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 ROSMINIANS

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ROSMINIANS

refer to Rosmini's ontology and natural thcologj'; the remainder, to his teachings on the soul, the Trinity, the Eucharist, the supernatural order and the beatific vision (Denzinger, "Enchir.", 1891 sq.). Some of the propositions were clearly taught in the works examined in 1S54; others repeated what Rosmini had said over and over again in the principal books published during his lifetime. The superior general of the Institute of Charity enjoined obedience and submission on the members. Leo XIII in a letter to the Archbishop of Milan (1 June 1889) plainly stated that he approved and confirmed the decree. Cardinal Mazella discussed the proposi- tions exhaustively in " Rosminianarum proposi- tionum trutina thoologica" (Rome 1892). This brought out a reply from an erudite layman, Prof. Giuseppe Morando^ under the title "Esame critico delle 40 proposizioni Rosminiane" (Milan, 1905).

Besides the works already mentioned, Rosmini wTOte a large number of treatises the more important of which are: "II Rinnovamento della Filosofia in Italia" (Milan, 1836); "Psicologia", (Novara, 1843; Turin, 1887; tr., London, 1884-88); "Logica", (Turin, 1853; Intra, 1868); "La Filosofia della Morale" (Milan, 1831); "L'Antropologia in servizio della Scienza Morale" (Milan, 1838); "Antro- pologia sopranaturale" (Casale, 1884); "Teodicea" (Milan, 1845); "Filosofia della Politica" (Milan, 1858); "La societa e il suo fine" (Milan, 1839); "V. Gioberti e il Panteismo" (Milan, 1847); "In- troduzione alia Filosofia" (Casale, 1850); "Introd. al Vangelo secondo S. Giovanni" (Turin, 1882).

Davidson, Rosmini's Philosophical System (London, 1882) contains a copious bibliography of the works of Rosmini and his school.

Rosminian School: Buroni, DeW Essere e del Conoscere, studn su Parmenide Plaione e Rosmini (Turin, 1878); Ferre, Degli UniTersali secondo la Teoria Rosminiana (Casale, 1880-86); Pestalozz.v, Le Dottrine di A. Rosmini difese (Milan, 1851; Lodi, 1853); Petri, A. Rosmini e i Neo-Scolastici (Rome, 1878); BiLLiA, Quaranla Proposizioni atlribuite ad A. Rosmini (Milan, 1889); Per Ant. Rosmini nel prima cenlenario della nascita (Milan, 1897); MoRANDO, II Rosminianismo e VEndclica Pascendi, and Apparenti Contraddizioni di S. Tommaso, reprinted from the Rivista Rosminiana (1908) ; Manzoni, II Dialogo suW Invenzione (Milan, 1879); Calza axd Perez, Esposizione della Filosofia di A. Rosmini (Intra, 1878); Casara, La Luce dell' occhio corporeo e guella deW Intellelto (Parabiago, 1879).

Periodicals: La Sapienza (Turin, 1879-86) (ed. Papa); La Rirista Rosminiana (Voghera, 1905) (ed. Morando).

Opposing .Schools: Pastille (s. d.); Alcune Affermazioni del Sin. A. Rosmini prete roveretano con un saggio di riflessioni saritte da Eusebio Cristiano (s. d.) ; Principj della scuola Rosminiana esposti in Latere Famigliari da un Prete Bolognese (Milan, 18.50); Gio- berti, Dei/li Errori Filosofici di A. Rosmini (Capologo, 1846); CoRNOLDi, II Rosminianismo sirUesi dell' Ontologismo e del ParUeixmo (Rome, 1881); Liberatore, Degli Universali (Rome, 1881-8.3), tr. Bering, On Universals (Leamington, 1889); Mazzella, Rosminianarum propositionum trutina theologica (Rome, 1892): Zigliara, II Dimiltatur e la spiegazione dalane dalla S. Confiregazione dell' Indice.

Independent: Sheldon, The Teachings of A. Rosmini, in Papers of the Amerimn Society of Church History 1897, VIII; Dtroff. Rosmini, in the series KuUur und Katholizismus (Munich IdOOj; Orehtano, Rosmini, in the series Biblioteca Pedagogica (Itome, i;K)Kj; PALHORifes, Rosmini, in the scries Les Grands PhiUjsophes (Paris. 1908). D. HiCKEY.

Bosminians. — The Institute of Charity, or, offi- cially, SocieUis a charilale nuncupala, is a religious congregation founded by Antonio Rosmini, first organizM in 1S28, formally approved by the Holy .Sf« in 18.3H, and taking its name from "charity" as the fullness of Chrislian virtue. In English-speaking lanris its members are commonly called Fathers of Charity, but in Italj', R/)Hminians.

FouruUilion of the hiJililitle. — The founder of this society was, strictly speaking, Rosmini alone. Never- thek-.SK there existed in the age into which he was bfim many very potent directive elements which gave a br-nt to his thoughts and supplied an oppor- tunity for their embodiment in wtme organization. Hin life was in the immediate wake of the French Revolution, and df»ubtless it was Ijy the many tendencies anrl movements, some of them remote enough, which culminated in that upheaval, that he

was graduall}' and unconsciously led to consider the intellectual and moral inheritance of Christendom as a whole, not in blind protest and reaction merely, but with impartial contemplation of new ideas as well as of old. The one side of truth was to be cor- rected by its counterpart, and secondary things which had usurped a primacy were to resume thcur just order. Rosmini not only saw the Church's enemies roused to new vigour of attack, but also a growing danger among many who still remained within the Church of a practical denial or at least a belittling of the supernatural in man. There was ill-regulated activity and impatience of ancient tra- dition, and by reaction from this in other quarters there was an equally ill-timed and fatal i^assiveness. The world was too wrong, it seemed, ever to be set right; and nothing it could say was worthy of being even heeded. This was a spirit that shut itself up in the past and anathematized all fresh thought. The Church was to renounce either tradition or development, in either case abandoning her Divine Guide.

On such a basis there could easily be set up a spirit which looked on the whole Church as a party, and furthered her cause with partisan eagerness, or else substituted for the great end of the Church's good the petty end of the good of some .society or persons within her. It tended to rejjlace Catholi- cism by clericalism. But Rosmini judged these domestic ills no less than the relentless attacks from without to be traceable to one deejily-seated cause, namely, that men were relaxing their grip on the fundamental and general truths. What was becom- ing blurred was God's own part in the world: first His creative part; then the Divine nature of that moral good which in some sort stands before the human mind as truth itself; and again the Divine action of grace, causing truth and good to be felt in the depths of the soul as having not only infinite rightness and bindingness but also supreme driving- power. The crying need then was for a clearer recognition of God's place in nature, in the soul, and in the Church, and hence for the re-establishment of Christian first principles as a slow, indeed, but the only radical, cure of the evils of the day.

Antonio Rosmini, an Italian from Rovereto, was ordained in 1821. He was already organizing hia life on principles of order, an order which puts God's prompting first and man's instant and swift action second. His two life-principles, written down at this time for his own guidance, and forming the true harmony of humility with confidence and passivo- ness with activity, were: first, to apply himself to the amendment of his faults and the purifying of his soul without seeking other occui)ations or imdcr- takings on his neighbour's behalf, since of himself Ije was powerless to do anyoiu! real service; and, second, not to refuse oflices of cliarity when Divine Providence offered them, but in fulfilling them to maintain perfect indilTerence ami do the offered work as zealou.sly as he would any other. The formulating of this ruk^ and the putting of it into practice by living retired in prayer and study con- stituted the first step towards founding the Institute of Charity; the second was this: the Venerable Marchioness di Canossa, foundress of a society of Daughters of Charity for ]ioor friendless girls, had long desired a like inst itut ion for boys, and no sooner w:iK Rosmini a priest than she b(^gan to urg(^ him to establish one. On 10 December, 1S25, he wrote to her that in accordan(e with his rules of life he could nf)t altogetlier refuse her request if God were to provide means, but that even then he could form such a society only on the basis of the two aforesaid principles.

The rough sketch of the Priests of Charity written on this date is really only the first brief form of what