ORSI
325
ORSINI
whether boy or girl, be left an orphan, it is well if one
of the brethren, who has no child, receives and keeps
him in a child's place. They who do so perform a good
work by becoming fathers to the orphans and will be
rewarded by God for this service". The taking of an
orphan to rear, and giving it a place in a new family
circle has always been an honoured custom amongst
good people in all times. In simple communities it is
the sole solution of a distressing problem. When in
modern times a war or an extraordinary disaster
created an embarrassment by reason of the number
to be cared for, the organized asylum has been a
blessing. The same must be said of the asylums
caring for the army of orphan.s found in the large
cities, particularly since they serve as shelters during
the period of observation, and in the case of handi-
capped children during a longer period.
Uhlhorn, christian Charity in the Ancient Church (Edinburgh, 1883); Baart. Orphans and Orphan Asylums (Buffalo, 1885); L'Allemand, Hist, des en/ants abandonnis (Paris, 1885); Bou- GAUD. History of St. Vincent de Paul (London, 1899) ; Folks, The Care of Destitute, Neglected and Delinquent Children (New Yorlc, 1907) ; Baluffi. The Charity of the Church a Proof of her Divinity (Dublin, 1885); Devas, Studies of Family Life (London. 1886); Steelman, Charities for Children in Mexico (Chicago, 1907).
Charles F. McKenna.
Orsi, Giuseppe Agostino, cardinal, theologian, and ecclesiastical historian, b. at Florence, 9 May, 1692, of an aristocratic Florentine family; d. at Rome, 12 June, 1761. He studied grammar and rhetoric under the Jesuits, and entered the Dominican Order at Fiesole, 21 February, 1708. At his profession he re- ceived the name of Giuseppe Agostino, having been called in secular life Agostino Francesco. His studies included not only theology, in which he gave particular attention to the Fathers and the great Scholastics, but also the classical and Italian liter- atures. Having been master of studies for some time at the convent of San Marco at Florence, he was called to Home in 1732 as professor of theology at the college of St. Thomas, where he was also made prior. He held this position two years, when he became the theo- logian of Cardinal Neri Corsini, nejihew of Pope Clement XII. In 1738 he was appointed secretary of the Congregation of the Index. In 1749 Benedict XIV made him "Magister Sacri Palatii", or papal theologian, and on 24 September, 1759, Clement XIII created him cardinal of the Title of San Sisto. In this position Orsi was an active member of several Congregations until his death. He was buried in his church of San Sisto.
Orsi's literary activity covered especially dogmatics, apologetics, and church history. His most important works are the following: "Dissertatio historica qua ostenditur catholicam ecclesiam tribus prioribus saculis cajjitalium criminum reis pacem et absolutionem neuti- quam negasse" (Milan, 1730); "Dissertatio apolo- getica pro SS. Perpetuae, Felicitatis et sociorum martyrumorthodoxiaadversusBasnagium" (Florence, 172S); "Deir origine del dominio e della sovranitS. teraporale de' Romani Pontefici" (Rome, 1742); and "Storia ecclesiastica" — this, his chief work (20 vols., Rome, 1747-61), brought the narrative only to the close of the sixth century; the twenty-first volume, which Orsi had begun, was finished by his former pu- pil Gio. Bottari (Rome, 1762). The work was after- wards brought up to the year 1.587 by the Dominican Fil. Becchetti (new ed. in 42 vols., Venice, 1822; in 50 vols., Rome, 1S38). It has been translated into foreign languages. Other writings of Orsi are: "Dis- sertazione dommatica e morale contra I'uso matcriale della parola" (Rome, 1727); " Dimostrazione teolo- gica" (Milan, 1729), in defence of the preceeding work on truthfulness (the question of reatrictio menUdis); "Dissertatio theologica de invocatione Spiritus Sancti in liturgiis GriBcorum et Orientalium" (Milan, 1731); " Dissertationes duie de baptismo in nomine Jesu Christi et de chrismate confirmationis" (Milan, 1733)
— this was defended by Orsi, in the "Vindicia; dis-
sertationis de baptismo in nomine Jesu Christi"
(Florence, 1735), against the attacks of the doctors
of Paris; "De concordia gratiae et liberi arbitrii"
(Rome, 1734); "De irreformabiU Romani Pontificis in
definiendis fidei controversiis judicio" (Rome, 1739);
"De Romani Pontificis in Synodos cecumenicos
eorumque canones potestate" (Rome, 1740). The
last two are directed against Galhcanism.
Bottari, Vita del card. Orsi, in vol. XXI of the Storia ecclesias- tica; Fabroni, Vitce Italorum illustrium, XI, 1-37; Hurter, Nomenclator (3d ed.), IV, 1505 sqq. J, p, KiRSCH.
Orsini, one of the most ancient and distinguished families of the Roman nobility, whose members often played an important role in the history of Italy, par- ticularly in that of Rome and of the Papal States. The Roman or principal line of the family, from which branched off a series of collateral lines as time went on, may be traced back into the early Middle Ages, and a legendary ancestry goes back even as far as early Roman times. The Roman line, as well as its branches, had large possessions in Italy and were the rulers of numerous and important dominions, fortified towns, and strongholds. In Rome, the Orsini were the hered- itary enemies of the equally distinguished Colonna (q. v.) : in the great medieval conflict between papacy and empire, the latter were for the most part on the side of the emperor and the leaders of the Ghibelline party, while the Orsini were ordinarily champions of the papacy and leaders of the Guelph party. The Orsini gave three popes to the Church — Celestine III (q. v.), Nicholas III (q. v.), and Benedict XIII (q. v.) — as well as many carchnals and numerous bishops and prelates. Other members of the family distinguished themselves in political history as warriors or states- men, and others again won renown in the fields of art and science. The wars between the Orsini and Co- lonna form an important part of the medieval history of Rome and of Central Italy. Forming as they did a part of the conflicts waged by the emperors in Italy, they influenced in a very prominent manner the gen- eral historical development of that time.
Among the cardinals of the Orsini family who were flistinguished in the history of the Church, as well as in ecclcsiastico-political history, the following are es- pecially worthy of mention: —
(1) Matted Rosso Orsini, nephew of Cardinal Gaetano Orsini (later Pope Nicholas III), created a cardinal by Urban IV in December, 1262; d. 4 Sept., 1305 (according to some authorities, 1306). As legate for the provinces of the Patrimony of Peter and of the Marches, he fought against Peter de Vico, who, in the name of Manfred, invaded the papal territory with German mercenaries. Soon after the elevation of his uncle, Nicholas III, to the papal throne (1277), he was named by this pope anlipiii-st of tlic V'atic;m Basil- ica, rector of the great lliispital (jf th<' Holy Cihost in Vatican territory, anfl i-niliiKil iirotcctcir of the Fran- ciscan Order. After tlic dciiMi of Xidiolas III (1280), the cardinals assembh'cl in \itcilio for tin- election of his successor, but, owing to ])arty di.ssensions, many months passed before a decision was reached. The party which iiirliiicd towards the French, and which wm\ the sniii)ort of Charles of Anjou, King of Naples, hiiiiseir present in \'it(rl)o, wished to elect an exponent of the policy of lr:inre, and cliose as their candidate the French Cardinal Simon. However, the two cardi- nals Orsini, Mattco Rosso and Giordano, the latter a brother of thr deceased pope, Nicholas III, energeti- cally opposed this choice. As neither party could command the necessary majority, no election resulted. In February, 1281, the French party resol\<'d to have recour.se to a bold strokeT At the instigation of the marshal of the conclave, Annibaldi, who was at variance with the Orsini, citizens from Viterbo sud- denly attacked the anti-French cardinals, and took
