Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/824

 FABRIANO

744

FABRICA

Solent, bre's'iter diseutiuntur ae defimuntur" (Lyons, 1669). The principles on which this work constructs its theological conclusions are far different from those of Aristotle. " Euphiander seu vir ingeniosus ", a little book, which may be useful to the student of litera- ture (Lyons, 1669; Vienna, 1731; Budapest, 1749; Ofen, 1763). Most of Fabri's other works deal with philosophy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, and even zoologj'. In his treatise on man he claims to have discovered the circulation of the blood, prior to Harvey; but, after investigating this question. Father Bellynk arrives at the conclusion that, at best, Father Fabri may have made the discoverj' independently of Harvey (cf. Belhiik, Cours de Zoologie, 1S64. p. 23).

SoMMERVOGEL. Bibl. de la C. de J. (Brussels and Paris. 1892), III. 511-521; HuRTER. Xomenclator Liierarius (Innsbruck, 1S93), torn. II, 598-600.

A. J. M.A^\s.

Fabriano and Matelica, Diocese of (Fabrianen- sis et Mathelicensis). Fabriano, a city in the province of Macerata, Central Italy, is noted for its paper manufactories and its trade in salted fish. It is said to have been foimded in the ninth century b. c. by refugees from the ancient Attidium (the modern Atti- gio); even as late as 1254 the baptismal font of Fab- riano was in the church of San (jiovanni Battista in Attigio. The history of Fabriano is closely connected with that of the Marches. In the church of .San Bene- detto, of the .Silvestrine monks, is the tomb of Blessed Giovanni Bonelli, a SUvestrine (d. 1290). St. Silves- tro Guzzoli, the founder of this order, is biu-ied at Monte Fano, not far from Fabriano, where Blessed Giuseppe dei Conti Atti and Blessed Ugo Laico, both Silvestrines, are also buried. The relics of St. Rom- uald were transferred to the church of SS. Biagio and Romoaldo in 1480. The city was under the jvu-isdic- tion of Camerino until 1785, when Pius II re-estab- lished the see of Matelica and imited it ceque princi- paliter with Fabriano.

The town of Matelica possesses some ancient in- scriptions. A Roman colony was established there in 89 B. c. In 487, Bishop Equitius of Matelica was at Rome; and in 551, Bishop Florentius accompanied Pope Vigilius to C'onstantmople. No other bishops of the ancient see are kno^"n. Until 1785 Matelica was under the jurisdiction of Camerino. Mention may be made of Blessed Gentile da Matelica. a Franciscan, martyred in Egypt in 1351, and buried in Venice (ai Frari), and of Ble.'-sed Mattea Lazano, a Benedictine nun, also of Matelica, buried in the church of Santa Maria Maddalena. The diocese is immediately sub- ject to the Holy See, and has 32.000 inhabitants, 42 parishes, 1 male and 2 female educational institutions, 6 religious houses of men and 4 of women. The painter. Gentile da Fabriano (q. v.), is one of the most famous of the natives of Fabriano. He worked at Foggia and Bari, and later in the palace of the doges at Venice, in the Strozzi chapel at Florence, and finally at Rome.

Cappelletti. T.e Chicae d'llaUa CV'enice, 1844). VII; Ca- MiLLO AcQUACOTTA, Metnorie di Matelica (.\npona, 1838).

U. Benigni.

Fabrica Ecclesis, a Latin term, meaning, ety- mologically, the construction of a church, but in a broader sense the funds necessary for such construc- tion. This expression may also be used to desig- nate the repairing ami maintenance of churches, the daily expenses of worship, and to the amount requisite (or covering these expenses. In this particular con- nexion, the expression is first met with in the letter of Pope Siinplicius to Gaudentius, Bi.shop of Aufina (19 Nov., 475) ; however, even then it was not new, being borrowed from profane usage.

During the first Chri-stian centuries the temporal- ities intended to meet the expenses incurred by the re- ligious services carried on throughout a diocese be-

longed entirely to the cathedral church, and constitu- ted a common fund which the bishop used, at his op- tion, in defraying the expenses of religion, supporting its ministers, and caring for the poor. But in the fifth century, particularly in Italy, this common fund was divided into four parts, one of which was set aside for the fabrica ecdesicc. In Sicily, however, in 494, no portion was especially reserved for the fabric, and in Gaul, such an allotment seems to have been unknown. In Spain, a third of the ecclesiastical revenues was as- signed to the luminare (lights), a term sj-nonj-mous with fabrica. The increase of Christianity in the rural districts brought w-ith it a change of discipline, ac- cording to which each church obtained a separate patrimony. In fact, benefactors no longer bestowed their gifts on the entire diocese, but on one particular church, frequently in honour of some saint specially venerated there. The common fund itself was divided among the churches of the diocese. Some writers maintain this division was owing to the establishment of ecclesiastical benefices; others claim that it fol- lowed the canonical recognition of the private o^\Tier- ship of churches. After vainly endeavom-ing to re- strict the exercise of public worship to churches whose ownership had been completely renounced by the founders, the canon law eventually permitted public worship in churches that remained the private prop- erty of an individual, a monaster^" or even the epis- copal mensa, or estate. The owner, however, was obliged to set apart a special fund for the needs of the church (pro sarlistectis. or for the luminare). Hence- forth, when a bishop established a new parish, he was bound to provide for its needs by a specified income to be deducted from the common diocesan estate or fund — of course, if no benefactor had otherwise en- dowed the parish. Some hold that in consequence of the principles governing feudal society all medieval churches and their revenues became private property, and that the conflict of Gregory VII and his succes- sors against lay investitures was in reality an effort to restore its lost possessions to the ecclesiastical domain. The result of so much strife was the transformation of former proprietary rights into the right of patronage (Jus patronatus).

While ecclesiastical ownership was going through these phases, the canon law decided who must con- tribute to the maintenance of a particular chiu-ch, i. e. its owner, and all recipients of its revenues (SjTiod of Frankfort, 794) ; under pain, therefore, of forfeiting his right of patronage, the patron of a church must share the burden of its maintenance ; so too the incum- bent of the ecclesiastical benefice and those to whom the tithes have been granted (decimatores). Finally, when the resources of the church were insufficient, the faithful themselves were bound to contribute to the expenses of Divine worship. These provisions were sanctioned by the Decretals of Gregory IX (cc. i and ivrfe ecclesiis wdijicamli.t, III, 48), and by the Coimci! of Trent (Sess. XXI. de rcf. c. vii) ; they represent in this matter the common ecclesiastical law (.see Buildings, Eccleslvstic.\l). The fabrica ecclcsiw means also the persons charged with the administration of church property, usually laj-men. The origin and historical development of this institution have not yet been studied very closely. Their organization, moreover, has differed from one coimtrj' to another, nor have they been uniformly organized in the same countrj'. Chvirches subject to the right of patronage and those incorporated, even for temporal administration, with monasteries, were more closely affected than other churcbes by this condition of depenilcncy. In such churches the patron occasionally appointed an offi- cer to administer the temporalities. It is commonly believed, however, that "church fabrics" do not antedate the thirteenth century. In the first ages of the Church the bishop administered church property with the aid of deacons and priests, but during the