Girolamo Casanata
Encyclopedia
Girolamo Casanata was an Italian Cardinal, b. Naples
, 13 July 1620; d. Rome, 3 March 1700.
. Girolamo studied law at the university of his native town and practised in the courts for some time. Eventually he gave up the promises of a secular career and entered the service of the Church, in deference to the advice of Cardinal Pamphili whom he had met on a visit to Rome. When that cardinal became pope as Innocent X, Casanata was made private chamberlain and soon advanced rapidly in the ecclesiastical career, becoming in turn Governor of Sabina, Fabriano, Ancona
, and Camerino. In the last-named city he became a close friend of its bishop, Emilio Altieri, afterwards Pope Clement X
. In 1658 Pope Alexander VII
sent him as inquisitor to Malta
, whence he was shortly recalled to Rome and made prelate of the Consulta and active member of the courts known as the Segnatura di Grazia and the Segnatura di Giustizia.
He was Consultor of the Congregation of Rites
and of Propaganda
, and governor of the conclave that chose the successor of Alexander VII; under Clement IX he was made assessor of the Holy Office (Congregation of the Inquisition
). He was appointed secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars by Clement X, and 13 June 1673, was named Cardinal-Deacon of the Title of Santa Maria in Porticu, and later (1686) Cardinal-Priest of the Title of San Silvestro in Capite
. In 1693 Innocent XII bestowed on him the office of Librarian of the Vatican
(Bibliotecario di Santa Romana Chiesa). On his death-bed he was assisted by two Dominicans
, Father Cloché, the general of the order, and Antoine Massoulié
. He was buried in the Basilica of St. John Lateran
, though his heart was deposited in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
, the church of the Dominicans, to whom he was always warmly attached, and who looked on him as their benefactor.
He held many offices, in which it was necessary that he study profoundly the numerous doctrinal, disciplinary, and political questions brought before the Holy See
in the latter half of the seventeenth century, among them controversies concerning Quietism (Miguel de Molinos
, Fénelon, Madame Guyon
), the Gallican Liberties
, the right of Régale, the Four Articles of 1682, the Chinese Rites controversy between the Jesuits and the Dominicans and other orders.
) founded and endowed by him. While living he had collected a library of about 25,000 volumes; this he left to the above-mentioned Dominican convent of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, together with an endowment fund of 80,000 scudi (almost as many dollars), to provide for the administration of the trust and for the acquisition of new books. In 1655 the same convent had inherited the library of Giambattista Castellani, chief physician of Gregory XV, with 12,000 scudi for the erection of a suitable edifice. Cardinal Casanata, moreover, ordered that the new library should be accessible to the public six hours daily, excepting feast-days. In addition to the library staff he provided for a college (theologi casanatenses) of six Dominicans of different nationalities (Italian, French, Spanish, German, English, Polish). Each of them must previously have received the degree of Doctor from one of the most famous universities of Europe. Aided by the resources of the library, they were to devote themselves to the defence and propagation of Catholic doctrine.
Moreover, two professors were to expound regularly the text of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Summa Theologica
and other writings). In other words, by means of the new library, he had created at Rome another centre of intellectual activity (see Minerva, 1892–93, II, 622). After the loss of the temporal power (1870) the library was declared national property, but the Dominicans were left in charge until 1884. Amongst the library's possessions are 64 Greek codices
(15 of them the gift of Casanata), and 230 Hebrew texts (rolls and books), among which are 5 Samaritan
codices. The incunabula (books printed before 1500) number 2036; there is also a large collection of Roman governmental proclamations (bandi, editti) from 1500 to 1870, comedies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, etc. Father Cloché, the General of the Dominicans, placed in the library a statue of Cardinal Casanata, the work of the sculptor Le Gros. An inscription records the formal permission of Clement XI to preserve there the books of what were considered heretical authors.
The Casanatense Library still preserves 1125 manuscript volumes of opinions, reports, and statements (voti, relazioni, posizioni) concerning matters treated in the various Congregations to which Casanata belonged. His curial duties did not prevent him from taking an interest in letters and the sciences. He was on friendly terms and corresponded with the learned men of his day. Among those whom he encouraged most was Zaccagni, whom he induced to publish a collection of materials for the ancient history of the Greek and Latin Churches, Collectanea monumentorum veterum Ecclesiæ græcæ et latinæ (Rome, 1694, 4to).
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, 13 July 1620; d. Rome, 3 March 1700.
Biography
His father, Tommaso Casanatta, was a member of the supreme council of the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. Girolamo studied law at the university of his native town and practised in the courts for some time. Eventually he gave up the promises of a secular career and entered the service of the Church, in deference to the advice of Cardinal Pamphili whom he had met on a visit to Rome. When that cardinal became pope as Innocent X, Casanata was made private chamberlain and soon advanced rapidly in the ecclesiastical career, becoming in turn Governor of Sabina, Fabriano, Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, and Camerino. In the last-named city he became a close friend of its bishop, Emilio Altieri, afterwards Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X , born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was Pope from 29 April 1670 to 22 July 1676.-Early life:Emilio Altieri was born in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...
. In 1658 Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
sent him as inquisitor to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, whence he was shortly recalled to Rome and made prelate of the Consulta and active member of the courts known as the Segnatura di Grazia and the Segnatura di Giustizia.
He was Consultor of the Congregation of Rites
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
and of Propaganda
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
, and governor of the conclave that chose the successor of Alexander VII; under Clement IX he was made assessor of the Holy Office (Congregation of the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
). He was appointed secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars by Clement X, and 13 June 1673, was named Cardinal-Deacon of the Title of Santa Maria in Porticu, and later (1686) Cardinal-Priest of the Title of San Silvestro in Capite
San Silvestro in Capite
The Church of Saint Sylvester in Capite is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Saint Sylvester I. Built in the 8th century as a shrine for the relics of the saints and martyrs from the Catacombs, the church is the National church of Great Britain.The Latin...
. In 1693 Innocent XII bestowed on him the office of Librarian of the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(Bibliotecario di Santa Romana Chiesa). On his death-bed he was assisted by two Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, Father Cloché, the general of the order, and Antoine Massoulié
Antoine Massoulié
Antoine Massoulié was a French Dominican theologian. He was uncompromising against Quietism, and Molinism.-Life:...
. He was buried in the Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
, though his heart was deposited in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
The Basilica of Saint Mary Above Minerva is a titular minor basilica and one of the most important churches of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. The church, located in the Piazza della Minerva in the Campus Martius region, is considered the only Gothic church in Rome. It houses...
, the church of the Dominicans, to whom he was always warmly attached, and who looked on him as their benefactor.
He held many offices, in which it was necessary that he study profoundly the numerous doctrinal, disciplinary, and political questions brought before the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in the latter half of the seventeenth century, among them controversies concerning Quietism (Miguel de Molinos
Miguel de Molinos
Miguel de Molinos , Spanish divine, the chief apostle of the religious revival known as Quietism, was born about 1628 near Muniesa ....
, Fénelon, Madame Guyon
Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon was a French mystic and one of the key advocates of Quietism...
), the Gallican Liberties
Gallicanism
Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by the monarchs' authority or the State's authority—over the Catholic Church is comparable to that of the Pope's...
, the right of Régale, the Four Articles of 1682, the Chinese Rites controversy between the Jesuits and the Dominicans and other orders.
Biblioteca Casanatense
His chief service to learning, especially the theological sciences, was the Casanatense Library (Biblioteca CasanatenseBiblioteca Casanatense
The Biblioteca Casanatense is a library in Rome, Italy. The library is located at Via S. Ignazio, 52.- History :The library was established in 1701 by the Dominicans of the Monastery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. It was opened to the general public, according to the will of Cardinal...
) founded and endowed by him. While living he had collected a library of about 25,000 volumes; this he left to the above-mentioned Dominican convent of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, together with an endowment fund of 80,000 scudi (almost as many dollars), to provide for the administration of the trust and for the acquisition of new books. In 1655 the same convent had inherited the library of Giambattista Castellani, chief physician of Gregory XV, with 12,000 scudi for the erection of a suitable edifice. Cardinal Casanata, moreover, ordered that the new library should be accessible to the public six hours daily, excepting feast-days. In addition to the library staff he provided for a college (theologi casanatenses) of six Dominicans of different nationalities (Italian, French, Spanish, German, English, Polish). Each of them must previously have received the degree of Doctor from one of the most famous universities of Europe. Aided by the resources of the library, they were to devote themselves to the defence and propagation of Catholic doctrine.
Moreover, two professors were to expound regularly the text of St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
(Summa Theologica
Summa Theologica
The Summa Theologiæ is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas , and although unfinished, "one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature." It is intended as a manual for beginners in theology and a compendium of all of the main...
and other writings). In other words, by means of the new library, he had created at Rome another centre of intellectual activity (see Minerva, 1892–93, II, 622). After the loss of the temporal power (1870) the library was declared national property, but the Dominicans were left in charge until 1884. Amongst the library's possessions are 64 Greek codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
(15 of them the gift of Casanata), and 230 Hebrew texts (rolls and books), among which are 5 Samaritan
Samaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
codices. The incunabula (books printed before 1500) number 2036; there is also a large collection of Roman governmental proclamations (bandi, editti) from 1500 to 1870, comedies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, etc. Father Cloché, the General of the Dominicans, placed in the library a statue of Cardinal Casanata, the work of the sculptor Le Gros. An inscription records the formal permission of Clement XI to preserve there the books of what were considered heretical authors.
The Casanatense Library still preserves 1125 manuscript volumes of opinions, reports, and statements (voti, relazioni, posizioni) concerning matters treated in the various Congregations to which Casanata belonged. His curial duties did not prevent him from taking an interest in letters and the sciences. He was on friendly terms and corresponded with the learned men of his day. Among those whom he encouraged most was Zaccagni, whom he induced to publish a collection of materials for the ancient history of the Greek and Latin Churches, Collectanea monumentorum veterum Ecclesiæ græcæ et latinæ (Rome, 1694, 4to).
External links
- Biblioteca Casanatense - home page