6. Of Rteci, was bom at Florence in 1522. In 1585 she took the veil among the Dominican nuns at Prato, in Tuscany. She was made perpetual prioress at twent}'-five, on account of her sanctity and ascetic life. The Bollandists say that Philip of Neri was al- lowed to converse with her in 'a vision, she being at her convent and he at Rome ! She died Feb. 2, 1589, and was canonized in 1746. — Butler, Uvet of Saints, Feb. 14.
Catharintui, Ambrosius, or, more properly, Lan- celot PoUU, was bom at Sienna in 1487. He studied law, and afterwards taught that science in several Ital- ian universities ; but in 1521 he entered the Domini- can order at Florence, and in 1545 accompanied the cardinal del Monte to the Council of Trent. He be- came afterwards bishop of Minori in 1546, and arch- bishop of Conza in 1551. He died at Rome in 1553. As a theologian he stood high for learning, but was much given to controversy, and did not spare either the fothers or the dogmas of his Church in his attacks. His principal works are : Commentaria in epistolas PauH (Venice, 1551, fol.) : — Enarrationes in Genesin (Rome, 1552, fol.). Some of his writings were pub- Ushed under the title Opuscula (1542). — Pierer, Univer- sal- Lexihm, s. v. ; Dupin, Ead. Writers, 16th cent ; Niceron, Memoires, t, xxxiv.
Cathoart, Robert, D.D., a Presbyterian minis- ter, was bom Nov. 1795, near Coleraine, Ireland, where he was classically educated. He afterwards entered the University of Glasgow, was licensed by the Pres- bytery of Route, and labored within its bounds for several years. On coming to America in 1790 he be- came a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and in 1798 became pastor of the churches of York and Hopewell, Pa., where he spent nearly fifty years of eminent usefulness. He was a member of the Gener- al Assembly for nearly thirty years in succession. He pursued his labors with unwearied diligence, and died Oct 19, 1849. He published' A Sermon on Ihe Death of Rev. Dr, Davidson, 1812.— Sprague, Annals, iii, 559 ; Prcsft. Q«ar<. J2«r. Oct 1860, art. vi.
CathSdra (Latm cathedra; Gr. KaQk^pa^ftom Kari, down, and 'iBpa, a seat). In classical archnology cathedra means a chair with a back, but without arms, and usually used by women. Cathedra were also used by teachers of gymnastics while giving instruction, and, later, by all public teachers. Following this usage of the word, the term has been applied to the chair or office of professors in universities or other high schools of learning. The English word duar is used in the same way.
In the early Christian Church the term cathedra was applied to the seats bishops and presbyters occu- pied during divine service in such rooms as Christians were permitted to assemble in before they were allow- ed to build churches. In many of the crypts in the Catacombs at Rome and elsewhere are seats cut in the rocks, supposed to have been thus used. Later, when
church edifices were erected, the catfaedne were placed in the middle of the semicircular apsis at the eastern or rear end of the church, and occupied by the choir. In Rome many of the cathedne were taken from the public baths, and were thus of marble, and decontcd with designs from classical mythology. Lata*, they were decorated with symbolic designs of the Chrisdaa fiiith, as the head of a lion, representing the force and vigilance of a good bishop; the head of a dog, repre- senting his vigilance and fidelity ; or a dove crown^ with a nimbus over the back of the chair, repreaenting the Holy Spirit which was to shed light into his heart The cathedrsB of the 5th and 6th centuries were often inlaid with ivory and precious stones, after the style of the Alexandrian mosaics. Later, they were richly decorated and heavily gflt Very eariy in the history of the Church they were held as precious mementoes of favorite bbhops. Traditions, unworthy of credit, are attached to the reputed chairs of St Peter in the Vatican (Rome), of St Mark in Venice, and of St Paul in Salonica. In the GauUc Church, for a time, the bishops were buried seated in their chairs, which were afterwards taken up and preserved with great respect In the paintings of the Catacombs, in early mosnics and miniatures, cathedne are often represented with either a literal or figurative meaning. Thus, in the Catacombs, a bishop is represented stretching out his hand to a woman and to a sheep, thus representing the audience and the flock ; in another, the bishop is hold- ing up the Word ; God the Father is represented on a cathedra receiving the gifts of Cain and Abel; the Re- deemer is thus seated, receiving the crowns of gold from the seven elders [see Apocalypse]; Christ is seated on a cathedra surrounded by eight martirrs. Two chairs m two niches, with a toble between them bearing the open Bible, represent a oounca (m the Bm- tistery of Ravenna). In the church of Santa Maria dcJ- la Mentorella (in Latium) is a work in gilded hronae, representing the twelve apostles on seato; between them is a cathedra supporting the open Bible, as the source of all anfthority ; above is a lamb, bearing a cross with a banner, having the inscription ^^Ego sum osHwnetovile ovium^^^ I am the pate and ihe fold of ihe sheep ," a chalcedony in Cortena has a cathedra with 'I)fivc cut on it—Bingham, Orig, £ccles, hk.viiLch.TL § 10. — » t