PETIT-DIDIER, MATTHIEU

Benedictine theologian; b. St. Nicholas-du-Port (Lorraine), Dec. 18, 1659; d. Senones (Lorraine), June 15, 1728. After his early studies with the Jesuits at Nancy, he entered the Abbey of St. Mihiel (1675), where he was appointed professor of theology and philosophy (1682). He was elected abbot of St. Leopold in Nancy (1705–08; 1711–15), and of Senones (1715). His Traité théologique pour l'autorité et l'infaillibilité du pape (Luxembourg 1724) was attacked by the Jansenists and suppressed by the parlements of Metz (June 8, 1724) and of Paris (July 1, 1724). After his appointment as titular bishop of Macra in 1725, he lived in Senones until his death. Other of his works are Remarques sur la Bibliothèque ecclésiastique de M. Dupin (Paris 1691–93); Dissertation historique et théologique dans laquelle on examine quel a été le sentiment du Concile de Constance et des principaux théologiens qui y ont assisté, sur l'autorité du pape et sur son infaillibilité (Luxembourg 1724); Dissertationes historico-critico-chronologicae in Vetus Testamentum (Toul 1699); Justification de la morale et de la discipline de Rome et de route l'Italie (1727).

Bibliography: j. carreyre, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951—) 12:1346–48, bibliog. h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 5 v. in 6 (3d ed. Innsbruck 1903–13) 4:1108–10. g. heer, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 8:323. o. l. kapsner, A Benedictine Bibliography: An Author-Subject Union List, 2 v. (2d ed. Collegeville, Minn. 1962) 1:444.

[n. r. skvarla]