Theiner, Augustin

Theiner, Augustin a Roman Catholic divine, was born April 11,1804, at Breslau, in. Silesia. He first studied theology, afterwards philosophy and jurisprudence, and at Halle, in 1829, was made doctor utriusquejuris. For several years he collected material at the libraries of Vienna, Paris, and London for canonical disquisitions. Shortly before his promotion he published, together with his brother Johann Anton (q.v.), Die Einführung der erzwungenen Ehelosigkeit bei den christlichen Geistlichen und ihre Folgen (Altenburg, 1828, 2 vols.); but he soon perceived his errors, and went to Rome, where he entered the Congregation of St. Philip Neri, and received holy orders. He remained in Rome, and in 1855 Pius IX appointed him prefect of the Vatican archives. In 1870 he retired from his office, and died Aug. 10, 1874. Of his many writings we mention, Commentatio de Romanorum Pontificum Epistol-turm Decretalium Antiquis Collectionibus et de Gregorii IX P. M. Decretalium Codice (Lips. 1829): —Recherches in plusieurs Collections Inedites de Decretales du Moyendge (Paris, 1833): —Geschichte der geistlichen Bildungsanzstalten (1835): Cardinal Frankenberg und sein Kanzpf fiir die Kirche (Freiburg, 1850): —Zustande der Kathol. Kirche in Schlesien von 1740 bis 1758 (Ratisbon, 1852, 2 vols.): —Geschichte des Pontificats Clemens XIV (Paris, 1853, 2 vols.): — Vetera Monumenta Historica Hungariam Sacram Illustrantia (Rome, 1859, 1860, 2 vols.): — Vett. Monum. Polonice et Lithuaniae Gentiumque Finitinarum Historiam Illustrantia (ibid. 1860-63, 3 ols.): —Vett. Monum. Slavorum Meridionaliunm Histot. Illustr. (1863): —Codex Dominii Temporalis Sanctae Sedis (1861 sq., 3 vols.). He also published a new edition of the Annals of Baronius, and worked assiduously upon the continuation of this gigantic work. See Winer, Handbuch der theolog. Literatur, 1, 603, 828; 2, 5, 800; Zuchold, Bibl. Theol. 2, 1323 sq.; Theolog. Universal-Lex. s.v.; Regensburger Real-Encyklop. s.v.; Literarischer Handweiser fir das kathol. Deutschland, 1864, p. 148 sq.; 1874, p. 303 sq. (B.P.)