Cornelio Fabro

Cornelio Fabro CSS (Flumignano, Udine, 24 August 1911 – Rome, 4 May 1995) was an Italian Catholic priest of the Stigmatine Order and a scholastic Thomist philosopher.

He was the founder of the Institute for Higher Studies on Unbelief, Religion and Cultures.

Known for his prodigious philosophical production, Fabro was part of the scholastic revival of Thomism.

One of his major contributions to twentieth-century philosophy was to draw attention to the notion of "participation" in Aquinas' metaphysics.

Fabro was also interested in modern philosophy, particularly the relationship of Kierkegaard's thought to Christian philosophy, the origins and nature of anthropocentrism in modern thought, and the critical analysis of "progressive" theology.

Fabro was born at Flumignano, Udine, in Northern Italy on 24 August 1911 to Angelo and Anna Zanello.

He was the third of four children including two older brothers Antonio and Secondo, and a younger sister Alma Teresina.

Until his fifth year, he suffered from a motor disease that prevented him from speaking though he was able to communicate via signs.

He also suffered from anorexia and cried continuously.

A local Capuchin Fr. Guardiano suggested visiting the "Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie" in Udine, after which he was cured.

During the World War he contracted typhus but was cured by a military medical doctor.

In the summer of 1915 he was operated on for Mastoiditis at the hospital of Udine where he remained till spring 1916.

Consequently, his early schooling was received at the hands of his older brother.

In 1922 he transferred to the "Scuola Apostolica Bertoni" of the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata, better known as the Stigmatines, continued his schooling in grammar schools of the Order and graduated from «Scipione Maffei» Junior High school.

On 1 November 1927 he entered the novitiate of the Stigmatines in Verona.

In 1928 Fabro completed his pre-seminary studies and began studies of philosophy at the "Scuola Apostolica".

After completing private studies at the Marian sanctuary at Ortonovo La Spezia in 1929 he transferred to the Curia Generalizia and International College of the Stigmatine Order at the convent of Sant'Agata dei Goti on via Mazzarino in Rome in order to begin his philosophy studies at the "Collegio Sant’Apolinare", the future Lateran University.

In 1931, he completed his doctorate receiving the highest marks with a thesis entitled L’oggettività del principio di causa e la critica di D. Hume (The Objectivity of the Principle of Causality and Criticism of D. Hume).

This dissertation repeats the traditional criticism of Hume taught in the early 20th century.

Fabro began studying for a Licentiate in theology at the Pontifical International Institute Angelicum, the forerunner of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum On 20 December 1934 he received a prize from the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas for his monograph entitled Il principio di causalità, origine psicologica, formulazione filosofica, valore necessario ed universale (The Principle of Causality, its Psychological Origin, Philosophical Formulazation, and Necessary and Universal Value).

On 8 September 1934 Fabro was transferred to his Order's religious house at the Church of Santa Croce in Via Flaminia where he was assigned as church organist; he was to remain at Santa Croce until his death.

Fabro resumed his studies in philosophy and theology at the Pontificium Institutum Internationale Angelicum, the future Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum.

He was ordained a Catholic priest on 20 April 1935 at St. John Lateran Basilica.

On 7 July 1935 he obtained a licentiate in theology from the Angelicum.

For the period of summer-fall 1935 Fabro was on scholarship at the «Stazione Zoologica» of Naples.

In 1935-1936 he taught cosmology and psychology in Verona and studies natural science at the University of Padova.

In 1935, he taught his first courses at the Bertoni Apostolic School in Verona.

During the period 1936 to 1940 Fabro also taught biology, rational psychology, and metaphysics at the Lateran University.

Upon completing his licentiate studies in philosophy and theology, Fabro began his teaching career, which was to last more than 40 years.

In 1936-1937 Fabro continued his study of theology at the Angelicum and received a doctorate on 28 October 1937 with a dissertation on the metaphysical notion of participation according to Saint Thomas Aquinas entitled La nozione metafisica di partecipazione secondo S. Tommaso d'Aquino.

From 1938 to 1940, he was ordinary university professor at Pontifical Urbaniana University, where he was first Extraordinary (1939) and then Ordinary Professor (1941) of Metaphysics.

Fabro published this dissertation as a book in 1939 with "Vita e Pensiero" of Milano.

He later taught Philosophy of Religion (1948-1956; 1970-1973).

In 1948, he taught Theoretical Philosophy in the University of Rome.

In 1949, he began teaching at Maria SS. Assunta (also known as LUMSA) and was the director of the Institute from 1954 to 1956.

Fabro was invited in 1954 as Visiting Professor to give the Chaire Card.

Mercier lectures at the University of Louvain on "Participation and Causality".

Fabro won the Chair of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Naples in 1954.

In 1960, he founded the first ever Institute of the History of Atheism, which was later renamed Research Institute on Non-Belief and Culture.

These were published in 1960 in Italian and in 1961 in French.