Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/77

 GUARDA

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GUARDIAN

toHc Legation" in Sicily, for eight centuries an apple of discord between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Sicily (Sentis, " La Monarchia Sicula", Freiburg im Br., 1864), and the endowment granted the pope, were truly but slight compensation for all that had been taken from him. Consequently neither Pius IX nor his two successors have ever touched the aforesaid annual endowment, preferring to depend on the offer- ings of the faithful throughout the Catholic world. It may be added that the endowment was not sufficient to meet the needs of the Church, nor with their multi- plication could it be increased.

A few years ago the question arose as to whether this untouched endowment would be confiscated by the Italian treasury at the end of every five years, as is usual with other public debts of the Kingdom of Italy. The "Civilta Cattolica" maintained that it could not be confiscated, but the Italian courts long ago decided differently, when they rejected the claims of the heirs of Pius IX on the ground that as he had not accepted the endowment he had never come into possession of it. What need then of confiscating it? Pius IX ex- pressly rejected this income, 13 November, 1872.

There is occasional controversy between writers on international law and on Italian ecclesiastical legisla- tion over various matters connected with this law: whether in the eyes of the Italian government the pope is a sovereign, whether he enjoys the privilege of extra- territoriality (not expressly recognized to him, though granted to foreign embassies to the Holy See), etc. As far as the Holy See is concerned these controversies have no meaning; it has never ceased to maintain its sovereign rights.

GioBBlo, Lczioiii di diplomazia ecclesiastica (Rome, 1S99), I, passim; Cabtellari, La Santa Sede (Milan, 190.3), I. 108 sqq.; II. 488-608; Geffcken, Die volkerrechtHche Stellung des Papst- lums (Rome, 1887), 172; Gazetta Ufficiale. series II, no. 214; Ada Pii IX (Rome, s. d.). pt. I, vol. V, 286 sqq., 306 sqq., 352 sqq.; Acta Sanctm Sedis (Rome, 1870-1871), VI.

U. Benigni.

Guarda, Diocese of (Egitanien.sis), Province of Beira, Portugal. Near the episcopal city are the ruins of Idanha, the ancient Civitas ^giditanorum, whose ecclesiastical rank it inherited in 1199, under Sancho I, since when the see is known officially as Egiditana or Egitaniensis. Many Roman ruins in the vicinity at- test the existence of a city called Ig;edi in the Roman period. This see, probably founded by Theudomir, King of the Suevi, is first mentioned in 572, date of the Second Council of Braga, at which Adoricus, the contemporary occupant, assisted. His successors were Commundus, Licerius, Montensis, Armenius, and Sclua, suffragans of Braga. After 6(3G the see was suf- fragan to M(5rida, and continued so imtil 715, when -Egidi was destroyed by the Moors. On the re-estab- lishment of the see at Guarda a controversy arose be- tween the Archbishops of Braga and of Compostela (the latter being administrator of Morida) ; the deci- sion of Innocent III (1198-1216) was in favour of Compostela. In 1490 Guarda passed to the jurisdic- tion of Lisbon, and in 1549 surrendered part of its territory to form the Diocese of Portalegre. Among its noteworthy bishops were Sclua, who assisted at the Council of M6rida in 666; Vasco Martins de Alvelha, who, at the Council of Salamanca (1.'510) urged the absolution of the Templars of Castile, and the celebra- tion "with solemnity" (solemniler) of the feast of the Immaculate Conception on the eighth day of Decem- ber every year; Pedro Vaz Gaviao, who successfully completed the sumptuous cathedral of Guarda (Santa Maria) ; Nunho de Noronha (1596-1608), who founded the seminary; and several princes or infantes of the reigning house of Portugal.

Florez. Espafia Saprada (Madrid. 1786), XIV, 142-58; Gams, Series episcoporum (1873). 100-02. and SvppUm. (1879). 31; Ht'BNER. Inxcriptiimes Hispaniw latinr^ (Berlin. 1871), nn. 43.5-60, 5130; Fita, Actns ineditas de siete concilios espanoles (MLdrid, 1881). 72-74; Eubel, Hierarchia cathoHca medii a:vi (Munich, 1901), I, 244; II, 165. p YlTA.

VIL— 4

Guardi, Francesco, Venetian painter; b. at Venice. 1712; d. in the same city, 1793. He was a pupil of Canaletto, and in style a close follower of his master. Of his life practically nothing is known, save that be is believed to have always lived in Venice, and to have painted scenes confined to that city and its neighbour- hood. He painted with extraordinary facility, three or four days being enough for producing an entire work, with the result that, although his pictures are rich and forcible in colouring, and accurate in general effect, they are far behind those of Canaletto in the accuracy of their details, and are less solid and firm, and less well grounded, than the paintings of his mas- ter. They are noted, however, for their spirited touch and sparkling colour. Examples are to be found in almost every European gallery, notably in Paris, Ber- li:., Modena, Brussels, Venice, and Verona, and his smaller works are in great demand in the houses of the wealthier collectors of choice pictures. A sketch- book by Guardi was sold in London two or three years ago for a very high price, and it contained, amongst other drawings, the original sketches for the views of Venice in the Bridgewater House collection. The artist is said to have been responsible for nearly a thousand pictures. Berenson speaks of him as " an- ticipating both the Romantic and the Impressionist painters of our own country", and again refers to his " eye for the picturesque, and his remarkable instan- taneous effects".

Zanetti, Delta Pittura Veneziana (Venice, 1771); Berenson, The Venetian Painters of the Renaissance (London, 1894).

George Charles Willi.imsgn.

Guardian Angel. — That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith ; but it is the "mind of the Church", as St. Jerome expressed it: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it". (Comm. in Matt., xviii, lib. II). This belief in guard- ian angels can be traced throughout all antifiuity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., "Pnrp. Evang. ", xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plo- tinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylon- ians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Miiseum once decorated an Assyrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, sa)'s: " He (Mar- duk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everj'thing that I did, he made my work to succeed." In the Bible this doctrine is clearly dis- cernible and its development is well marked. In Gen., xviii-xix, angels not only act as the executors of God's wrath against the cities of the plain, but they deliver Lot from danger; in E.x.. xii-xiii, an angel is the appointed leader of the host of Israel, and in xxxii, 34, God says to Moses: "my angel shall go before thee."

At a much later period we have the story of Tobias, which might serve as a commentary on the words of Ps., xc, 11:" For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways." (Cf. Ps., x.xxiii, 8; and .xxxiv, 5.) Lastly, in Dan., x, angels are en- trusted with the care of particular districts; one is called " prince of the kingdom of the Persians", and Michael is termed "one of the chief princes"; cf. Deut., xxxii, 8 (Sept.); and Ecclus., xvii, 17 (Sept.).

This sums up the Old Testament doctrine on the point; it is clear that the Old Testament conceived of God's angels as His ministers who carried out His be- hests, and who were at times given special commis- sions, regarding men and mundane affairs. There is no special teaching; the doctrine is rather taken for granted than expressly laid down; cf. II Mach., iii, 25; X, 29; xi, 6; xv, 23. But in the New Testament the doctrine is stated with greater precision. Angels are everywhere the intermediaries between God and man;