Serafino Vannutelli (26 November 1834 – 19 August 1915) was an Italian prelate of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, a cardinal and official of the Roman Curia where he held several of the highest administrative posts. Made a cardinal in 1887, he was named a cardinal-bishop in 1893 and elected dean of the

College of Cardinals 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 app ...

in 1915 and he died shortly after. He was thought a possible candidate for the papacy in 1903. At the start of his career, he worked in the diplomatic service of the

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from 1869 to 1887, serving as

Apostolic Delegate An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international o ...

to several Latin American countries and as

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

to Belgium and Austria. His younger brother

Vincenzo Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

(1836–1930) was also a Catholic cardinal.

Biography

Vannutelli was born at

Genazzano Genazzano is a town and '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, located on a tuff spur at above sea level that, starting from the Monti Prenestini, ends on the Sacco River valley. History The name originates from its role as vacation res ...

, in the diocese of Palestrina, where he studied and graduated in philosophy before studying

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in the Capranica College,

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. After teaching theology at the Pontifical Seminary, he began his work in the diplomatic service of the Holy See as secretary to the

Papal Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

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. He became

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to the Nuncio at the Court of

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. On 25 June 1869 he was appointed Titular Archbishop of

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and on 18 July was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal

Costantino Patrizi Naro Costantino Patrizi Naro JUD (4 September 1798 – 17 December 1876) was a long-serving Italian Cardinal who became Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Benedetto Naro was his great-uncle. Biography Born in Siena, Naro was educated in the ...

. On 23 July 1869, he was named Apostolic Delegate to

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

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, Colombia, and

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, which comprised these countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. He was made

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in 1875, but his role there ended abruptly when the Belgian government broke off diplomatic relations with the Holy See on 28 June 1880. He became Apostolic Nuncio to

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on 18 November of that year. His service as a nuncio ended when

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made him a cardinal on 14 March 1887. As a Cardinal-Priest he was initially assigned the title of

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, and then assigned to San Girolamo dei Croati on 11 February 1889. On 16 January 1893, after Vannutelli reportedly declined an appointment as Secretary of State, Pope Leo XIII named him Archbishop of

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, an assignment considered an exile from Rome. The Pope wrote a letter to the people of Bologna saying that he had been guided by divine inspiration in making the appointment and was reported to have said "Vannutelli goes to Bologna Cardinal and will return a Pope". The ''

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'' commented: "He has for some time been prominently mentioned in connection with the Papal succession, and is supported by an influential ecclesiastical party, with whom, it is believed, Pope Leo is in sympathy." He served until he was named Cardinal-Bishop of

Frascati Frascati () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated wit ...

just six months later on 12 June 1893. From 1899 until his death in 1915 he was Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary. He served as Secretary of the Congregation for Universal Inquisition (later known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), from 16 January 1903 until he resigned that office on 31 December 1908 at the age of 74. On 22 June 1903 he was moved from Frascati to become Cardinal-Bishop of Porto Santa e Rufina. At the conclave in 1903 that elected Pope Pius X, he was considered a contender for election to the papacy. On 25 May 1914, Pope Pius X approved his election as Dean of the College of Cardinals, adding the title of Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia to his other titles. Performing the duties of Dean during the conclave that met in August 1914 proved challenging as he was "almost blind ... stone deaf ... and weakened from nervous prostration". En route to that conclave from Naples, his train was bombed and several other passengers were injured. He died in Rome on 19 August 1915.

References

External links

Serafino Vanuttelli
Catholic Hierarchy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vannutelli, Serafino 1834 births 1915 deaths People from Genazzano Deans of the College of Cardinals Apostolic Nuncios to Ecuador Apostolic Nuncios to Colombia Cardinals created by Pope Leo XIII Apostolic Nuncios to Austria Cardinal-bishops of Frascati Cardinal-bishops of Ostia Cardinal-bishops of Porto Roman Catholic archbishops of Bologna 20th-century Italian cardinals 19th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops Members of the Holy Office Major Penitentiaries of the Apostolic Penitentiary Apostolic Delegates to Peru Apostolic Nuncios to Belgium Apostolic Nuncios to Costa Rica