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 ISCHIA

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ISIDORE

Ischia, Diocese of (Isclana), suffragan to Naples, has for its territory the island of Ischia, in the Mediter- ranean Sea, which, geologically, forms a continuation of the volcanic district of Naples. Monte Epomeo, the highest point of the island (about 2570 feet), has been an extinct crater since 1302. The island has fre- quently been visited by earthquakes ; one of the most disastrous was that of Casamicciola, a small village, in 1883. The island is very fertile and rich in mineral springs, which, owing to the pleasant situation and mild climate, attract many visitors. The two most important hot springs are Fontana d'Ischia and Formello. The capital of the island is Ischia, situated on a rock of basalt, crowned by a castle, which to-day serves as a prison. It was called Pith- ecusae by the Greeks and jEnaria by the Romans. It was colonized by the Eubffians. In 47-1 b. c. it was taken by Hiero I, King of Syracuse, and in 326 by the Romans. The Emperor Augustus gave it to Naples, in exchange for Capri. In the Middle Ages it was often devastated (in 813 by the Saracens; in 1135 by the Pisans). In 1496 it was a refuge for Ferdinand II of Naples, fleeing before Charles VIII of France. In 1807 it was occupied by the British and Sicilians, and was used as a point of defence against the French. In 1179 the first Bishop of Ischia was appointed, Pietro, present at the Third Lateran Council. Other bishops were Fra Bartolomeo Borsolari (1359), an Augus- tinian, brother of Blessed Giacomo Borsolari, the Dominican, who is buried in the church of S. Dome- nico; the learned Spanish Cistercian, Michele Cosal (1453); Girolamo Rocca (1672), who restored the cathedral and bishop's residence; Michele Cotignola (1692), who also embellished the cathedral. Ischia has 14 parishes with 32,000 souls.

Cappelletti, Le Chicse d' Italia, XIX (Venice, 1857) ; GlNOC- CHi, Ischia (Rome, 1SS4).

U. Benigni.

Isernia and Venafro, Diocese of. — Isernia is a city in the province of Campobasso in Molise (South- ern Italy), situated on an eminence between Monte Matese and Monte Azzo, in a fertile region not far from Volturno. In the Middle Ages it was noted for the manufacture of parchment, which is carried on there even to-day. It was anciently called iEsernia, and was one of the principal cities of the Samnites. In 295 B. c. it was conquered by the Romans. In the Punic Wars, and, later, in the Social War, it was faith- ful to the Romans, though in 90 B. c. it was compelled to surrender, after a long resistance, to Vettius Cato, the general of the Samnites. As it was falling into decay, Caesar Augustus and Nero sent colonies there. Of ancient monuments there are a Roman bridge, the remains (if an a< |\ifi luct, and especially the lower part of the high walls, funned of massive polygonal blocks, a pre-Roman work. After the Lombartlic invasion it was the seat of a countship, founded by the Duke of Benevento. It was destroyed by the Saracens in the ninth century, and in 1199 was sacked by Marcol- valdo, the vicar of the deceased Henry VI. In 1805 it was visited by a severe earthquake, which ruined the ancient cathedral. A very distinguished native of Isernia was the jurisconsult, Andrea d' Isernia (Ram- pini), professor at the University of Naples (1230- 1316); St. Peter Celestine also was of Isernia. Ac- cording to tradition the Faith was preached at Isernia by St. Photinus, a disciple of St. Peter. More trust- worthy is the account of the martyrdom of Sts. Nican- drus and Marcianus, under Diocletian. The epoch of the saintly Bishop Benedict is doubtful, though the existence of the episcopal see in the fifth century is certain.

In 1032 the Diocese of Venafro (formerly the seat of Roman country residences), which had its own bishops from the fifth century, was united to Isernia, and in 1230 it was again separated. Pius VII united

the two Churches in 1818. The united dioceses are suffragans of Capua, have 39 pari.shes, with 58,000 souls, 1 Capuchin convent, 2 religious houses of women, and 1 educational institution for boys. Cappelletti, Lc Chicse cf Italia, XX (Venice, 1857).

U. Benigni. Ishmael. See Ismael. Isidore of KiefE. See I.sidore of Thessalonica.

Isidore of Pelusium, Saint, born at Alexandria in the latter half of the fourth century; d. not later than 449-50. He is occasionally designated through mistake as Isidore of Dainietta. Leaving his family and possessions, Isidore retired to a mountain near the city of Pelusium, the name of which was henceforth connected with his own, and embraced the religious life in the monastery of Lychnos, where he soon be- came remarkable for his exactitude in the observance of the rule and for his austerities. A passage in liis voluminous correspondence affords reason to believe that he held the office of abbot. He is spoken of as a priest by Facundus and Suidas, although neither of these writers informs us concerning the church to which he belonged; it may be that he had no clerical charge, but was only a priest of the monastery. His correspondence gives us an idea of his activity. It shows him fighting against unworthy clerics whose elevation to the priesthood and diaconate was a serious peril and scandal to the faithful. He com- plains that many laymen were ceasing to approach the sacraments so as to avoid contact with these dis- creditable men. His veneration for St. John Chrys- ostom led him to induce St. Cyril of Alexandria to render full justice to the memory of the great doctor. He opposed the Nestorians, and during the conflict which arose at the end of the Council of Ephesus between St. Cyril and John of Antioch, he Ijelieved there was too much obstinacy on St. Cyril's side. He therefore wrote to the latter in urgent terms implor- ing him, as his father and as his son, to put an end to this division and not to make a private grievance the pretext for an eternal rupture. St. Isidore was still alive when the heresy of Eutyches began to spread in Egypt; many of his letters depict him as opposing the assertion of only one nature in Jesus Christ. It seems as though his life was scarcely prolonged be- yond the year 449, because there is no mention in his letters of the Robber Council of Ephesus (August, 449) nor of the Council of Chalcedon (451).

According to Evagrius, St. Isidore was the author of a great number of writings, but this historian tells us nothing further, save that one of these was ad- dressed to Cyril, even leaving us ignorant whether this person was the celebrated Bishop of Alexandria or a namesake. Isidore himself tells incidentally that he composed a treatise "Adversus Gentiles", but it has been lost. Another work "De Fato", which, the author tells us, met with a certain degree of success, has also been lost. The only extant works of St. Isidore are a considerable correspondence, com- prising more than 2000 letters. Even this number appears to fall far short of the amount actually writ- ten, since Nicephorus speaks of 10,000. Of these we possess 2182, divided into five books which cuntain respectively 590, .380, 413, 230, and 509 letters. These letters of St. Isidore may be divided into three cla.sses according to the subjects treated: those deal- ing with dogma and Scripture, with ecclesiastical and monastic discipline, and with practical morality for the guidance of laymen of all classes and conditions. Many of these letters, as is natural, have but a sec- ondary importance, many are mere notes. In this article attention can be drawn only to the principal ones. Among these is the letter to Theologius against the Nestorians, in which Isidore points out that there is this difference between the mother of the gods in