Cajetanus

Cajetanus is the Latin form used in ecclesiastical Latin to refer to Saint Cajetan (Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene), a 16th-century Italian priest and reformer who co-founded the Theatine Order. He is venerated in the Catholic Church for his role in clerical reform and charitable works.

Born in 1480 in Vicenza, Gaetano studied law before directing his energy toward religious charity and reform. In 1524, together with Giovanni Pietro Carafa, who would later become Pope Paul IV, he founded the Theatine Order to promote pastoral care, the education of priests, and exemplary clerical life. Cajetanus died in 1547 in Naples. He was later canonized, and his feast day is celebrated on August 7. In 1671, Pope Clement X canonized him, affirming his status within the church.

Cajetanus is primarily encountered in Latin-language liturgical texts and hagiographical literature. The legacy of Saint Cajetan is carried forward through the Theatine Order and through churches and institutions dedicated to San Gaetano in various parts of Europe, especially in Italy. The Latin form Cajetanus thus serves as a historical and liturgical designation that remains mainly within scholarly and ecclesiastical contexts.