Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/103

 PICHLER

75

PICQUET

tion with the signature n. A or niXAEP. A. The tomb of the Pichlers is in S. Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome.

Rossi, Vita del Cav. Giov. Pichler (Rome, 1792) ; MnoN*. I tre Pichler (Vienna, 1844); Rollett, Die drei Meisler der Gemmoglypiik, Antonio, Giovanni und Luigi Pichler (Vienna, 1874); N\ai.ERm Neuesallgemeines KiinstlerLex. (Munich, 1841) ; BocCARDO in Nuova Enciclopedia Italiana (Turin, 1884).

M. L. Handley.

Pichler, Vitus, distinguished canonist and contro- versial writer, b. at Grossberghofen, 24 May, 1670; d. at Munich, 15 Feb., 1736. He studied for the secular priesthood, but after ordination entered the Society of Jesus, 28 Sept., 1696. For four years he was professor of philosophy at Brigue and Dillingen. He was then advanced to the chair of theology, controversial and scholastic, at Augsburg. He acquired fame in the field of canon law, which he taught for nineteen years at Dillingen, and at Ingolstadt, where he was the successor of the illustrious canonist, Fr. Schmalz- grueber. His latest employment was as prefect of higher studies at Munich. His first important literary work was " Examen polemicum super Augustana Con- fessione" (1708), an examination of the Lutheran Augsburg Confession. Other controversial works fol- lowed, generally directed against Lutheranism, such as " Lutheranismus constanter errans" (1709); "Una et vera fides" (1710); "Theologia polemica particu- laris" (1711). In his "Cursus theologiae polemica; universa;" (1713), Pichler devotes the first part to the fundamentals of polemical theology and the second part to the particular errors of the reformers. It is said that he was the first writer to lay down, clearly and separately, the distinction between fundamental theology and other divisions of the science. He also wrote an important work on papal infallibility, " Papa- tus nunquam errans in proponendis fidei articulis" (1709). Although widely renowned as a polemical theologian, Pichler is better known as a canonist. He published his "Candidatus juris prudentite sacrie" in 1722; this was followed by "Summa jurisprudentiK sacrse universie" in 1723 sqq. He ahso issued "Mani- pulus casuum jiridicorum" and several epitomes of his larger canonical treatises. Pichler's controversial works were in great vogue during the eighteenth cen- tury, while his books on canon law were used as text- books in many universities. His solutions of difficult cases in jurisprudence gave a decided impetus to the study of the canons and afforded a key to the intricate portions of the "Corpus juris canonici". Fourteen of Pichler's works, excluding the many editions and alter- ations, are enumerated.

HuRTER, Nomenclator literarius, III (Innsbruck, 1895); SoM- MERVOGEL, Bibliothiquc de la Compagnie de Jesus, VI (Brussels, 1895); De Backer, Bibliolhique des ecrimins, .S. J. (LiSge, 1853-

76). William H. W. Fanning.

Pickering, Thomas, Venerable, lay brother and martyr, a member of an old Westmoreland family, b. c. 1621; executed at Tyburn, 9 May, 1679. He was sent to the Benedictine monastery of St. Gregory at Douai, where he took vows as a lay brother in 1660. In 1665 he was sent to London, where, as steward or procurator to the little community of Benedictines who served the queen's chapel royal, he became known personally to the queen and Charles II; and when in 1675, urged by the parliament, Charles issued a proclamation ordering the Benedictines to leave England within a fixed time, Pickering was allowed to remain, probably on the ground that he was not a priest. In 1678 came the pretended revelations of Titus Gates, and Pickering was accused of conspiring to murder the king. No evidence except Gates's word was produced and Pickering's innocence was so obvious that the queen publicly announced her belief « in him, but the jury found him guilty, and with two others he was condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. The king was divided between the wish to save the innocent men and fear of the popular

clamour, which loudly demanded the death of Gates's victims, and twice within a month the three prisoners were ordered for execution and then reprieved. At length Charles permitted the execution of the other two, hoping that this would satisfy the people and save Pickering from his fate. The contrary took place, however, and, 26 April, 1679, the House of Commons petitioned for Pickering's execution. Charles yielded and the long-deferred sentence was carried out on the ninth of May. A small piece of cloth stained with his blood is preserved among the relics at Downside Abbey.

The Tryals of William Ireland, Thomas Pickering and John Grove for conspiring to murder the king. . . (London, 1(578); An exact abridgment of all the Trials . . . relating to the popish and pretended protestant plots in the reigns of Charles II and James II (London, 1690), 464; Dodd, Church History of England, III (Brussels, 1742), 318; Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, II (London, 1742), 376; Oliver, Collections illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in Cornwall, Devon, etc. (Lon- don, 1857), 500; Corker, Remonstrance of piety and innocence (London, 1683); Snow, Necrology of the English Benedictines (London, 1883), 178; Weldon, Chronological Notes on the English Congregation of the Order of ,St, Benedict, ed. DoLAN (Worcester, 1881), 219; Downside Review, II (London, 1883), ,52-00.

G. Roger Hudleston.

Piconio, Bernardinb a (Henri Bernardinb de Picquigny), b. at Picquigny, Picardy, 1633; d. in Paris, 8 December, 1709; was educated at Picquigny, and joined the Capuchins in 1649. As professor of theology he shed great lustre upon his order; his best- known work is his "Triplex expositio epistolarum sancti Pauli" (Paris, 1703 [French], 1706 [English, tr. Prichard], London, 1888), which has ever been popular among Scriptural scholars. Piconio also wrote "Triplex expositio in sacrosancta D. N. Jesu Christi Evangelia" (Paris, 1726), and a book of moral instructions. A complete edition of his works, "Gpera omnia Bernardini a Piconio", was published at Paris (1870-2).

Hurteh, Nomenclator literarius, II, 788.

William C. Nevils.

Picpus, Congregation of the. See Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Congregation of the.

Picquet, Francois, a celebrated Sulpician mission- ary in Canada, b. at Bourg, Bre.sse, France, 4 Dec, 1708; d. at Verjon, Ain, France, in 1781. He entered the Seminary of Lyons (1727), where he was ordained deacon in 1731. At the Seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris, after winning his doctorate at the Sorbonne, he was raised to the priesthood, and became a Sul- pician. The same year he begged to be sent to Can- ada, and in the month of July arrived at Montreal, where for five years (1734-9) he was engaged in the ministry. On the Indian mission of the Lac-des- Deux-Montagnes (now Oka), he acquired the Algon- quin and Iroquois tongues so perfectly that he surpassed the ablest orators of these tribes. His in- fluence enabled him to win a large number of these savages to the true Faith. The Lake mission became very populous: Nipissings, Outaouois, Mohawks, and Hurons crowded alongside the Algonquins and Iroquois. Picquet fortified this Catholic centre against the pagan tribes, and erected the Calvary which still exists, with its well-built stations stretch- ing along the mountain side facing the lake. In the intercolonial war between France and England (1743- 8), the Indian allies of these two powers came to arms. Due to the influence of their missionary the Five Nations, hitherto allies of the English, remained neutral, while the other savages carried on a guerilla war in New England or served as scouts for the French troops. When peace was restored, Picquet volun- teered to establish an Indian post on the Presentation River, whence he spread the Gospel among the Iro- quois nations, as far as the Indians of the West. I'ounded on 1 June, 1749, this post became the Fort of the Presentation in the following year; from it arose the town of Ogdensburg, New York.