Luigi Jacobini (6 January 1832 – 28 February 1887) was an Italian

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Vatican Secretary of State from 1880 until his death; he was elevated to the rank of

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

in 1879.

Biography

Born in Genzano, Lodovico Jacobini studied at the seminary in Albano before being ordained to the priesthood in Rome on 23 September 1854. He then furthered his studies at the ''Sapienza'' University in Rome, where he obtained his doctorate in theology (20 July 1857) and his doctorate in civil and canon law (25 June 1858). Jacobini then entered the Roman Curia, serving as a staff member in the Secretariat of Ecclesiastical Affairs. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness, and also became Secretary of the Congregations of ''Propaganda Fide'', which at that times also was responsible for relations with Oriental Rites. In 1862, he was appointed secretary to the first commission for the preparation of the '' Syllabus''. Later named a canon of the Lateran Basilica, Jacobini served as a referendary on the

Apostolic Signatura The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura () is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the pope himself, who as supreme ecclesiastical judge is the final point of appeal for any ecclesiastical judgment). In additio ...

as well. In 1867, he was charged with the weighty task of gathering and publishing the answers of the world's

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

to the questionnaire for the preparation of the

First Vatican Council The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This, the twentieth ecu ...

. During the Council, Jacobini was secretary of the preparatory commission for Church discipline, also serving as Undersecretary of the Council from 1869 to 1870. On 20 March 1874, Jacobini was appointed Titular Archbishop of ''Thessalonica'' by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 24 March from Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro. He was named

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 or ...

to Austria three days later, on 27 March 1874. Pope Leo XIII created Jacobini Cardinal-Priest of S Maria della Vittoria in the consistory of 19 September 1879. He was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Austrian Order of Sankt Stefan in 1880. On 16 December of that same year, Jacobini was appointed Vatican Secretary of State (essentially the Pope's prime minister) and Administrator of the Wealth of the Holy See. He died in Rome, at age 55, from an illness that had lasted nearly two years. He was buried on 6 March 1887, he is buried in the chapel of the Congregation of Propagation of the Faith in the Campo Verano cemetery. He cousin Angelo Jacobini (1825–1886) was also a cardinal.

Honours

* Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kalākaua I, ''1881''The Royal Tourist—Kalakaua's Letters Home from Tokio to London. Editor: Richard A. Greer. Date: 10 March 1881

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobini, Luigi 1832 births 1887 deaths People from Genzano di Roma 19th-century Italian cardinals 19th-century Italian Roman Catholic titular archbishops Apostolic Nuncios to Austria Cardinal Secretaries of State Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kalākaua Cardinals created by Pope Leo XIII Deaths from diabetes