Melia, Pius, Italian theologian, b. at Rome, 12 Jan., 1800; d. in London, June, 1883. He entered the Society of Jesus on 14 Aug., 1815, taught literature at Reggio, and afterwards was engaged in preaching. He left the Society in 1853. He wrote two books: “Alcune ragioni del P. Pio Melia della C. di G.” (Lucca, 1847), a defence of the Society of Jesus, and “ Aleune affirmazioni del Sig. Antonio Rosmini-Serbati” (Pisa, s. d.), an attack upon Rosmini (q. v.). In his “Life of Rosmini”, Father Lockhart merely declares that the latter work was written by certain Italian Jesuits; Father de Backer, in his “ Dictionnaire des Antonymes”, attributed it to Passaglia, but his “ Bibliothéque de la Compagnie de Jésus”, re-edited by Sommervogel, follows Beorchia, who attributes it to Melia. Melia, who attacked especially Rosmini’s doctrine on original sin, was answered by Rosmini (Milan, 1841) and Pagani (Milan, 1842) ; then began a bitter controversy which had to be ended by a direct command of Pius IX.
Sommervogel, Bibl. de la C. de J., V (Brussels and Paris, 1894); Lockhart, Life of Rosmini (London, 1886).
Wm. M. Tallon.