Carlo Confalonieri (25 July 1893 – 1 August 1986) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the

Congregation for Bishops The Dicastery for Bishops, formerly named Congregation for Bishops (), is the department of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church that oversees the selection of most new bishops. Its proposals require papal approval to take effect, but are usu ...

from 1967 to 1973, and

dean of the College of Cardinals The dean of the College of Cardinals () presides over the College of Cardinals in the Catholic Church, serving as ('first among equals'). The position was established in the 12th century. He always holds the rank of a cardinal bishop and is as ...

from 1977 until his death. Confalonieri was elevated to the

cardinalate The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...

in 1958.

Biography

Early life

Confalonieri was born in

Seveso Seveso (; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Monza and Brianza, in the Region of Lombardy. The economy of the town has traditionally been based on the furniture industry. Its name comes from the river of the same name which crosse ...

. His father was a

cabinet-maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a Bathroom cabinet, medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically mad ...

.''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

''
The New Cardinals
22 December 1958 Carlo was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

by Fr. Ambrogio Sirtori the next day, on 26 July. Confirmed on 13 February 1901, Confalonieri received his

first Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

on 5 May 1904. He entered the

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

in Seveso in 1904, and then archdiocesan seminary of

Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...

in 1909. After studying at a

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

ese

lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...

, he went to Rome to attend the Pontifical Seminary ''Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo'' and the

Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...

(from where he obtained his bachelor's degree in theology in 1913). Confalonieri then served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

from 1914 to 1916. He entered the ranks of the clergy upon receiving the

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

from Andrea Ferrari on 14 June 1912. Confalonieri was eventually

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

to the priesthood on 18 March 1916 by Cardinal Ferrari. After working in the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

and

, he was named private secretary to

Achille Ratti Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

in 1921. Confalonieri travelled with Ratti to Rome as his attendant, or

conclavist A conclavist was a personal aide of a cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal present in a papal conclave. The term is sometimes used to refer to all present with a conclave, including the cardinal-electors, but is more properly applied only to the non-c ...

, for the 1922 papal conclave, at which the Cardinal was elected to the

papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

. He continued to serve as Ratti's secretary until the Pope's death in 1939, and during that period he was raised to the rank of

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

(7 February 1922), Protonotary Apostolic (24 December 1935), and

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...

(1935). Confalonieri was intended to be appointed Substitute, or Deputy, Secretary of State in 1937, but the position instead went to

Giovanni Battista Montini Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

. Moreover, when

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

invited Confalonieri to become Archbishop of Modena and Abbot of Nonantola on 16 December 1939, he declined.

Episcopate

On 27 March 1941, Confalonieri was appointed Archbishop of L'Aquila by

. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

on the following 4 May from Pius XII himself, with Archbishop Giuseppe Migone and Bishop Alfonso de Romanis, OSA, in the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...

. Confalonieri became Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities on 25 January 1950, and later

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Nicopolis ad Nestum Nicopolis ad Nestum (, Nikópolis hē perì Néston'')'' or Nicopolis ad Mestum, is a ruined Roman town in the province of Thracia (Thrace) near to the modern village of Garmen on the left bank of the Mesta river, in Garmen Municipality, Bulga ...

on 22 February of that same year.

Cardinalate

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

created him

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

of S. Agnese fuori le mura 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 15 December 1958, and Confalonieri was later appointed

Archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogo ...

of the

Liberian Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. The largest Marian church in Rome, it is ...

on 16 November 1959. In 1961 he was made Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. From 1962 to 1965, Confalonieri attended the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

. He was also one of the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave, which selected

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

. He later ascended to Pro-Prefect (1966) and shortly afterwards Prefect (15 August 1967) of the Consistorial, which Pope Paul renamed the Congregation for Bishops on 1 August 1967. He was also President of the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral of Emigration and Tourism from 30 April 1970 until 25 February 1973, when he resigned all of his posts. Confalonieri was promoted to Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina on 15 March 1972. He became Vice-Dean of the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...

on 7 January 1974, and finally its Dean on 12 December 1977. His appointment as Dean of the College of Cardinals entailed the title of the

suburbicarian see The seven suburbicarian dioceses (, ) are Catholic dioceses located in the vicinity of Rome, whose ( titular) bishops are the (now six) ordinary members of the highest-ranking order of cardinals, the cardinal bishops (to which the cardinal patriar ...

of Ostia, which he took in addition to his first suburbicarian see. As Dean, he led the funeral Masses for Paul VI as well as

Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I (born Albino Luciani; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal h ...

. Confalonieri was not able to participate in the conclaves of

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...

and October 1978 for he had exceeded the age limit of 80 to be an eligible elector. However, he was the first to suggest the name of Albino Luciani, who was elected John Paul I, during the period before the August conclave. He complimented Luciani's speech and writing, also saying "the Church has chosen well" in selecting him for the papacy.

Later life and death

He was considered a moderate in his views.''Time''
Election Trends
14 June 1963 At the conclave of 1963, Confalonieri was seen as a possible candidate for a transitional pope, one who is not likely to effect great change during his tenure. Yet his lack of pastoral experience was seen as a hindrance. He died in Rome, at age 93. His funeral Mass was held in

Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the cit ...

three days later, on 4 August, and was presided by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. After his remains were moved to his native Seveso for another funeral Mass on 5 August (presided by

Giovanni Colombo Giovanni Umberto Colombo (6 December 1902 – 20 May 1992) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Milan from 1963 to 1979 and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1965. Biography Early life and pri ...

), Confalonieri was buried next to his parents in their family plot at the Seveso cemetery. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of the

. He was the great-uncle of Cardinal

Matteo Zuppi Matteo Maria Zuppi (; born 11 October 1955) is an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Bologna since 2015. He was previously an auxiliary bishop of Rome from 2012 to 2015. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2019. H ...

Publication

Confalonieri published a moving tribute to

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

with numerous valuable anecdotes.Carlo Confalonieri, Pius XI, vista da vicino, Edizioni S.A.I.E., Torino,1956, Würzburg, 1958

Mountain climbing

*Like his master Pius XI, Confalonieri greatly enjoyed

mountain climbing Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

References

Books

External links

Catholic-Hierarchy
* ttp://www.ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/FUNERJP1.HTM Homily for John Paul I's Funeral Mass {{DEFAULTSORT:Confalonieri, Carlo 1893 births 1986 deaths People from the Province of Monza e Brianza Deans of the College of Cardinals 20th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Ostia Cardinal-bishops of Palestrina Cardinal-bishops of Porto 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops Participants in the Second Vatican Council Apostolic pronotaries Pope Pius XI Conclavists Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education Members of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation Members of the Congregation for Bishops Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants Pontifical Commission for Latin America Cardinals created by Pope John XXIII Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Bishops of L'Aquila Italian military personnel of World War I Prefects of the Dicastery for Bishops Bishops appointed by Pope Pius XII