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 FACUNDUS

751

FAGNANI

Facundus of Henniane, a sixth-century Christian author, Bishop of Henniane in Africa, about whose career very little is known. His place in history is due entirely to the spirited and protracted opposition which he offered to the condemnation (by the edict of Justinian in 543 or 544) of the "Three Chapters". At the instance of Theodore Ascidas, and with the ostensible purpose of reuniting to the Church the Acephali, a sect of Monophysites, Justinian was in- duced to censure the "Three Chapters" (q.v.). By this act certain writings of the fifth-centiuy Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Ibas of Edessa were condemned. Facundus was in Constantinople when this censure was pronounced, and shortly after its publication he and several other western bishops refused to subscribe to the decree, alleging that it was an attack on the Council of Chalcedon, which had ac- cepted at least the letter of Ibas to the Persian Maris. This docvunent was especially aimed at in the decree of the emperor. Facundus also drew up a memorial in protest, but was prevented from presenting it liy the arrival of Pope Vigilius. The weak and vacillat- ing conduct of this pontiff and his acquiescence in the condemnation of the "Three Chapters" spurred Facimdus to complete this work, which he entitled "Pro Defensione Trium Capitulorum". It is not known when the work was completed nor when it was presented to the emperor, so that nothing can be said of its immediate effect on the controversy. After its publication Facundus was compelled to fly from Con- stantinople and find safety in concealment. Because of the attitude of Vigilius in acceding to the emperor's insistence that he subscribe to the censure of the " Three Chapters", Facundus and many African bishops cut themselves off from communion with him. This schism lasted for many years, and during that time Facundus wrote two other works at the request of his fellow-bishops, in response to reproaches of insubordi- nation (" Liber contra Mocianum Scholasticum" and "Epistola Fidei Catholicre in defensione trimn capitu- lorum"). The works of Facundus are in P. L., LXVII, 527-878; see Hefele, "History of the Church Councils", tr., IV, 229-286.

Leclehcq, L'Afrique Chretienne (Paris, 1904). II, 203; Bar- DENHEWER, Patrology, tr. Sh\h.\.v (Freiburg ini Br.; St. Louis. 1908), 638; Dobroklonskji. The Work of Facundua, bishop of Hermiane- Pro defensione trium capitulorum, Russian (Moscow, 1880); D.\\nDs in Diet, of Christ. Bioa.,s. v.

Patrick J. Healy.

Faenza, Diocese of (Faventina), in the province of Ravenna (Central Italy), suffragan of Ravenna. The earliest mention of this city is in the report of the victory of Sulla (82 B. c.) over the consul Cneius Papirius Carbo, who was compelled to flee from Italy. In A. D. 72S it was seized by the Lombard king, Liut- prand, who later restored it to the exarchate. But the same king again attacked it, while the people were assembled in the church of Santa Maria Foris Portam for the services of Holy Saturday; the bishop him- self was among the slain. With the exarchate Fa- enza passed under the authority of the Holy See. About 1000 it was made a commune and from 1100 was governed by the counts of Modigliana. During the struggle of Frederick II against the popes, the city belonged to the Guelph league; in 1241 the emperor took possession of it after a siege of eight months. During the thirteenth century different families, the Accarisi, the Manfredi, the Lambertazzi, the \or- digli, and others, disputed the possession of Faenza. From 1294 it was governed by the Manfredi. Several times the .\vignon popes had to summon these lords to render service as vassals, as in 1.328 throvigh Car- dinal Bertrando Poggetto and in 1356 through Car- dinal Gil d'Albornoz. In 1378 the city was de- stroyed by the famous English condntiiere. Sir John Hawkwood. In 1501 Ca-sar Borgia put to death the Manfredi brothers, Astorgio and Giovanni Evangel-

ista. On the death of Caesar Borgia, Francesco Man- fredi, a brother of Astorgio and Evangelista, at- tempted to return to Faenza, but was compelled to flee by the \'enetians. In 1509 Julius II brought the city under the direct rule of the Holy See. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries Faenza was renowned for its pottery (whence the French faience). The celebrated physicist, Torricelli, was a native of Faenza. Domitia Lucilla, a martyr, the widow of .\ntoninus Pius, is also said to have been born there. The first historically certain bishop is Constantius, present at a comicil in Rome (313), at

The Cathedral, Faenza

which St. Savinus was referred to as his predecessor. Another Constantius was a contemporary of St. Am- brose. Also noteworthy are: Giovanni II, who died in 1190, as a crusader before Acre; the two distin- guished theologians, Giovanni del Terma (1455), a Servite, and Pietro Andrea Gambario (1528); Ri- dolfo Pio of the princes of Carpi (1528), a patron of scholars and himself a learned archaeologist; Gio- vanni Antonio de' Grassi (1568), a profound student of Cicero and of Plato's philosophy. A large part of the cathedral was built by Giuliano da Maiano between 1474 and 1486; Bramante also worked there. The body of St. Peter Damian is buried in the cathedral. Faenza has (1908) 114 parishes, 347 secular and 13 regular priests, 103,962 inhabitants, 2 male and 6 female educational institutions, 6 religious houses of men and 7 of women, and a weekly Catholic paper. Capi'ellktti, Le Chiese d' Italia (Venice, 1844), II; Righi, Annali delln ciflit di Faenza (Faenza, 1840-41); Mittarelli, Rcrum favcntinarum Scriptores (Venice, 1771).

U. Benigni.

Fagnani, Prospero, canonist, b. in Italy, place and date of birth uncertain ; d. in 1678. Some writers place hisbirthin 1.598, others in 1587 orin 1588. Itis certain that he sttuiied at Perugia. At the age of twenty he was a doctor of civil and canon law; at twenty-two, secretary of the Congregation of the Council. He held this office for fifteen years. He fulfilled the same functions in several other Roman Congregations. It is not certain that he ever lectured on canon law at the Roman University (Sapienza). He became blind at the age of forty-four. This affliction did not prevent him from devoting himself to canonical studies and from writing a commentary on the Decretals of Greg- ory IX, which gained for him the title of "Doctor Ckcus Oculati.ssimus", i. e. the blind yet most far- sighted doctor. This commentary includes interpre- tation.sof the texts of the most diflicult of the Decretals of Gregory IX. It is distinguished by the clearness with which the most complex and disputed questions of canon law are explained. Tlie work is also of great value for the purpose of ascertaining the prac-