Constantino Cajetan (1560 in
Syracuse, Sicily – 17 September 1650 in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
) was a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
scholar.
Life
Although his brothers,
Ottavio and Alfonso, joined the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
, Constantino became a Benedictine (29 October 1586) at
San Nicolò d'Arena in
Catania. He was soon called to Rome by
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605.
Born ...
, who confided to the promising young scholar an edition of the works of St.
Peter Damian
Peter Damian ( la, Petrus Damianus; it, Pietro or '; – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was a reforming Benedictine monk and cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo IX. Dante placed him in one of the highest circles of '' Paradiso'' ...
, which he executed in four folio volumes (Rome, 1606 ''et saep.''). His constant and successful researches in Roman archives won him the friendship of Cardinal
Baronius
Cesare Baronio (as an author also known as Caesar Baronius; 30 August 1538 – 30 June 1607) was an Italian cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his ''Annales Ecclesiastici'' ("Ecclesiastical Annals"), whi ...
, through whom he was made titular Abbot of San Baronzio in the
Diocese of Pistoia
The Italian Catholic Diocese of Pistoia ( la, Dioecesis Pistoriensis) is located in the Province of Florence. It has existed since the third century. From 1653 to 1954, the historic diocese was the diocese of Pistoia and Prato. The Diocese of Pra ...
, and custodian of the
Vatican Library
The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...
. The latter important office he held under four popes until his death. Baronius was indebted to him in the composition of his ''
Annales Ecclesiastici
''Annales Ecclesiastici'' (full title ''Annales ecclesiastici a Christo nato ad annum 1198''; "Ecclesiastical annals from Christ's nativity to 1198"), consisting of twelve folio volumes, is a history of the first 12 centuries of the Christian Chu ...
'', and praised Cajetan's knowledge of the Roman archives.
Works
He wrote on ecclesiastical history; the long list of his writings may be seen in
Magnoald Ziegelbauer. Among them are a life of the liturgist, St.
Amalarius of Trier (Rome, 1612), annotated lives of St.
Isadore of Seville, St.
Ildephoses of Toledo, Cardinal
Gregory of Ostia, notes on the life of St.
Anselm, an annotated edition of the ''Vita Gelasii II'' by
Pandolfo of Pisa, treatises on the primacy and the Roman episcopate of
St. Peter. He was persuaded that St.
Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
was a genuine disciple of St.
Benedict
Benedict may refer to:
People Names
*Benedict (given name), including a list of people with the given name
*Benedict (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Religious figures
* Pope Benedict I (died 579), head of the Catholic Chu ...
, and wrote in defense of this thesis ''De S. Gregorii monachatu benedictino libri duo'' (Salzburg, 1620). The authorship of the ''
Imitation of Christ
In Christian theology, the imitation of Christ is the practice of following the example of Jesus.''A concise dictionary of theology'' by Gerald O'Collins, Edward G. Farrugia 2004 page 115''Imitating Jesus: an inclusive approach to New Testament ...
'' interested him also, and he several times supported the Benedictine
Jean Gerson
Jean Charlier de Gerson (13 December 1363 – 12 July 1429) was a French scholar, educator, reformer, and poet, Chancellor of the University of Paris, a guiding light of the conciliar movement and one of the most prominent theologians at the Co ...
.
His ardor for the glory of the Benedictine Order troubled his judgment occasionally, says Father Hurter, e.g. when he claimed for it such persons as St.
Columbanus of Bobbio, St.
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wit ...
, St.
Francis of Assisi, St.
Ignatius Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...
. He inaugurated the controversy concerning the authorship of the work known as the ''Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius'' by his book ''De religiosâ S. Ignatii, sive S. Enneconis fundatoris soc. Jesu per Benedictinos institutione, deque libello exercitiorum ejusdem ab Exercitatorio Cisnerii desumpto'' (Venice, 1641), in which he claimed priority for the ''Exercitatorium Spirituale'' of
Garcias de Cisneros
Garcias de Cisneros (1455–1510) (also ''Garcia de Cisneros'') was the abbot at the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, abbey of Montserrat in Spain.
As one of the early Spanish mystics, he was a pioneer in the use of meditative techniques, having ...
, Benedictine Abbot of
Santa Maria de Montserrat
Santa Maria de Montserrat () is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict located on the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was f ...
(1455–1510). Both this work and the ''Achates, or reply of Giovanni Rho, S.J.'', were placed on the
Index of Forbidden Books
The ''Index Librorum Prohibitorum'' ("List of Prohibited Books") was a list of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Sacred Congregation of the Index (a former Dicastery of the Roman Curia), and Catholics were forbidde ...
in 1646.
Legacy
Cajetan was a collector of books, and at his death left his fortune to the Bibliotheca Aniciana, founded by him in honor of the family of St. Gregory the Great (Gens Anicia); the books have since been divided between the Propaganda Library and that of the
Sapienza, or Roman University. To many his chief title to fame will rest on his claim to be considered the first promoter, if not the founder, of the Propaganda College at Rome. He had long hoped to found at Rome a Collegium Gregorianum de propagandâ fide, in which young Benedictines might be trained for foreign missions, after the spirit and teachings of St. Gregory the Great, Apostle of the Anglo-Saxons. He really opened a house of studies for this purpose in the monastery of San Benedetto in Piscinula at Rome, and this may be looked on as historically the germ of Propaganda.
[''Cf.'' his ''De erectione collegii Gregoriani in Urbe epistola encyclica'', Rome, 1622.] His idea was taken up seriously by
Pope Gregory XV (1621–23), who enlarged and modified until it took shape as the "Collegium
ater Urbanumde propagandâ fide". The pioneer labors of Dom Cajetan received due recognition by his nomination as first consultor of the new college.
Notes
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cajetan, Constantino
1560 births
1650 deaths
Italian Benedictines
People from Syracuse, Sicily