Jump to content

Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/575

From Wikisource
This page needs to be proofread.

PASSERAT


521


PASSIONISTS


BuceiNGER. Geschichte des Furslenlums Passau (Munich, 1816- 24) ; SchOller, Geschichte dcr Bischo/e von Passau (Passau, 1844) ; Eruard, Geschichte der Stadt Passau (Passau, 1862, 1864) (the bishops especially are treated ia the first volume) ; Schrodl, Pas- Bavia sacra: Geschichte des Bistums Passau bis zur Sdkularisation des Furstentums Passau (Passau, 1879); Rottmayer. Statistische Beschreibung des Bistums Passau (Passau, 1S67) ; Rohm, Das his- torische Alter der Diazese Passau (Passau. 1880) ; Die bischoflichcn Seminarien der Diozese Passau (1S93) ; Heinwieser, Die rechtliche Stellung der Stadt Passau bis zur Stadthcrrschaft der Bischofc (Pas- sau, mO); Schematismus fllr das Jahr 1010 (Passau. 1910); Vcr- handlungen des Histarischen Vereins fur Nicderbayern (Landshut, 1846 — ). The traditioDS of the diocese are treated in Bitterauf, Necrologia von Fastlinger, On the Peace of Passau, KuHNS, Geschichte des Passauer Vertrags (Giessen, 1907) and Bonwetsch, Geschichte des Passauischen Vertrags von 1562 ((jlottingen. 1907).

Joseph Lins.

Passerat, Venerable Joseph, b. .30 April, 1772, at Joinvillc, France; d. 30 October, 1S5S. The diffi- culties he had to surmount in following his vocation to the priesthood were great. He was driven from the seminary, imprisoned, and forced to serve in the army from 1788 to 1792. Owing to his lofty stature he was made drum-major, and later quarter-master. At the first opportunity he left the service and en- tered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Warsaw. Bl. Clement M. Hotbauer (q. v.) trained him for the religious life and priesthood, and he in turn trained new-comers. Later with great difficulty owing to the circumstances of the times he established houses outside of Poland. After the death of Bl. Clement, Venerable Passerat succeeded him as vicar-general over all the transalpine commu- nities. While thus engaged (1820-48) he founded houses in the United States, in Bavaria, Prussia, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Portugal, Holland, and England. IDifficulties were many in the United States, and in Europe the danger of suppression was imminent, but never wavering, he communicated his confidence in God to his subjects. He used to say: "Console yourselves, we are seed, be it that we are reduced to ten, these like grains of corn reduced to dust under the earth will one day give a rich harvest". The growth of the congregation verified his prediction. He governed his numerous family with zeal, wisdom, and tenderness. When the revolution decreed the destruction of the Re- demptorists, he said to his subjects: "Fear not: stand courageously. Let it not be said of us that we have failed to meet martyrdom, but that martyrdom has failed to meet us". On 6 April, 1848, he was driven out of Vienna with his community without the bare necessaries of life. After much hardship he reached Belgium. Worn out with old age and la- bour he resigned his office and became director of the Redemptoristines at Bruges. The ordinary process for his beatification was begun at Tournai in 1892, and the introduction of the cause of this venerable servant of God was approved by Leo XIII on 13 May, 1901. The ApostoUc Process is already com- pleted.

Desurmont, Joseph Passerat et sous sa conduite Les Redemp- loristes pendant les guerres de V Empire (Montreuit-sur-Mer, 1893) : GiROUlLLE. Vn grand serriteur de Dieu, Le Rev. Pkre Joseph Passerat (Montreuil-sur-Mer, 1893). See Redemptoristines; Clement Mart Hofbauer, Blessed.

J. Magnier.

Passignano, Domenico (known as II Cresti, or II Passignano, Cresti being his family name), Venetian painter, b. at Passignano, near F'lorence, in 15,58; d. at Florence, 1638. Although a Florentine by birth, he belongs to the Venetian s<-hool. He appears to have lived for a while at Florence, and afterwards at Pisa, but going to Venice, he accepted the \'enetian tradi- tions which he followed through the rest of his career. Personally, he was a man of charming manners, de- lightful in conversation. Pope Clement VIII knighted him and gave him many commissions, and Turban \'III added to his honours and emoluments. He returned to Florence, where he was greatly beloved and re- garded as the chief member of its Academy, although


recognized by all his companions as Venetian in style and out of sympathy with the Florentine methods. He painted with extraordinary facility, and so rapidly as to be nicknamed Passu Ognuno. This name has been regarded as a sort of play upon the name of his birth- place, and one author asserts that the name Passig- nano was derived from it; but there appears to be no authority for this. According to the custom of the time, the artist would derive his familiar cognomen from his birthplace.

Passignano's drawing was not particularly correct, but his ideas of composition were ingenious and clever. He regarded Tintoretto's work with very high favour, and many of his own paintings closely resem- ble those of the great master. But his desire to paint rapidly caused him to use his colours so thinly that many of his important works have for this very reason perished. He was responsible for the street decora- tions in Florence on the occasion of the marriage of the Grand Duke Ferdinand I with Christina of Lor- raine, and the frescoes of the church of San Andrea at Rome were very largely his work. His own portrait is in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence, and the same city contains several of his best works. He is also to be studied in Paris, London, and Vienna.

Vasari (various editions) ; L.\nzi, Storia Pillorica (Bassano,

1809)- George Charles Williamson.

Passing Bell. See Bells.

Passio (Passionale, Passion arium) . See Leg- ends OP THE Saints; Martyrs, Acts op the.

Passionei, Domenico, cardinal, theologian, b. at Fossombrone, 2 Dec, 1682; d. 5 July, 1761. Educated in the Clementine College at Rome, later he joined the household of his brother Guido, afterwards secre- tary of the Sacred College, devoting himself to higher studies at the Sapienza. He was soon made a prelate and in 1706 was sent to Paris to present the nuncio with the red hat, but he there acquired the Jansen- istic tendencies which he never entirely eradicated. In 1708 he was sent on a confidential mission to The Hague; in 1712 he was present at L'trecht as official representative of the Holy See and successfully main- tained the cause of Ruiswych concerning religion. His efforts were less successful at Baden (1714) and at Turin. He was later sent to Malta as inquisitor (1717-19); he became Secretary of Propaganda, Sec- retary of Latin Letters, and in 1721 nuncio in Swit- zerland, where he wrote "Acta Apostolicae Lega- tionis Helvetia; 1723-29" (Zurich, 1729; Rome, 1738). He blessed the marriage of Maria Theresa and was instrumental in converting Friedrich Lud- wig. Prince of Wiirtemberg. Later on he was hostile to Austria.

After his return to Rome he became secretary of briefs and cardinal of the title of S. Bernardo. In 1755 he succeeded Quirini as librarian of the Holy Roman Church. Although a member of the Acad- emy of Berlin, he pubhshed little. But he carried on a learned correspondence with the most distinguished literati. He protected the Jansenists and encouraged them to pubhsh Arnauld's works. His library of 32,000 volumes was open to all; it was acquired by the Augustinians. His character was impetuous and haughty, especially towards the Romans. He was compelled to confirm the decree prohibiting the "Exposition de la doctrine chretienne" of Masenguy, his protege, but this so afflicted him as to hasten his death.

Galletti. Memnrie per servire nlln storia del card. Dom. Pas- sionei (Rome, 1762); Gofjet. Elogc hi.-!t. du card. Passionei (The HaRue. 1763): letters in Outrages posthumes de Mabillon (Paris, 1724); Norn acta historico-ecdesiastica, IX (Weimar. 1769).

U. Benigni.

Passionists.— The full title of the Passionist in- stitute is: The Congregation of Discalced Clerks OF the Most Holy Cross and Passion of Our Lord Jes0s Christ.