Roberto Vicentini (30 June 1878 – 10 October 1953) was an Italian prelate of the

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 spent his career in the

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

. He also worked in the diplomatic service of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

from 1921 to 1924.

Biography

Roberto Vicentini was born on 30 June 1878 in

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of the Province of L'Aquila and the Abruzzo region in Italy. , it has a population of 69,902. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the A ...

, Italy. He taught at the

Pontifical Lateran University The Pontifical Lateran University (; ), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. The university ...

. He held positions in the

Tribunal of the Roman Rota The Roman Rota, formally the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota (), and anciently the Apostolic Court of Audience, is the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church, with respect to both Latin Church members and the Eastern Catholic m ...

, as substitute beginning 2 August 1910 and as promoter of justice beginning 20 December 1915. On 3 May 1921,

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 ...

named him Apostolic Internuncio to the Netherlands and titular archbishop of Helenopolis in Palaestina. He received his episcopal consecration on 19 May 1921 from Cardinal

Pietro Gasparri Pietro Gasparri (5 May 1852 – 18 November 1934) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, diplomat and politician in the Roman Curia and the signatory of the Lateran Pacts. He served also as Cardinal Secretary of State under Popes Benedict XV and Pope ...

. On 2 May 1922, he was appointed

Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia The Apostolic Nunciature to Colombia the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Colombia. It is located in Bogotá. The current Apostolic Nuncio is Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, who was named to the position by Pope Francis on 27 September 20 ...

. He resigned from that post on 28 October 1924. On 14 December 1925,

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 ...

gave him the title

Patriarchate of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has ...

, becoming the last person to hold the title. The post remained vacant from his death until it was suppressed in 1964. He also became vicar of

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 ...

, which gave him a prominent role in the funeral of Pius XI and the inauguration of

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 ...

, especially in the latter since he substituted for the archpriest of the basilica, a post that had just been vacated by the new pope. Vicentini died in Vatican City on 10 October 1953 at the age of 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vicentini, Roberto 1878 births 1953 deaths People from L'Aquila Officials of the Roman Curia Apostolic nuncios to Colombia Apostolic nuncios to the Netherlands