Lorenzo Nina (May 12, 1812 – July 25, 1885) was an Italian

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

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. A longtime member of the Roman Curia, he served as Prefect of the Congregation for Studies (1877–1878), Secretary of State of the Holy See (1878–1880), and Prefect of the Congregation of the Council (1881–1885). He was elevated to the

cardinalate The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...

in 1877.

Biography

Lorenzo Nina was born in

Recanati Recanati () is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Macerata, in the Marche region of Italy. Recanati was founded around 1150 AD from three pre-existing castles. In 1290 it proclaimed itself an independent republic and, in the 15th century, ...

; his father was a

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. After studying philosophy and theology at the

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

of Recanati, he settled in Rome with an uncle who was a

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and pastor of ''

San Lorenzo in Damaso The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence in Damaso (Basilica Minore di San Lorenzo in Damaso) or simply San Lorenzo in Damaso is a parish and titular church in central Rome, Italy that is dedicated to St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr. It is incorporated ...

''. He then studied at the

Pontifical Roman Seminary , type = Major seminary , established = , founder = Pope Pius IV , parent = Diocese of Rome , religious_affiliation = Catholic Church , rector = Gabriele Fara ...

and at ''La Sapienza'' University, from where he obtained doctorates in theology and in

canon and civil law A doctor of both laws, from the Latin ''doctor utriusque juris'', or ''juris utriusque doctor'', or ''doctor juris utriusque'' ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD a ...

. Nina was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood in December 1834, and then served as

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

to Msgr. Giovanni di Pietro, an

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of the

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. He was also a counselor to Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso. In 1853, he became an honorary professor at the Faculty of Law of the Roman Seminary. Canon of the chapter of

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

(1868),

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of the chapter of the

Liberian Basilica The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the large ...

, and

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of the Pontifical Athenaeum ''S. Apollinare''. From 1868 to 1877, he served as assessor of the

Congregation of the Inquisition The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...

. He was a member of the preparatory commission for the First Vatican Council, and was prefect of studies at the Roman Seminary from 1875 to 1877. Pope Pius IX created him

Cardinal-Deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

of '' S. Angelo in Pescheria'' in the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church * Consistor ...

of March 12, 1877. On the following March 26, he was named Prefect of Economy of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide and of the Reverend Chamber of Despoilments. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for Studies from October 19, 1877 to August 9, 1878, and participated in the 1878 papal conclave, which elected

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

. Leo XIII later appointed Nina as

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, essentially the

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of the Pope, on August 9, 1878. He opted for the order of Cardinal Priests and was given the

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary des ...

of ''

S. Maria in Trastevere The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere); en, Our Lady in Trastevere) is a titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and ...

'' on February 28, 1879. He was also decorated with the Grand Cross of the Austrian Order of Sankt Stefan in 1879. On December 16, 1880, Nina resigned as Secretary of State and was confirmed as Prefect of the Apostolic Palace. He became Prefect of the Congregation of the Council on November 7, 1881, remaining in that position until his death. The Cardinal later died in Rome, at age 73. He is buried in the

Campo Verano The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery is currently divided into sections: the Jewish cemetery, the Catholic cemetery, and the monument to the ...

cemetery. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nina, Lorenzo 19th-century Italian cardinals 1812 births 1885 deaths Cardinal Secretaries of State Cardinals created by Pope Pius IX Members of the Sacred Congregation of the Council