Maassen, Friedrich Bernard Christian Professor of law (1823-1900)

Polyglot Bibles - The first Bible which may be considered a Polyglot is that edited at Alcala, Spain, in 1502-17 . . .

Polystylum - Titular see of Macedonia Secunda, suffragan of Philippi.

Polytheism - The belief in, and consequent worship of, many gods.

Pomaria - Titular see in Mauretania Caesarea.

Pombal, Marquis de - Portuguese prime minister (1699-1782)

Pomerania - Prussian province on the Baltic Sea situated on both banks of the River Oder

Pompeiopolis - Titular see in Paphlagonia.

Pomponazzi, Pietro - Short article on the philosopher, by U. Benigni

Ponce, John - Irish philosopher and theologian (1603-1670)

Ponce de León, Juan - Concise biographical article on the explorer

Poncet, Joseph Anthony de la Rivière - French missionary (1610-1675)

Pondicherry - Archdiocese located in India

Pontefract Priory - Cluniac monastery founded about 1090 in England

Pontian, Pope Saint - He was exiled to the Sardinian mines in 235 and died there of privation

Pontifical Colleges - Institutions of higher learning placed under the Holy See

Pontifical Decorations - The titles of nobility, orders of Christian knighthood and other marks of honour and distinction which the papal court confers upon men of unblemished character who have in any way promoted the interests of society, the Church, and the Holy See

Pontifical Mass - The solemn Mass celebrated by a bishop with the ceremonies prescribed in the 'Caeremoniale Episcoporum'

Pontificale - A liturgical book which contains the rites for the performance of certain episcopal functions

Pontificalia - Episcopal insignia which are rightfully worn by bishops alone

Pontigny, Abbey of - Second daughter of Citeaux in the Diocese of Sens

Pontius Carbonell - Spanish Franciscan (d. 1320)

Pontius Pilate - Fifth procurator of Judea (A.D. 26-36) who ordered the crucifixion of Our Lord

Pontus - The ancient name of the northeastern province of Asia Minor, a long and narrow strip of land in the Black Sea, from which the designation was later transferred to the country.

Pools in Scripture - In the English Bibles, the word 'pool' stands for three Hebrew words . . .

Poona - Diocese in India

Poor, Care of, by the Church - The care of the poor is a branch of charity, which is the exercise of mercy toward one's fellowman rooted in the love of God

Poor, Little Sisters of the - An active, unenclosed religious congregation founded 1839 in Brittany

Poor Brothers of St. Francis Seraphicus - Congregation of lay brothers of the Third Order of St. Francis

Poor Catholics - A religious mendicant order, organized in 1208, to reunite the Waldenses with the Church and combat heresies such as Albigensianism

Poor Child Jesus, Sisters of the - A congregation founded at Aachen in 1844 for the support and education of poor, orphan, and destitute children

Poor Clares - The second order of St. Francis

Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ - Religious community founded by Catherine Kasper

Poor, Sisters of the, of St. Francis - A congregation founded by Mother Frances Schervier at Aachen in the year 1845

Poor Handmaids of the Mother of God - Religious congregation founded in 1808 by Mother Mary Magdalen Taylor in conjunction with Lady Georgiana Fullerton

Poor Laws - Those legal enactments which have been made at various periods of the world's history in many countries for the relief of various forms of distress and sickness prevailing amongst the destitute.

Popayán - Archdiocese established by Pope Paul III in 1547

Pope, The - The bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter, chief of the whole Church, and the Vicar of Christ on earth

Popes, Chronological Lists of the - The historical lists of popes, from those drawn up in the second century to those of the present day, form in themselves a considerable body of literature . . .

Popes, Election of the - The pope becomes chief pastor because he is the Bishop of Rome; he does not become Bishop of Rome because he has been chosen to be head of the universal Church . . .

Popes, List of - In chronological order. Links to a biographical essay on each. For popes up through Pope St. Pius X (d. 1914), entries are taken from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia. Information on later popes is taken from Joseph Brusher's 'Popes Through the Ages.'

Pope, Alexander - English poet, son of Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

Poppo, Saint - Cluniac Benedictine abbot and reformer. Died in 1048

Popular Devotions - Brief explanation of the spiritual practices collectively called 'devotions' or 'popular devotions.'

Population, Theories of - Down to the end of the eighteenth century, very little attention was given to the relation between increase of population and increase of subsistence. . .

Porch (or Vestibule, in Architecture) - A hall projecting in front of the façade of a church, found from the fifth century both in the East and the West

Pordenone, Giovanni Antonio - Italian painter (1483-1539)

Pordenone, Ordric of - Franciscan missionary (1286-1331)

Pormort, Ven. Thomas - English priest twice imprisoned. The second time he was tortured, and finally martyred in 1592

Porphyreon - Titular see, suffragan of Tyre in Phoenicia Prima.

Porphyrius, Saint - Bishop of Gaza, died in 420

Porrecta, Serafino - Italian theologian (1536-1614)

Porta, Carlo - Milanese poet (1775-1821)

Porta, Giacomo della - Architect and sculptor (1541-1604)

Portalegre - Suffragan diocese of Lisbon, Portugal, established by Pope Julius III in 1550

Port Augusta - Diocese in southern Australia

Port-au-Prince - Archdiocese and city in Haiti

Porter, George - Archbishop of Bombay (1825-1889)

Portable Altar - Consists of a solid piece of natural stone which must be sufficiently hard to resist every fracture

Porter - A minor order also called "doorkeeper"

Portiuncula - A town and parish near Assisi, Italy

Portland - Diocese in Maine; suffragan of Boston

Port Louis - Diocese in the Indian Ocean

Porto Alegre - Archdiocese in eastern Brazil

Porto Alegre - Diocese and city in Brazil

Porto and Santa-Rufina - United diocese in Italy

Port of Spain - Archdiocese and town in Trinidad

Porto Rico - More properly spelled 'Puerto Rico'; the smallest and most easterly of the Greater Antilles

Portoviejo - Diocese near Quito in Ecuador

Portraits of the Apostles - The earliest fresco representing Christ surrounded by the Apostles dates from the beginning of the fourth century. . .

Port-Royal - A celebrated Benedictine abbey which profoundly influenced the religious and literary life of France during the seventeenth century.

Portsmouth - Diocese in England, created in 1882

Portugal - A country on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula

Portuguese Literature - The Portuguese language was developed gradually from the 'lingua rustica' spoken in the countries which formed part of the Roman Empire . . .

Portuguese East Africa - Portuguese activity on that coast began in 1505 with the foundation of the Captaincy of Sofala, and in 1558 a fortress was built at Mozambique . . .

Portuguese West Africa - The name usually given to the Province of Angola.

Port Victoria - Diocese in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean

Positivism - A system of philosophical and religious doctrines elaborated by Auguste Comte.

Possenti, Blessed Gabriel - Passionist student, d. 1862

Possession, Demonical - The control of a man's body -- though never his soul -- from within by evil spirits

Possevinus, Antonius - Theologian and papal envoy (1533-1611)

Possidius, Saint - Bishop of Calama, was a friend of St. Augustine for 40 years

Postcommunion - The final prayers of thanksgiving and petition at the end of every Mass

Postgate, Nicholas - Brief profile of the English priest and martyr, who died at York in 1679

Postulant - A preliminary stage to the novitiate existing from the institution of monasticism.

Postulation - A petition presented to a competent ecclesiastical superior, that he may promote to a certain dignity a person who is not strictly eligible on account of some canonical impediment

Potawatomi Indians - An important tribe of Algonquin linguistic stock

Pothier, Robert Joseph - French lawyer (1699-1772)

Pouget, Jean-François-Albert du - French anthropologist (1817-1904)

Pounde, Thomas - English lay brother (1538-1612)

Poussin, Nicolas - An article about the artist, with bibliography

Poverty - Discusses poverty as a concept and canonical discipline

Poverty and Pauperism - Persons whose existence is dependent for any considerable period upon charitable assistance, whether this assistance be public or private.

Powel, Philip - Short biography of the Benedictine priest and martyr. He was executed at Tyburn in 1646

Powell, Blessed Edward - Biography of the Welsh priest, Bl. Thomas Abel's companion in martyrdom, d. 1506

Poynter, William - English priest (1762-1827)

Pozzo, Andreas - Italian painter and architect (1642-1709)

Pozzuoli - Diocese near Naples in southern Italy

Prades, Jean-Martin de - Theologian (1720-1782)

Prado, Jerome de - Spanish exegete (1547-1595)

Praelatus Nullius - A prelate who exercises quasi-episcopal jurisdiction in a territory not comprised in any diocese

Pragmatic Sanction - An edict formally issued by the emperor or king

Pragmatism - As a tendency in philosophy, signifies the insistence on usefulness or practical consequences as a test of truth.

Prague - An archdiocese in Bohemia.

Prague, University of - Founded by Charles IV in 1345

Praxeas - An early anti-Montanist mentioned by Tertullian

Praxedes and Pudentiana - Martyrs of an unknown era.

Pray, George - Hungarian abbot, canon, librarian and historian (1723-1801)

Pray Brethren - The exhortation addressed by the celebrant to the people before the Secrets in the Roman Mass

Prayer - The raising of the heart and mind to God

Prayer, Lord's - Although the Latin term oratio dominica is of early date, the phrase 'Lord's Prayer' does not seem to have been generally familiar in England before the Reformation. During the Middle Ages the 'Our Father' was always said in Latin, even by the uneducated. Hence it was then most commonly known as the Pater noster

Prayer-Books - A collection of forms of prayer intended for private devotion, and in so far distinct from the 'service books' which contain the liturgical formularies used in public worship.

Prayer of Christ, Feast of the - A feast that commemorates the prolonged prayer which Christ offered in Gethsemane in preparation for His Sacred Passion.

Prayer of Quiet - A degree of contemplation in which the soul experiences an extraordinary peace and rest

Prayers for the Dead - Catholic teaching regarding prayers for the dead is bound up inseparably with the doctrine of purgatory and the more general doctrine of the communion of the saints, which is an article of the Apostle's Creed

Preacher Apostolic - A dignitary of the pontifical household.

Preachers, Order of - An extensive article about several branches of the Dominicans, including their history

Preadamites - The supposed inhabitants of the earth prior to Adam.

Prebend - The right of a member of a chapter to his share in the revenues of the cathedral; also the share to which he is entitled

Precaria - A contract granting to a petitioner the use and usufruct of a revenue-bearing ecclesiastical property

Precedence - The right to enjoy a prerogative of honour before other persons

Precentor - A word describing sometimes an ecclesiastical dignitary, sometimes an administrative or ceremonial officer

Precept - Precept, in its common acceptation, is opposed to 'counsel', inasmuch as the former imposes an obligation, while the latter is a persuasion

Precious Blood - The blood of our Divine Saviour.

Precious Blood, Archconfraternity of the Most - Confraternities which make it their special object to venerate the Blood of Christ

Precious Blood, Congregation of the Most - An association of secular priests living in community, whose principal aim is to give missions and retreats.

Precious Blood, Congregations of the - A congregation of nuns, no longer in existence, founded by Mother Ballou with the assistance of St. Francis de Sales, as an offshoot of the reformed Cistercianesses.

Precious Blood, Feast of the Most - For many dioceses there are two days to which the Office of the Precious Blood has been assigned, the office being in both cases the same. . .

Precipiano, Humbert-Guillaume de, Count - Prelate (1626-1711)

Preconization - The ratification in a public consistory of the choice made by a third person of a particular benefice

Predestinarianism - A heresy which reduces the eternal salvation of the elect as well as the eternal damnation of the reprobate to one cause alone, namely to the sovereign will of God, and thereby excludes the free co-operation of man as a secondary factor in bringing about a happy or unhappy future in the life to come.

Predestination - Those divine decrees which have reference to the supernatural end of rational beings, especially of man

Preface - The first part of the Eucharistic prayers in all rites

Prefect Apostolic - A type of ecclesiastical jurisdiction

Prefecture Apostolic (Supplemental List) - A list of the prefectures Apostolic that have been erected or changed during the publication of the earlier volumes of this work

Prelate - The holder of a prelature

Prémare, Joseph Henri Marie de - Jesuit missionary and sinologist (1666-1736)

Premonstratensian Canons - Religious order founded in 1120 by St. Norbert

Prémontré, Abbey of - Located in France; founded by St. Norbert.

Presbyterianism - One of the groups of ecclesiastical bodies that represent the features of Protestantism emphasized by Calvin.

Presbytery - The part of the church reserved for the higher clergy

Prescription - A method created by law for acquiring ownership or ridding oneself of certain burdens on the fulfilment of fixed conditions

Prescription in Civil Jurisprudence - Prescription 'in some form and under some name' is said to have existed as a part of the municipal law of every civilized nation, except the Jewish . . .

Presence, Real - Article considers: the fact of the Real Presence; the several allied dogmas grouped about it; and the speculations of reason, so far as speculative investigation regarding the august mystery under its various aspects is permissible, and so far as it is desirable to illumine it by the light of philosophy

Presence of God - It is of faith that God is present by His essence everywhere and in all things by reason of His 'immensity' . . .

Presentation, Feast of the - Also called: Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Presentation, Order of the - An order founded at Cork, Ireland

Presentation, Religious Congregations of the - Various religious orders

Presentation, Right of - The naming to the ecclesiastical authorities of a suitable cleric for a particular benefice.

Presentation Brothers - In the early part of the nineteenth century when the Penal Laws were relaxed, and the ban which was placed on the Catholic education of youth in Ireland . . .

Presentation of Mary, Congregation of the - French congregation devoted to the education of young girls

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast of the - According to some apocryphal writings, Mary, at the age of three, was brought by her parents to the Temple, in fulfillment of a vow, there to be educated

Prester John - Name of a legendary Eastern priest and king.

Preston, Thomas - English Benedictine (d. 1640)

Preston, Thomas Scott - New York priest, convert and author (1824-1891)

Presumption - A product of pride, and a vice opposed to the theological virtue of hope

Presumption - A term signifying a reasonable conjecture concerning something doubtful, drawn from arguments and appearances, which by the force of circumstances can be accepted as a proof

Pretorium - The building Pilate occupied at the time of Christ's Passion

Pride - The excessive love of one's own excellence.

Priene - Titular see of Asia Minor, suffragan of Ephesus.

Priest - The minister of Divine worship and sacrifice

Priest, Assistant - The first and highest in dignity of the ministers who assist the bishop in pontifical functions.

Priest, High - The chief priest in the Old Testament

Priesthood - Brief yet thorough examination of this sacrament

Priestly Perseverance, Association of - A sacerdotal association founded in 1868 at Vienna, and at first confined to that Archdiocese

Priests, Confraternities of - A society of persons associated for some pious object.

Priests' Communion League - Association of priests established at Rome in 1906

Priests' Eucharistic League - Established in Paris by Pierre-Julien Eymard

Primacy - The supreme episcopal jurisdiction of the pope as pastor and governor of the Universal Church

Primadicci, James - Born at Bologna; died in the same city in 1460

Primate - A bishop possessing superior authority, not only over the bishops of his own province, but over several provinces and metropolitans

Prime - Article on the office of Prime, now suppressed

Primer, The - The common English name for a book of devotions which from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century was the ordinary prayer-book used by the laity.

Primicerius - The heads of the colleges of Notarii and Defensores, which occupied an important place in the early administration of the Church

Primus and Felician, Saints - Martyrs of the Diocletian persecution, in about 304

Prince Albert, Diocese of - Suffragan see in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Prior - A monastic superior.

Prioress - A superioress in a monastic community for women

Priory - A monastery whose superior is a prior.

Prisca, Saint - Roman martyr of unknown date

Priscianus - Sixth-century Latin grammarian

Priscilla and Aquila - Jewish tentmakers, who left Rome in the Jewish persecution under Claudius, 49 or 50, and settled in Corinth

Priscillianism - A heresy that originated in Spain in the fourth century and was derived from the Gnostic-Manichaean doctrines taught by Marcus, an Egyptian from Memphis.

Prisons - Discusses the history of prisons, as well as the influence of Christianity in their development and modern reform

Prisons, Ecclesiastical - The ecclesiastical idea of imprisonment is that confinement be made use of both as a punishment and as affording an opportunity for reformation and reflection. . .

Privilege - A permanent concession made by a legislator outside of the common law

Privileged Altar - An altar is said to be privileged when, in addition to the ordinary fruits of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, a plenary indulgence is also granted whenever Mass is celebrated thereon

Privileges, Ecclesiastical - Exceptions to the Law made in favour of the clergy or in favour of consecrated and sacred objects and places.

Proba, Faltonia - Christian poetess of the fourth century.

Probabilism - The moral system which holds that, when there is question solely of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of an action, it is permissible to follow a solidly probable opinion in favour of liberty even though the opposing view is more probable.

Probus, Marcus Aurelius - Roman Emperor (276-82)

Probus, Tarachus, and Andronicus, Saints - Martyrs of the Diocletian persecution (c. 304)

Processional, Roman - This book consists of a single section of the Roman Ritual with sundry supplementary materials taken from the Missal and the Pontifical.

Processional Cross - A crucifix which is carried at the head of a procession, and which is usually mounted upon a long staff or handle

Processions - Processions, an element in all ceremonial, are to be found, as we should expect, in almost every form of religious worship. . . .

Processus and Martinian, Saints - Martyrs venerated since the fourth century at the latest

Proclus, Saint - Patriarch of Constantinople, disciple of St. John Chrysostom, and died in 446 or 447

Proconnesus - A titular see in Hellespont

Procopius of Caesarea - Biographical article providing an overview of the historian's life and major writings

Procter, Adelaide Anne - English poetess and philanthropist (1825-1864)

Procurator - A person who manages the affairs of another by virtue of a charge received from him.

Profession, Religious - Describes both a declaration openly made, and a state of life publicly embraced

Promise, Divine - Embraces promises made by man to his fellowman, by man to God, and by God to man

Promotor Fidei - An official of the Roman Congregation of Rites

Promulgation - The act by which the legislative power makes legislative enactments known to the authorities entrusted with their execution and to the subjects bound to observe them

Proof - The establishment of a disputed or controverted matter by lawful means or arguments.

Propaganda, Sacred Congregation of - The department of the pontifical administration charged with the spread of Catholicism and with the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs in non-Catholic countries.

Propagation of the Faith, The Society for the - An international association for the assistance by prayers and alms of Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns engaged in preaching the Gospel in non-Catholic countries.

Property - The person who enjoys the full right to dispose of it insofar as is not forbidden by law

Property, Ecclesiastical - That the Church has the right to acquire and possess temporal goods is a proposition which may now probably be considered an established principle. But though almost self-evident and universally acted upon in practice, this truth has met with many contradictors. . .

Property, Ecclesiastical, in the United States - The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore decreed: 'We must hold, holily and inviolably, that the complete right of ownership and dominion over ecclesiastical goods resides in the Church' . . .

Prophecy - Says that in the strict sense, prophecy is the revelation of future events, but points out that in Scripture, prophecy may also be related to the gift of knowledge and sometimes is used to refer to divine inspiration concerning any secret

Prophecy, Prophet, and Prophetess - Discusses prophecy and prophets in the Old and New Testaments

Proprium - Forms in the present liturgy the two principal portions of our breviary and missals

Proschko, Franz Isidor - Austrian author (1816-1891)

Prose or Sequence - A liturgical hymn used on certain festivals before the Gospel in the Mass

Proselyte - As used in the New Testament, a convert to Judaism

Proske, Karl - Silesian physician (1794-1861)

Prosper of Aquitaine, Tiro - Christian writer and disciple of St. Augustine (c. 390-465)

Protasius and Gervasius, Saints - Martyred in Milan, probably in the second century

Protector, Altar - A cover made of cloth, baize or velvet which is placed on the table of the altar, during the time in which the sacred functions do not take place

Protectorate of Missions - The right of protection exercised by a Christian power in an infidel country with regard to the persons and establishments of the missionaries.