Agostino Gemelli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agostino Gemelli
O.F.M.
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| Born |
Edoardo Gemelli
18 January 1878 |
| Died | 15 July 1959 (aged 81) Milan, Italian Republic
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| Nationality | Italian |
| Known for |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine, Neuropsychology and Physiology |
| Institutions | Catholic University of Milan |
Agostino Gemelli O.F.M. (born January 18, 1878 – died July 15, 1959) was an Italian Franciscan friar, physician, and psychologist. He is most famous for founding and being the first leader (Rector) of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) in Milan.
Gemelli's Institute of Psychology was a very important place for studying the mind in Italy. In 1959, he also started a teaching hospital for the university's Medical School in Rome. This hospital, now called the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic, is named after him. He also studied how people think and behave in the workplace.
Contents
Life Story
Early Years
Agostino Gemelli was born Edoardo Gemelli in 1878. His family in Milan was wealthy and not religious. As a young man, he cared a lot about social issues and joined the Italian Socialist Party. He studied at Ghislieri College. After becoming a doctor, he did experiments on the brain and how it works, sometimes with the famous scientist Camillo Golgi.
Even though he grew up without strong religious beliefs, Gemelli had a big change of heart during his military service. He met a chaplain in a hospital who deeply impressed him. This led him to join the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in 1903, where he took the name Agostino. He became a full member of the Order in 1904 and was ordained a priest in 1908. At that time, priests in religious orders were not allowed to practice medicine. So, he continued his research in neuropsychology, which studies the brain and behavior.
Starting Religious Groups
Agostino Gemelli also helped start new religious groups. He helped found the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ, a group for lay people (people who are not priests or nuns) who wanted to live a religious life. He guided Armida Barelli, a Christian social activist, to start this group in 1919. Later, in 1928, he helped create a branch for men, led by Giorgio La Pira.
The Catholic University
Gemelli founded the Catholic University in 1921. Soon, he received support from Pope Benedict XV. The university was created to help train new leaders for a future Catholic country. This was meant to balance the anti-religious feelings that came with the creation of modern Italy in 1860.
In 1929, the Catholic Church and the Italian government signed an agreement. This made the Catholic Church the official religion of Italy. The university then became a place to explore Catholic ideas about society. Gemelli taught Applied Psychology there.
Even with the government's influence, Gemelli managed to keep his university quite independent. This allowed some groups who later formed the Christian Democratic Party to develop their ideas at the university during a challenging time.
There has been discussion about some of Gemelli's past writings. In 1924, he wrote an article that was seen as critical of a Jewish intellectual. Later, during a time when Italy had laws against Jewish people (in 1938), his actions were debated. However, it is also known that he helped many Jewish scientists, including Tullio Levi-Civita and Vito Volterra.
His Passing
Agostino Gemelli passed away in Milan on July 15, 1959.
His Work and Influence
Many people consider Gemelli one of the most important Franciscans of the 20th century. He worked to connect Christian faith with modern ideas and science.
Even though he had many important jobs as the university's Rector (which he did until he died), Gemelli also focused on scientific and philosophical studies. At the request of Pope Pius XI, he became the first President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1937. He also wrote a lot about what it means to be a Franciscan today. He was a pioneer in encouraging ordinary people (the laity) to take an active role in the Church's mission.
Books and Articles
- Rivista di filosofia neoscolastica (1908)
- La lotta contro Lourdes (1911), a book where he discussed the scientific truth behind the healings reported at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
- Vita e Pensiero (1914)
- Biologie (1939)
- La psicotecnica applicata alle industrie (1944)
- La psicologia dell'orientamento professionale (1945)
- Psicologia dell'età evolutiva, with Agatha Sidlauskas (1946)
- La personalità del delinquente (1946)
- Introduzione alla psicologia, with Giorgio Zunini (1947)
- La criminologia e il diritto penale (1951)
- Archivi della Psicología, Neurología e Psichiatría
- Associazione Cattolica Internazionale degli Studi Medicali-Psicologici
See also
In Spanish: Agostino Gemelli para niños
