Michele Lega S.T.D. J.U.D. (1 January 1860 – 16 December 1935) was a Cardinal 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 ...

who served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Discipline of Sacraments.

Early life and priesthood

Michele Lega was born on 1 January 1860 in Brisighella,

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 ...

. His mother was Countess Giulia Baldini di Rimini, his father was Giacomo Lega, an engineer and he was one of five children.Florida International University, Biographies section, ''The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church''
/ref> 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 Faenza and the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare, where he earned

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 ...

s in

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 ...

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and a ''doctorate utriusque iuris'' (in both canon and civil law in 1888. He was ordained on 13 September 1883 in the diocese of Faenza. He served as a faculty member of the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide in Rome from 1887 until 1889. He then held the position of

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

of philosophy until 1890 as well as being assistant professor of

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

from 1888 to 1889. He was a faculty member of the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare from 1889 to 1893. He was made Privy Chamberlain on 11 August 1897. He was a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Codification of Canon Law and thus helped edit the 1917 Code of Canon Law. He was the Dean of the Roman Rota from 1908 until 1914.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Deacon of '' Sant'Eustachio'' in the consistory of 25 May 1914. He was one of the cardinal electors in the conclave of 1914 that elected Pope Benedict XV. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Discipline of Sacraments on 20 March 1920. He also participated in the conclave of 1922 that elected Pope Pius XI. After ten years as a cardinal-deacon he opted for the order of cardinal priests and his deaconry was elevated pro hac vice to title in 1924.

Episcopate

He opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Frascati on 21 June 1926. He was consecrated on 11 July of that year in the Sistine Chapel by Pope Pius XI. His brother Antonio attended the ceremony.

Death

He died in 1935; the funeral took place on 20 December, in the basilica of Ss. XII Apostoli, Rome.

Family

His brother, Antonio Lega was bishop of Cervia and

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Ravenna. His nephew Igino Lega went on to become a priest; he received the Medaglia D’Oro during WWII and was named as a Servant of God.

References

External links

*
Catholic Hierarchy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lega, Michele 1860 births 1935 deaths 20th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Frascati Members of the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments Prefects of the Apostolic Signatura Cardinals created by Pope Pius X People from Brisighella