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England, John

(Encyclopedia)England, John, 1786–1842, Irish Roman Catholic churchman in America, b. Cork. He studied, was ordained, and ministered to several parishes in Co. Cork. His parishes were poor ones, but he became wel...

Copts

(Encyclopedia)Copts kŏpts [key], the native Christian minority of Egypt; estimates of the number of Copts in Egypt range from 5% to 17% of the population. Copts are not ethnically distinct from other Egyptians; th...

Kirill

(Encyclopedia)Kirill kĭrēlˈ [key], 16th patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (2009–), b. Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) as Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev. The son and grandson of Russian Orthodox priests, he be...

All Saints' Day

(Encyclopedia)All Saints' Day, feast of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, and day on which churches glorify God for all God's saints, known and unknown. It is celebrated on Nov. 1 in the West, since Pope Gr...

excommunication

(Encyclopedia)excommunication, formal expulsion from a religious body, the most grave of all ecclesiastical censures. Where religious and social communities are nearly identical it is attended by social ostracism, ...

interdict

(Encyclopedia)interdict ĭnˈtərdĭkt [key], ecclesiastical censure notably used in the Roman Catholic Church, especially in the Middle Ages. When a parish, state, or nation is placed under the interdict no public...

Quinet, Edgar

(Encyclopedia)Quinet, Edgar ĕdgärˈ kēnāˈ [key], 1803–75, French historian. A romantic nationalist, he was much influenced by Johann Gottfried von Herder and was a close friend and associate of Jules Michele...

Nantes, Edict of

(Encyclopedia)Nantes, Edict of, 1598, decree promulgated at Nantes by King Henry IV to restore internal peace in France, which had been torn by the Wars of Religion; the edict defined the rights of the French Prote...

Gattinara, Mercurino Arborio, marchese di

(Encyclopedia)Gattinara, Mercurino Arborio, marchese di mĕrco͞orēˈnō ärbôˈrēō märkĕˈza dē gätˌtēnäˈrä [key], 1465–1530, Italian statesman and jurist, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Aft...

Guntram

(Encyclopedia)Guntram gŭnˈtrəm [key], c.525–592, Frankish king of Burgundy and Orléans (561–92), son of Clotaire I. He intervened in the wars of his relatives in order to maintain the balance of power in th...