Catharinus, Ambrosius

CATHARINUS, AMBROSIUS: The monastic name of Lancelotto Politi, Dominican, bishop of Minori and archbishop of Conza; b. in Sienna 1487; d. in Naples Nov. 8, 1553. In 1517 he entered in Florence the monastery of Savonarola, against whom he wrote a polemic treatise in 1548. Eager in opposing every form of heresy, he appeared against Luther in 1520 with an Apologia pro veritate catholicæ ac apostolicæ fidei. Luther replied in 1521 (Ad librum A. Catharini responsio), and Catharinus answered. Then he went to France, and wrote in Paris against a member of his own order, Cardinal Cajetan, Annotationes in commentaria Cajetani. After returning to his country he wrote against his fellow townsman Bernardino Ochino, who in the mean while had fled from Italy to live according to his own belief (see Ochino, Bernardino). A little later Catharinus issued two treatises against Italian Protestant works; viz., Trattato utilissimo del benefizio di Gesu Cristo crocifisso and Sommario della Sacra Scrittura. The polemic theologian was present at the Council of Trent. He arrived in 1545 with the legate Del Monte and made a speech at the third session. As a reward for his services Paul III. made him bishop of Minori in 1546. Julius III. made him archbishop of Conza in 1552, and was on the point of naming him cardinal when Catharinus died. The earliest of the works of Catharinus are collected in his Opuscula (Leyden, 1542), but there is no complete edition.

K. Benrath.

Bibliography: The life and writings of Catharinus are discussed in: J. Quétif and J. Échard, Script. ordinis prædicatorum, ii. 144 sqq., 332, 885; K. Werner, Geschichte der apologetischen und polemischen Literatur, vol. iv. passim, Schaffhausen, 1865; F. H. Beuech, Der Index der verbotenen Bücher, vol. i. passim, Bonn, 1883.