Guglielmo Audisio

Guglielmo Audisio (born at Bra, Piedmont, Italy, 1801; died in Rome, 27 September1882) was an Italian Catholic priest and writer.

Life

He was professor of sacred eloquence in the episcopal seminary of Bra, appointed presiding officer of the Academy of Superga (Turin) by King Charles Albert, but was expelled from this office because he was opposed to the Piedmontese Government. He then went to Rome, where Pope Pius IX appointed him professor of natural and popular rights in the Roman University, and Canon of the Vatican Basilica.

He was a fervent upholder of papal and Catholic rights in Piedmont. He was one of the founders of the Catholic intransigent paper, the "Armonia" of Turin. It was for this reason that he fell a victim to the anti-clerical influence which had deprived him of his post at Superga.

In Rome Audisio joined the liberal reformist Italian ecclesiastics, such as Monsignor Liverani, who advocated concessions. At the time of the First Vatican Council he was accused of Gallicanism, to the grief of his patron Pius IX, and his work on political and religious society in the nineteenth century was condemned by the Church. Audisio submitted to the condemnation of his book, but he warmly protested against the accusation of heterodoxy and disobedience.

Works

His manual on sacred eloquence was translated into many languages. He also devoted himself to historical studies, especially in illustration of the papacy.

The works of Audisio are:

*"Lezioni di Eloquenza Sacra" (several editions);
*"Juris Naturae et Gentium Publici Fundamenta" (Rome 1852);
*"Idea storica della diplomazia ecclesiastica (Rome, 1864);
*"Storia religiosa e civile dei papi" (5 vols., Rome, 1860);
*"Sistema politica e religiosa di Federico II e di Pietro della Vigna" (1866);
*"Della società politica e religiosa rispetto al secolo XIX" (Florence, 1876, condemned by decree of the Holy Office, April 1877;
*"Vita di Pio IX."

References

*"Nuova Encyclopedia Italiana" (Suppl., I, 1889);
*"Voce della Verita" (Rome, 29 September, 1882).

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02070b.htm "Catholic Encyclopedia" article]