Pacificus of Ceredano

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Pacificus of Ceredano (Cerano) (born 1420 at Cerano, in the diocese of Novara in Lombardy, supposedly of the Ramati family; died 4 June 1482) (also known as Pacificus of Novara, or Novariensis) was an Italian Franciscan preacher.

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[edit] Life

He entered the Franciscan Order of Observants at Novara in 1445. After his ordination, he was employed in preaching, in which field the Italian Observants of that time were especially prominent. Pacificus also had a share in the preaching of the crusade against the Turks undertaken by his order.

The general chapter of the Observants, held in Ferrara, 15 May, 1481, sent him as commissioner to Sardinia to administer and inspect the Franciscan monasteries in that country, where he died. According to his wish, his body was brought to Cerano and buried in the church attached to the Franciscan monastery. His head was given to the parish church of that place.

He was at once honoured as a saint, and, in 1745, Pope Benedict XIV approved his veneration for the Franciscan Order and the diocese of Novara. His feast is celebrated on 5 June.

[edit] Works

Pacificus is known as the author of a dissertation, written in Italian and named after him the Summa Pacifica, which treats of the proper method of hearing confessions. It was first printed at Milan in 1479 under the title: "Somma Pacifica o sia Trattato della Scienza di confessare" (Hain, "Repert. typogr.", n. 12259; Copinger, "A Supplement to Hain", n. 12259; II, 4573-5). The work was also published in Latin at Venice (1501 and 1513).

[edit] References

  • Luke Wadding, Annales Ord. Min., XIV (Rome, 1735), 165, 266, 326; (1650), 271; (1806, 184; (1906), 181;
  • Sbaralea, Supplem. ad Script. O. M. (Rome, 1806), 571;
  • (Anonymous) Vita del B. Pacifico da Cerano (Novara, 1878);
  • Basilio da Neirone, Sul. b. Pacifico da Cerano (Genoa, 1882);
  • Cazzola, Il b. Pacifico Ramati (Novara, 1882);
  • Acta Sanctorum, Jun., I, 802-3 (2nd ed., 789-90);
  • Jeiler in Kirchenlexikon, s.v.

[edit] External links

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.