Gaetano Bisleti S.T.D. (20 March 1856 – 30 August 1937) was a

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and was former Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education.

Biography

Gaetano Bisleti was born in

Veroli Veroli () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, central Italy, in the Latin Valley. History Veroli (''Verulae'') became a Ancient Rome, Roman municipium in 90 BC. It became the seat of a bishopric in 743 AD, and was occupi ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. He was educated at 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 ...

of Tivoli and the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles, where he obtained a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

in 1879. Bisleti was ordained on 20 September 1878. He was appointed Canon and

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...

of the cathedral chapter of Veroli where he served until 1884. He was created Privy chamberlain de numero participantium on 20 December 1884. He was raised to the level of Domestic prelate and master of papal chamber on 29 May 1901. He was awarded the numerous orders and decorations: * Commander of the Order of the Crown of Prussia * Commander of the Order of Ferdinand IV of Tuscany *Commander of the Order of the Crown of Siam *Grand Cross of the Royal Saxon Albrecht Order 09.03.1906 * Knight grand Cross in the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa. 1909 *medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. In May and June 1907, when Bisleti was still a Monsignor and Maggiodomo di Sua Santita, the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury (1862-1947) who was in Rome painting a large portrait of Pope Pius X (North American College, Via dei Umilta, Rome), and had painted two portraits of Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, also completed a portrait of Bisleti, a fact that was recorded in the New York Herald on Sunday 27 December 1908.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed

Cardinal-Deacon 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. Ca ...

of '' S. Agata in Suburra'' by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

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 27 November 1911. He served as Grand prior of the

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from 2 January 1914. He participated in the conclave of 1914 that elected

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

. Pope Benedict appointed him as the first Prefect of the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities on 1 December 1915. He was a Cardinal Elector in the conclave of 1922 that elected

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 ...

. As cardinal protodeacon he announced the election of Pius XI and crowned the new pope with the Papal Tiara on 12 February 1922. In October 1911 he married the future Emperor of Austria-Hungary

Charles I of Austria Charles I (, ; 17 August 1887 – 1 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV), and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from November 1916 until the monarchy was abolished in November 1918. He was the ...

(from the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

family) with his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma. He was Cardinal Protodeacon, that is the longest serving Cardinal Deacon from 1916 until 1928. He then opted for the order of cardinal priests and his deaconry was elevated

pro hac vice Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional". Pro, PRO or variants thereof might also refer to: People * Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest * Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter * Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retire ...

to title on 17 December 1928. He died in 1937 in Grottaferrata.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bisleti, Gaetano 1856 births 1937 deaths People from Veroli 20th-century Italian cardinals Protodeacons Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy alumni Cardinals created by Pope Pius X People from Grottaferrata