) ... |
Dicastillo, Juan deJuan de DicastilloTheologian, b. of Spanish parents at Naples, 28 December, 1584; d. at Ingolstadt 6 March, 1653. ... |
Dicconson, EdwardEdward DicconsonTitular Bishop of Malla, or Mallus, Vicar Apostolic of the English Northern District; b. 30 ... |
Diceto, Ralph deRalph de DicetoDean of St. Paul's, London, and chronicler. The name "Dicetum" cannot be correctly connected with ... |
Dichu, SaintSt. DichuThe son of an Ulster chieftain, was the first convert of St. Patrick in Ireland. Born in the ... |
DicuilDicuilIrish monk and geographer, b. in the second half of the eighth century; date of death ... |
DidacheDidache(D OCTRINE OF THE T WELVE A POSTLES ) A short treatise which was accounted by some of the ... |
Didacus, SaintSt. Didacus[Spanish = San Diego .] Lay brother of the Order of Friars Minor, date of birth uncertain; ... |
Didascalia ApostolorumDidascalia ApostolorumA treatise which pretends to have been written by the Apostles at the time of the Council of ... |
Didon, HenriHenri DidonPreacher, writer, and educator, b. 17 March, 1840, at Touvet (Isère), France ; d. 13 ... |
DidotDidotName of a family of French printers and publishers. François Didot Son of Denis Didot, ... |
Didron, Adolphe-NapoleonAdolphe-Napoleon DidronAlso called Didron aîné ; archaeologist; together with Viollet-le-Duc and Caumont, ... |
Didymus the BlindDidymus the BlindDidymus the Blind, of Alexandria, b. about 310 or 313; d. about 395 or 398, at the age of ... |
Diego y Moreno, Francisco GarciaFrancisco Garcia Diego y MorenoFirst bishop of California, b. 17 Sept., 1785, at Lagos in the state of Jalisco, Mexico; d. 30 ... |
Diekamp, WilhelmWilhelm DiekampHistorian, b. at Geldern, 13 May, 1854; d. at Rome, 25 Dec., 1885. Soon after his birth the ... |
DiemothDiemothDiemoth, an old German word for the present "Demuth", the English " humility ", was the name of ... |
Diepenbeeck, Abraham vanAbraham van DiepenbeeckAn erudite and accomplished painter of the Flemish School, b. at Bois-le-Duc in the ... |
Diepenbrock, Melchior, Baron vonMelchior, Baron (Freiherr) von DiepenbrockCardinal and Prince-Bishop of Breslau, b. 6 January, 1798, at Boeholt in Westphalia ; d. at the ... |
Dieringer, Franz XaverFranz Xaver DieringerCatholic theologian, b. 22 August, 1811, at Rangeningen (Hohenzollern-Hechingen); d. 8 September, ... |
Dies IraeDies IraeThis name by which the sequence in requiem Masses is commonly known. They are the opening words of ... |
Dietenberger, JohannJohann DietenbergerTheologian, b. about 1475 at Frankfort-on-the-Main, d. 4 Sept., 1537, at Mainz. He was educated ... |
Diether of IsenburgDiether of IsenburgArchbishop and Elector of Mainz, b. about 1412; d. 7 May, 1482, at Aschaffenburg. He studied at ... |
Dietrich von NieheimDietrich von Nieheim(N IEM ). Born in the Diocese of Paderborn , between 1338 and 1340; d. at Maastricht, 22 ... |
Digby, GeorgeGeorge DigbySecond Earl of Bristol, b. at Madrid, Spain, where his father, the first earl, was ambassador, ... |
Digby, Kenelm HenryKenelm Henry DigbyMiscellaneous writer, b. in Ireland, 1800; d. at Kensington, Middlesex, England, 22 March, 1880. ... |
Digby, Sir EverardSir Everard DigbyBorn 16 May, 1578, died 30 Jan., 1606. Everard Digby, whose father bore the same Christian name ... |
Digby, Sir KenelmSir Kenelm DigbyPhysicist, naval commander and diplomatist, b. at Gayhurst (Goathurst), Buckinghamshire, England, ... |
DigneDigne(D INIA ; D INIENSIS ) Diocese comprising the entire department of the Basses Alpes; ... |
Dignitary, EcclesiasticalEcclesiastical DignitaryAn Ecclesiastical Dignitary is a member of a chapter, cathedral or collegiate, possessed not only ... |
DijonDijonThe Diocese of Dijon comprises the entire department of Côte-d'Or and is a suffragan of ... |
Dillingen, University ofUniversity of DillingenLocated in Swabia, a district of Bavaria. Its founder was Cardinal Otto Truchsess von Waldburg, ... |
Dillon, Arthur-RichardArthur-Richard DillonA French prelate, b. at St-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, 1721; d. in London, 1806. The fifth son ... |
Dimissorial LettersDimissorial Letters( Latin litteræ dimissoriales , from dimittere ), letters given by an ecclesiastical ... |
Dingley, Ven. Sir ThomasVen. Sir Thomas DingleyMartyr, prior of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, found guilty of high treason 28 April, ... |
Dinooth, SaintSt. Dinooth(DINOTHUS, DUNAWD, DUNOD). Founder and first Abbot of Bangor Iscoed (Flintshire); flourished ... |
DiocaesareaDiocaesarea(SEPPHORIS) (1) A titular see in Palestina Secunda. Diocaesarea is a later name of the town ... |
Diocesan ChanceryDiocesan ChanceryThat branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government ... |
DioceseDiocese( Latin diœcesis) A Diocese is the territory or churches subject to the jurisdiction of ... |
Diocese (Supplemental List)Dioceses (Supplemental List)Pope Pius X, recognizing how necessary it is for the Church to develop in proportion to the ... |
DiocleaDiocleaA titular see of Phrygia in Asia Minor . Diocleia is mentioned by Ptolemy (V, ii, 23), where ... |
DiocletianDiocletian(V ALERIUS D IOCLETIANUS ). Roman Emperor and persecutor of the Church, born of parents ... |
DiocletianopolisDiocletianopolisA titular see of Palaestina Prima. This city is mentioned by Hierocles (Synecdemus, 719, 2), ... |
Diodorus of TarsusDiodorus of TarsusDate of birth uncertain; d. about A.D. 392. He was of noble family, probably of Antioch. St. Basil ... |
Diognetus, Epistle toEpistle to Diognetus(EPISTOLA AD DIOGNETUM). This beautiful little apology for Christianity is cited by no ... |
DionysiasDionysiasA titular see in Arabia. This city, which figures in the "Synecdemos" of Hierocles (723, 3) and ... |
Dionysius ExiguusDionysius ExiguusThe surname E XIGUUS , or "The Little", adopted probably in self-deprecation and not because he ... |
Dionysius of AlexandriaDionysius of Alexandria(Bishop from 247-8 to 264-5.) Called "the Great" by Eusebius, St. Basil, and others, was ... |
Dionysius the Pseudo-AreopagiteDionysius the Pseudo-AreopagiteBy "Dionysius the Areopagite" is usually understood the judge of the Areopagus who, as related in ... |
Dionysius, Pope SaintPope St. DionysiusDate of birth unknown; d. 26 or 27 December, 268. During the pontificate of Pope Stephen ... |
Dionysius, SaintDionysiusBishop of Corinth about 170. The date is fixed by the fact that he wrote to Pope Soter (c. ... |
DioscorusDioscorusAntipope, b. at Alexandria, date unknown; d. 14 October, 530. Originally a deacon of the ... |
DioscorusDioscurus(Also written Dioscorus; Dioscurus from the analogy of Dioscuri ). Bishop of Alexandria ... |
Diplomatics, PapalPapal DiplomaticsThe word diplomatics , following a Continental usage which long ago found recognition in ... |
DiptychDiptych(Or diptychon , Greek diptychon from dis , twice and ptyssein , to fold). A ... |
Direction, SpiritualSpiritual DirectionIn the technical sense of the term, spiritual direction is that function of the sacred ministry by ... |
Directories, CatholicCatholic DirectoriesThe ecclesiastical sense of the word directory , as will be shown later, has become curiously ... |
DiscalcedDiscalced( Latin dis , without, and calceus , shoe). A term applied to those religious congregations ... |
Discernment of SpiritsDiscernment of SpiritsAll moral conduct may be summed up in the rule: avoid evil and do good. In the language of ... |
DiscipleDiscipleThis term is commonly applied to one who is learning any art or science from one distinguished by ... |
Disciples of ChristDisciples of ChristA sect founded in the United States of America by Alexander Campbell. Although the largest ... |
Discipline of the SecretDiscipline of the Secret(Latin Disciplina Arcani ; German Arcandisciplin ). A theological term used to express ... |
Discipline, EcclesiasticalEcclesiastical DisciplineEtymologically the word discipline signifies the formation of one who places himself at school ... |
Discussions, ReligiousReligious Discussions(CONFERENCES, DISPUTATIONS, DEBATES) Religious discussions, as contradistinguished from ... |
Disibod, SaintSt. DisibodIrish bishop and patron of Disenberg (Disibodenberg), born c. 619; died 8 July, 700. His life was ... |
Disparity of CultDisparity of Worship( Disparitas Cultus ) A diriment impediment introduced by the Church to safeguard the ... |
Disparity of WorshipDisparity of Worship( Disparitas Cultus ) A diriment impediment introduced by the Church to safeguard the ... |
DispensationDispensation( Latin dispensatio ) Dispensation is an act whereby in a particular case a lawful superior ... |
Dispersion of the ApostlesDispersion of the Apostles( Latin Divisio Apostolorum ), a feast in commemoration of the missionary work of the Twelve ... |
Dissen, Heinrich vonHeinrich von DissenBorn 18 Oct., 1415, at Osnabrück, in Westphalia ; died at Cologne, 26 Nov., 1484. After ... |
Dissentis, Abbey ofAbbey of DissentisA Benedictine monastery in the Canton Grisons in eastern Switzerland, dedicated to Our Lady of ... |
DistractionDistractionDistraction ( Latin distrahere , to draw away, hence to distract) is here considered in so far ... |
DistributionsDistributionsDistributions (from Lat. distribuere ), canonically termed disturbtiones quotidianae , are ... |
DithmarDithmar(Thietmar). Bishop of Merseburg and medieval chronicler, b. 25 July, 975; d. 1 Dec., 1018.He ... |
DivesDives(Latin for rich ). The word is not used in the Bible as a proper noun; but in the Middle ... |
DivinationDivinationThe seeking after knowledge of future or hidden things by inadequate means. The means being ... |
Divine AttributesDivine AttributesIn order to form a more systematic idea of God, and as far as possible, to unfold the ... |
Divine Charity, Daughters ofInstitute of the Divine CompassionFounded at Vienna, 21 November, 1868, by Franziska Lechner (d. 1894) on the Rule of St. ... |
Divine Charity, Sisters ofInstitute of the Divine CompassionFounded at Besançon, in 1799, by a Vincentian Sister, and modelled on the Sisters of ... |
Divine Charity, Society ofSociety of Divine Charity(SOCIETAS DIVINAE CHARITATIS). Founded at Maria-Martental near Kaisersesch, in 1903 by Josepth ... |
Divine Compassion, Institute of theInstitute of the Divine CompassionFounded in the City of New York, USA, by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Stanislaus Preston. On 8 September ... |
Divine Nature and Attributes, TheNature and Attributes of GodI. As Known Through Natural ReasonA. Infinity of GodB. Unity or Unicity of God C. Simplicity of ... |
Divine OfficeDivine Office("Liturgy of the Hours" I. THE EXPRESSION "DIVINE OFFICE" This expression signifies ... |
Divine Providence, Sisters ofSisters of Divine ProvidenceI. SISTERS OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Founded at Molsheim, in Diocese of ... |
Divine Redeemer, Daughters of theDaughters of the Divine RedeemerMotherhouse at Oedenburg, Hungary ; founded in 1863 from the Daughters of the Divine Saviour of ... |
Divine Savior, Society of theSociety of the Divine SaviorFounded at Rome, 8 Dec., 1881, by Johann Baptist Jordan (b. 1848 at Gartweil im Breisgau), ... |
Divine Word, Society of theSociety of the Divine Word(S OCIETAS V ERBI D IVINI ) The first German Catholic missionary society established. ... |
Divisch, ProcopiusProcopius DivischPremonstratensian, b. at Senftenberg, Bohemia, 26 March, 1698; d. at Prenditz, Moravia, 21 ... |
Divorce (in Civil Jurisprudence)Divorce (in Civil Jurisprudence)Divorce is defined in jurisprudence as "the dissolution or partial suspension by the law of ... |
Divorce (in Moral Theology)Divorce (In Moral Theology)See also DIVORCE IN CIVIL JURISPRUDENCE . The term divorce ( divortium , from ... |
Dixon, JosephJoseph DixonArchbishop of Armagh, Ireland, born at Coalisland, Co. Tyrone, in 1806; died at Armagh, 29 ... |
Dlugosz, JanJan Dlugosz( Latin LONGINUS). An eminent medieval Polish historian, b. at Brzeznica, 1415; d. 19 May, ... |
Dobmayer, MarianMarian DobmayerA distinguished Benedictine theologian, born 24 October, 1753, at Schwandorf, Bavaria ; died 21 ... |
Dobrizhoffer, MartinMartin DobrizhofferMissionary, b. in Graz, Styria, 7 Sept., 1717; d. in Vienna, 17 July 1791. He became a Jesuit ... |
DocetæDocetae(Greek Doketai .) A heretical sect dating back to Apostolic times. Their name is ... |
DocimiumDocimiumA titular see of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This city, as appears from its coins where the ... |
DoctorDoctor( Latin docere , to teach) The title of an authorized teacher. In this general sense the term ... |
Doctors of the ChurchDoctors of the Church( Latin Doctores Ecclesiae ) -- Certain ecclesiastical writers have received this title on ... |
Doctors, Surnames of FamousSurnames of Famous DoctorsIt was customary in the Middle Ages to designate the more celebrated among the doctors by ... |
Doctrine of AddaiDoctrine of Addai( Latin Doctrina Addoei ). A Syriac document which relates the legend of the conversion ... |
Doctrine, ChristianChristian DoctrineTaken in the sense of "the act of teaching" and "the knowledge imparted by teaching", this term ... |
DogmaDogmaI. DEFINITION The word dogma (Gr. dogma from dokein ) signifies, in the writings of the ... |
Dogmatic FactDogmatic Fact(1) Definition By a dogmatic fact , in wider sense, is meant any fact connected with a dogma ... |
Dogmatic TheologyDogmatic TheologyDogmatic theology is that part of theology which treats of the theoretical truths of faith ... |
Dogmatic Theology, History ofHistory of Dogmatic TheologyThe imposing edifice of Catholic theology has been reared not by individual nations and men, ... |
Dolbeau, JeanJean DolbeauRecollect friar, born in the Province of Anjou, France, 12 March, 1586; died at ... |
Dolci, CarloCarlo DolciPainter, born in Florence, Italy, 25 May, 1616; died 17 January, 1686. The grandson of a ... |
DolicheDolicheA titular see of Commagene (Augusto-Euphratesia). It was a small city on the road from ... |
Dolman, CharlesCharles DolmanPublisher and bookseller, b. at Monmouth, England, 20 Sept., 1807; d. in Paris, 31 December, ... |
Dolores MissionDolores Mission(Or Mission San Francisco De Asis De Los Dolores) In point of time the sixth in the chain of ... |
DolphinDolphin( Latin delphinus ). The use of the dolphin as a Christian symbol is connected with the ... |
DomeDome( Latin domus , a house). An architectural term often used synonymously with cupola. ... |
Domenech, Emmanuel-Henri-DieudonneEmmanuel-Henri-Dieudonne DomenechAbbé, missionary and author, b. at Lyons, France, 4 November, 1826; d. in France, June, ... |
DomenechinoDomenichino (Domenico Zampieri)Properly DOMENICO ZAMPIERI. An Italian painter, born in Bologna, 21 Oct., 1581; died in ... |
Domesday BookDomesday BookThe name given to the record of the great survey of England made by order of William the ... |
DomicileDomicile( Latin jus domicilii , right of habitation, residence). The canon law has no independent ... |
Dominic of PrussiaDominic of PrussiaA Carthusian monk and ascetical writer, born in Poland, 1382; died at the monastery of St. ... |
Dominic of the Mother of GodDominic of the Mother of God(Called in secular life D OMENICO B ARBERI ) A member of the Passionist Congregation and ... |
Dominic, SaintSt. DominicFounder of the Order of Preachers , commonly known as the Dominican Order ; born at Calaroga, ... |
Dominical LetterDominical LetterA device adopted from the Romans by the old chronologers to aid them in finding the day of the ... |
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic(SAN DOMINGO, SANTO DOMINGO). The Dominican Republic is the eastern, and much larger ... |
DominicansOrder of PreachersAs the Order of the Friars Preachers is the principal part of the entire Order of St. Dominic, we ... |
Dominici, Blessed GiovanniBlessed Giovanni Dominici(BANCHINI or BACCHINI was his family name). Cardinal, statesman and writer, born at ... |
Dominis, Marco Antonio deDarco Antonio de DominisDalmatian ecclesiastic, apostate, and man of science, b. on the island of Arbe, off the coast ... |
Dominus VobiscumDominus VobiscumAn ancient form of devout salutation, incorporated in the liturgy of the Church, where it is ... |
DomitianDomitian(T ITUS F LAVIUS D OMITIANUS ). Roman emperor and persecutor of the Church, son of ... |
Domitilla and Pancratius, Nereus and Achilleus, SaintsSts. Nereus and Achilleus, Domitilla and PancratiusThe commemoration of these four Roman saints is made by the Church on 12 May, in common, and ... |
DomitiopolisDomitiopolisA titular see of Isauria in Asia Minor. The former name of this city is unknown; it was called ... |
Domnus ApostolicusDomnus Apostolicus(DOMINUS APOSTOLICUS) A title applied to the pope, which was in most frequent use between the ... |
Don BoscoSt. John Bosco (Don Bosco)( Or St. John Bosco; Don Bosco.) Founder of the Salesian Society. Born of poor parents in ... |
Donahoe, PatrickPatrick DonahoePublisher, born at Munnery, County Cavan, Ireland, 17 March, 1811; died at Boston, U.S.A., 18 ... |
Donatello Di Betto BardiDonatello di Betto Bardi(DONATO DI NICOLÒ DI BETTO BARDI) One of the great Tuscan sculptors of the ... |
Donation (in Canon Law)Donation (In Canon Law)(IN CANON LAW) Donation , the gratuitous transfer to another of some right or thing. When it ... |
Donation (in Civil Law)Donation (In Civil Jurisprudence)(IN CIVIL JURISPRUDENCE) Donation, the gratuitous transfer, or gift ( Latin donatio ), of ... |
Donation of ConstantineDonation of Constantine( Latin, Donatio Constantini ). By this name is understood, since the end of the Middle ... |
DonatistsDonatistsThe Donatist schism in Africa began in 311 and flourished just one hundred years, until the ... |
Donatus of FiesoleDonatus of FiesoleIrish teacher and poet, Bishop of Fiesole, about 829-876. In an ancient collection of the ... |
Donders, PeterPeter DondersMissionary among the lepers, b. at Tilburg in Holland, 27 Oct., 1807; d. 14 Jan., 1887. He ... |
Dongan, ThomasThomas DonganSecond Earl of Limerick, b. 1634, at Castletown Kildrought, now Celbridge, County Kildare, ... |
Donlevy, AndrewAndrew DonlevyEducator, b. in 1694, probably in Sligo, Ireland ; date and place of death uncertain. Little ... |
Donnan, SaintSt. DonnanThere were apparently three or four saints of this name who flourished about the seventh century. ... |
Donner, Georg RaphaelGeorg Raphael DonnerAustrian sculptor, b. at Essling, Austria, 25 May, 1692; d. at Vienna, 15 February, 1741. It is ... |
Donnet, Ferdinand-François-AugusteFerdinand-Francois-Auguste DonnetA French cardinal, b. at Bourg-Argental (Loire), 1795; d. at Bordeaux, 1882. He studied in the ... |
Donoso Cortés, Juan Francesco Maria de la SaludadJuan Francesco Maria de Saludad Donoso CortesMarquess of Valdegamas, author and diplomat, born 6 May, 1809, at Valle de la Serena in the ... |
Donus, PopePope Donus(Or D OMNUS ). Son of a Roman called Mauricius; he was consecrated Bishop of Rome 2 Nov., ... |
DoorkeeperPorter (Doorkeeper)(Also called DOORKEEPER. From ostiarius , Latin ostium , a door.) Porter denoted among ... |
Doré, PierrePierre Dore(AURATUS) Controversialist, b. at Orléans about 1500; d. at Paris, 19 May, 1559. He ... |
DoraDoraA titular see of Palestina Prima. The name ( Dôr ) in Semitic languages means ... |
Dorchester, Abbey ofAbbey of DorchesterFounded in 1140 by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, for Canons of the Order of St. Augustine (or ... |
Doria, AndreaAndrea DoriaGenoese admiral and statesman, b. at Oneglia, Italy, 1468; d. at Genoa, 1560. His family ... |
Dorman, ThomasThomas DormanTheologian, b. at Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England, date uncertain; d. at Tournai, 1572 or ... |
Dornin, BernardBernard DorninFirst publisher in the United States of distinctively Catholic books, b. in Ireland, 1761; d. ... |
Dorothea, SaintSt. Dorothea(1) Virgin and martyr, suffered during the persecution of Diocletian, 6 February, 311, at ... |
Dorsey, Anne HansonAnne Hanson DorseyNovelist, born at Georgetown, District of Columbia, U.S.A. 1815; died at Washington, 26 ... |
DorylaeumDorylaeumA titular see of Phrygia Salutaris, in Asia Minor. This city already existed under the kings ... |
DositheansDositheansFollowers of Dositheus, a Samaritan who formed a Gnostic - Judaistic sect, previous to Simon ... |
Dosquet, Pierre-HermanPierre-Herman DosquetFourth Bishop of Quebec, b. at Liège, Flanders, 1691; d. at Paris, 1777. He studied at ... |
Dossi, GiovanniGiovanni DossiActually named GIOVANNI DI NICOLO DI LUTERO, but also called Dosso Dossi. An Italian painter, ... |
Dotti, Blessed AndreaBlessed Andrea DottiBorn 1256, in Borgo San Sepolero, Tuscany, Italy ; d. there 31 August, 1315. He was of noble ... |
DouaiDouai(Town and University of Douai) (D OUAY, D OWAY ) The town of Douai, in the department of ... |
Douay BibleDouay BibleThe original Douay Version, which is the foundation on which nearly all English Catholic ... |
Double AltarDouble AltarAn altar having a double front constructed in such a manner that Mass may be celebrated on ... |
Double MonasteriesDouble MonasteriesReligious houses comprising communities of both men and women, dwelling in contiguous ... |
DoubtDoubt(Latin dubium, Greek aporí, French doute, German Zweifel ). A state in which the ... |
Douglas, GavinGavin DouglasScottish prelate and poet, born about 1474; died 1522; he was the third son of Archibald, Fifth ... |
Doutreleau, StephenStephen DoutreleauMissionary, born in France, 11 October, 1693; date of death uncertain. He became a Jesuit ... |
DoveDove(Latin columba ). In Christian antiquity the dove appears as a symbol and as a Eucharistic ... |
Dowdall, GeorgeGeorge DowdallArchbishop of Armagh, b. at Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, in 1487; d. at London, 15 August, ... |
Dowdall, JamesJames DowdallMartyr, date of birth unknown; executed for his faith at Exeter, England, 20 September, 1600. ... |
DowerDower( Latin doarium ; French douaire ) A provision for support during life accorded by law ... |
Dower, ReligiousReligious Dower( Latin dos religiosa ). Because of its analogy with the dower that a woman brings to ... |
Down and ConnorDown and ConnorDiocese of Down and Connor (Dunensis et Connorensis) A line drawn from Whitehouse on Belfast ... |
Downside AbbeyDownside AbbeyNear Bath, Somersetshire, England, was founded at Douai, Flanders, under the patronage of ... |
DoxologyDoxologyIn general this word means a short verse praising God and beginning, as a rule, with the Greek ... |
Doyle, James WarrenJames Warren DoyleIrish bishop ; b. near New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland, 1786; d. at Carlow, 1834. He belonged ... |
Doyle, JohnJohn DoyleBorn in Dublin, Ireland, 1797; died in London, 2 January, 1868; English portrait-painter and ... |
Doyle, RichardRichard DoyleEnglish artist and caricaturist, b. in London, September, 1824; d. there 11 December, 1883. The ... |
Drach, David PaulDavid Paul DrachConvert from Judaism, b. at Strasburg, 6 March, 1791; d. end of January, 1868, at Rome. ... |
DrachmaDrachma(Gr. drachmé ), a Greek silver coin. The Greeks derived the word from drássomai, ... |
Dracontius, Blossius ÆmiliusBlossius Aemilius DracontiusA Christian poet of the fifth century. Dracontius belonged to a distinguished family of ... |
Drane, Augusta TheodosiaAugusta Theodosia DraneIn religion MOTHER FRANCIS RAPHAEL, O.S.D.; b. at Bromley near London, in 1823; d. at Stone, ... |
Dreams, Interpretation ofInterpretation of DreamsThere is in sleep something mysterious which seems, from the earliest times, to have impressed ... |
Drechsel, JeremiasJeremias Dreschel( Also Drexelius or Drexel.) Ascetic writer, b. at Augsburg, 15 August, 1581; entered the ... |
DresdenDresdenThe capital of the Kingdom of Saxony and the residence of the royal family, is situated on both ... |
Dreves, Lebrecht BlücherLebrecht Blucher DrevesPoet, b. at Hamburg, Germany, 12 September, 1816; d. at Feldkirch, 19 Dec., 1870. The famous ... |
Drevet Family, TheThe Drevet FamilyThe Drevets were the leading portrait engravers of France for over a hundred years. Their fame ... |
Drexel, Francis AnthonyFrancis Anthony DrexelBanker, b. at Philadelphia, U.S.A. 20 June, 1824; d. there 15 Feb., 1885. He was the oldest son ... |
Drexel, JeremiasJeremias Dreschel( Also Drexelius or Drexel.) Ascetic writer, b. at Augsburg, 15 August, 1581; entered the ... |
Drey, Johann Sebastian vonJohann Sebastian Von DreyA professor of theology at the University of Tübingen, born 16 Oct., 1777, at Killingen, in ... |
DromoreDromore(DROMORENSIS, and in ancient documents DRUMORENSIS) Dromore is one of the eight suffragans of ... |
Drostan, SaintSt. Drostan(DRUSTAN, DUSTAN, THROSTAN) A Scottish abbot who flourished about A.D. 600. All that is ... |
Droste-Vischering, Clemens August vonClemens August von Droste-VisheringArchbishop of Cologne, born 21 Jan., 1773, at Münster, Germany ; died 19 Oct., 1845, in ... |
DruidismDruidismThe etymology of this word from the Greek drous , "oak", has been a favorite one since the ... |
Druillettes, GabrielGabriel Druillettes(Or DREUILLETS) Missionary, b. in France, 29 September, 1610; d. at Quebec, 8 April, 1681. ... |
Drumgoole, John C.John C. DrumgoolePriest and philanthropist, b. at Granard, Co. Longford, Ireland, 15 August, 1816; d. in New ... |
Drury, RobertVen. Robert DruryMartyr (1567-1607), was born of a good Buckinghamshire family and was received into the ... |
DrusillaDrusillaDrusilla, daughter of Herod Agrippa I , was six years of age at the time of her father's death ... |
DrusiparaDrusiparaA titular see in Thracia Prima. Nothing is known of the ancient history of this town, which, ... |
Druys, JeanJean Druys( Latin DRUSIUS) Thirtieth Abbot of Parc near Louvain, Belgium, b. at Cumptich, near ... |
Druzbicki, GasparGaspar DruzbickiAscetic writer, b. at Sierady in Poland, 1589; entered the Society of Jesus, 20 August 1609; d. ... |
DruzesDruzesSmall Mohammedan sect in Syria, notorious for their opposition to the Marionites, a Catholic ... |
Dryburgh AbbeyDryburgh AbbeyA monastery belonging to the canons of the Premonstratensian Order (Norbertine or White ... |
Dryden, JohnJohn DrydenPoet, dramatist, critic, and translator; b. 9 August, 1631, at Oldwinkle All Saints, ... |
Du Cange, Charles DufresneCharles Dufresne du CangeHistorian and philologist, b. at Amiens, France, 18 Dec., 1610; d. at Paris, 1688. His father, ... |
Du Coudray, Philippe-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-TronsonDu CoudraySoldier, b. at Reims, France, 8 September, 1738; d. at Philadelphia, U.S.A. 11 September, ... |
Du Lhut Daniel Greysolon, SieurDaniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut(DULUTH). Born at Saint-Germain-en-Laye about 1640; died at Montreal, 26 Feb., 1710. He first ... |
DualismDualism(From Latin duo , two). Like most other philosophical terms, has been employed in different ... |
DublinDublin(DUBLINIUM; DUBLINENSIS). Archdiocese ; occupies about sixty miles of the middle eastern coast ... |
Dubois, GuillaumeGuillaume DuboisA French cardinal and statesman, born at Brive, in Limousin, 1656; died at Versailles, 1723. ... |
Dubois, Jean-AntoineJean-Antoine DuboisFrench missionary in India, b. in 1765 at St. Remèze (Ardèche); d. in Paris, 17 ... |
Dubois, JohnJohn DuboisThird Bishop of New York, educator and missionary, b. in Paris, 24 August, 1764; d. in New ... |
Dubourg, Louis-Guillaume-ValentinLouis-Guillaume-Valentin DubourgSecond Bishop of Louisiana and the Floridas, Bishop of Montauban, Archbishop of ... |
Dubric, SaintSt. Dubric(DYFRIG, DUBRICIUS) Bishop and confessor, one of the greatest of Welsh saints ; d. 612. He ... |
DubuqueDubuqueArchdiocese of Dubuque (Dubuquensis), established, 28 July, 1837, created an archbishopric, ... |
Duc, Fronton duFronton du Duc(Called in Latin Ducæus.) A French theologian and Jesuit, b. at Bordeaux in 1558; ... |
Duccio di BuoninsegnaDuccio di BuoninsegnaPainter, and founder of the Sienese School, b. about 1255 or 1260, place not known; d. 3 August, ... |
Duchesne, Philippine-RosePhilippine-Rose DuchesneFounder in America of the first houses of the society of the Sacred Heart, born at Grenoble, ... |
Duckett, John, VenerableVen. John DuckettA Martyr, probably a grandson of Venerable James Duckett , born at Underwinder, in the parish ... |
Duckett, Ven. JamesVen. James DuckettMartyr, b. at Gilfortrigs in the parish of Skelsmergh in Westmoreland, England, date uncertain, ... |
Ducrue, Francis BennonFrancis Bennon DucrueMissionary in Mexico, b. at Munich, Bavaria. of French parents, 10 June 1721; d. there 30 March, ... |
Dudik, Beda FranciscusBeda Franciscus DudikMoravian historian, b. at Kojetein near Kremsier, Moravia, 29 January, 1815; d. as abbot and ... |
DuelDuel( Duellum , old form of bellum ). This word, as used both in the ecclesiastical and ... |
Duffy, Sir Charles GavanSir Charles Gavan DuffyPolitician and author, b. at Monaghan, Ireland, 12 April, 1816; d. at Nice, France, 9 Feb., ... |
Duhamel, Jean-BaptisteJean-Baptiste DuhamelA French scientist, philosopher, and theologian, b. at Vire, Normandy (now in the department of ... |
DuliaDulia(Greek doulia ; Latin servitus ), a theological term signifying the honour paid to the ... |
DuluthDuluthDIOCESE OF DULUTH (DULUTHENSIS) Diocese, established 3 Oct., 1889, suffragan of the ... |
Dumas, Jean-BaptisteJean-Baptiste DumasDistinguished French chemist and senator, b. at Alais, department of Gard, 14 July, 1800; d. at ... |
Dumetz, FranciscoFrancisco DumetzDate of birth unknown; died 14 Jan., 1811. He was a native of Mallorca (Majorca), Spain, where he ... |
Dumont, Hubert-AndréHubert-Andre DumontBelgian geologist, b. at Liège, 15 Feb., 1809; d. in the same city, 28 Feb., 1857. When ... |
Dumoulin, CharlesCharles Dumoulin(Or DUMOLIN; latinized MOLINAEUS). French jurist, b. at Paris in 1500; d. there 27 December, ... |
Dunbar, WilliamWilliam DunbarScottish poet, sometimes styled the " Chaucer of Scotland ", born c. 1460; died c. 1520(?). He ... |
Dunchadh, SaintSt. Dunchadh(DUNICHAD, DUNCAD, DONATUS) Confessor, Abbot of Iona ; date of b. unknown, d. in 717. He ... |
Dundrennan, Abbey ofAbbey of DundrennanIn Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland ; a Cistercian house founded in 1142 by King David I and ... |
DunedinDunedin(DUNEDINENSIS) Dunedin comprises the provincial district of Otago (including the Otago part, ... |
Dunfermline, Abbey ofAbbey of DunfermlineIn the south-west of Fife, Scotland. Founded by King Malcolm Canmore and his queen, Margaret, ... |
DungalDungalIrish monk, teacher, astronomer, and poet who flourished about 820. He is mentioned in 811 as an ... |
Dunin, Martin vonMartin von DuninArchbishop of Gnesen and Posen, born 11 Nov., 1774, in the village of Wat near the city of Rawa, ... |
DunkeldDunkeld(DUNKELDENSIS) Located in Scotland, constituted, as far back as the middle of the ninth ... |
DunkersTunkers( German tunken , to dip) A Protestant sect thus named from its distinctive baptismal rite. ... |
Duns Scotus, Blessed JohnBlessed John Duns ScotusSurnamed DOCTOR SUBTILIS, died 8 November, 1308; he was the founder and leader of the famous ... |
Dunstan, SaintSt. DunstanArchbishop and confessor, and one of the greatest saints of the Anglo-Saxon Church ; b. near ... |
Dupanloup, Félix-Antoine-PhilibertDupanloupBishop of Orléans, France, b. at Saint-Félix; Savoie, 2 June, 1802; d. at ... |
Duperron, Jacques-DavyJacques-Davy DuperronA theologian and diplomat, born 25 Nov., 1556, at St-Lô (Normandy), France ; died 5 ... |
Dupin, Louis ElliesLouis-Ellies Dupin(also DU PIN) A theologian, born 17 June, 1657, of a noble family in Normandy ; died 6 ... |
Dupin, Pierre-Charles-FrançoisPierre-Charles-Francois DupinKnown as BARON CHARLES DUPIN. A French mathematician and economist, b. at Varzy, ... |
Duponceau, Peter StephenPeter Stephen DuponceauA jurist and linguist, b. at St-Martin de Ré, France 3 June, 1760; d. at Philadelphia, ... |
Dupré, GiovanniGiovanni DupreSculptor, b. of remote French ancestry at Siena, 1 Mar., 1817; d. at Florence, 10 Jan., 1882. ... |
Duprat, Antoine & GuillaumeAntoine and Guillaume Duprat(1) Antoine Duprat Chancellor of France and Cardinal, b. at Issoire in Auvergne, 17 January, ... |
Dupuytren, Baron GuillaumeBaron Guillaume DupuytrenFrench anatomist and surgeon, born 6 October, 1777, at Pierre-Buffière, a small town in ... |
Duquesnoy, FrançoisFrancois Duquesnoy(Called also FRANÇOIS FLAMAND, and in Italy IL FLAMINGO). Born at Brussels, Belgium, ... |
Duran, NarciscoNarcisco DuranBorn 16 December, 1776, at Castellon de Ampurias, Catalonia, Spain ; died 1 June, 1846. He ... |
Durand UrsinDurand UrsinA Benedictine of the Maurist Congregation, b. 20 May, 1682, at Tours ; d. 31 Aug., 1771, at ... |
Durandus of Saint-PourçainDurandus of Saint-PourcainPhilosopher and theologian, b. at Saint-Pourçain, Auvergne France ; d. 13 September, ... |
Durandus of TroarnDurandus of TroarnFrench Benedictine and ecclesiastical writer, b. about 1012, at Le Neubourg near Evreux ; d. ... |
Durandus, WilliamWilliam Durandus(Also: Duranti or Durantis). Canonist and one of the most important medieval liturgical writers; ... |
Durandus, William, the YoungerWilliam Durandus, the YoungerDied 1328, canonist, nephew of the famous ritualist and canonist of the same name (with whom he is ... |
DurangoDurango (Mexico)(DURANGUM) Archdiocese located in north-western Mexico. The see was created 28 Sept., 1620, ... |
DurazzoDurazzo (Albania)ARCHDIOCESE OF DURAZZO (DYRRACHIENSIS). The Archdiocese of Durazzo in Albania, situated on the ... |
Durbin, Elisha JohnElisha John DurbinThe "Patriarch-priest of Kentucky ", born 1 February, 1800, in Madison County, in that State, of ... |
DurhamDurham (Dunelmum)Ancient Catholic Diocese of Durham (Dunelmensis). This diocese holds a unique position among ... |
Durham RiteDurham RiteThe earliest document giving an account of liturgical services in the Diocese of Durham is the ... |
Durrow, School ofSchool of Durrow( Irish Dairmagh , Plain of the Oaks) The Durrow is delightfully situated in the King's ... |
DutyDutyThe definition of the term duty given by lexicographers is: "something that is due", ... |
Duvergier de Hauranne, JeanDuvergier de Hauranne(Or D U V ERGER ), J EAN ; also called S AINT -C YRAN from an abbey he held in ... |
Duvernay, LudgerLudger DuvernayA French-Canadian journalist and patriot, born at Verchères, Quebec, 22 January, 1799; ... |
Dwight, ThomasThomas DwightAnatomist, b. at Boston, 1843; d. at Nahant, 8 Sept., 1911. The son of Thomas Dwight and of Mary ... |
Dyck, Antoon (Anthonis) VanAntoon (Anthonis) van DyckUsually known as S IR A NTHONY V AN D YCK . Flemish portrait-painter, b. at Antwerp, ... |
Dymoke, RobertRobert DymokeConfessor of the Faith, date of birth uncertain; d. at Lincoln, England, 11 Sept., 1580. He ... |
Dymphna, SaintSt. Dymphna(Also known as Dympna and Dimpna). Virgin and martyr. The earliest historical account of ... |
DynamismDynamismDynamism is a general name for a group of philosophical views concerning the nature of matter. ... |
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