Gabriele della Genga Sermattei
Encyclopedia
Gabriele della Genga Sermattei (born 4 December 1801, died 10 February 1861) was a Catholic Cardinal
and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
.
. He was the son of Count Filippo della Genga and nephew of Annibale della Genga (Pope Leo XII
).
He was educated at the Jesuit College, in Orvieto
where he received a doctorate in utroque iuris, both civil and canon law.
to Pope Pius VIII
and then Pope Gregory XVI
. He was also named Relator of the S. Consulta. Canon of the patriarchal Lateran basilica.
He was elected titular archbishop of Berito in 1833 and was consecrated by Cardinal Bartolomeo Pacca. He was promoted to the archiepiscopal see of Ferrara
the following year in 1834.
He participated in the Papal Conclave of 1846
which elected Pope Pius IX
and was the head of the group of three cardinals that governed Rome during the pope's absence in Gaeta
between 1849 and 1850.
From 1858 to 1859 he held the position of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
.
He also held the following titles:
.
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
The Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals was the treasurer of that body.He administered all property, fees, funds and revenue belonging to the College of Cardinals, celebrated the requiem Mass for a deceased cardinal and was charged with the registry of the Acta Consistoralia.It is...
.
Personal life
Sermattei was born on 4 December 1801 in AssisiAssisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
. He was the son of Count Filippo della Genga and nephew of Annibale della Genga (Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII , born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga, was Pope from 1823 to 1829.-Life:...
).
He was educated at the Jesuit College, in Orvieto
Orvieto
Orvieto is a city and comune in Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff...
where he received a doctorate in utroque iuris, both civil and canon law.
Priesthood
Sermattei was ordained on 26 September 1830 and was appointed domestic prelatePrelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
to Pope Pius VIII
Pope Pius VIII
Pope Pius VIII , born Francesco Saverio Castiglioni was Pope in 1829 and 1830.-Biography:He was born in Cingoli, Marche, the son of Count Ottavio Castiglioni and his wife Sanzia Ghislieri. He studied Canon law and, in 1800 became bishop of Montalto...
and then Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
. He was also named Relator of the S. Consulta. Canon of the patriarchal Lateran basilica.
He was elected titular archbishop of Berito in 1833 and was consecrated by Cardinal Bartolomeo Pacca. He was promoted to the archiepiscopal see of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
the following year in 1834.
Cardinalate
Sermattei was elevated to cardinal and appointed cardinal-priest of San Giorlamo degli Schiavoni in 1836.He participated in the Papal Conclave of 1846
Papal conclave, 1846
The death of Pope Gregory XVI on 1 June 1846 triggered the Papal conclave of 1846. Fifty of the 62 members of the College of Cardinals assembled in the Quirinal Palace, one of the papal palaces in Rome and the seat of two earlier 19th century conclaves...
which elected Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
and was the head of the group of three cardinals that governed Rome during the pope's absence in Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
between 1849 and 1850.
From 1858 to 1859 he held the position of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
The Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals was the treasurer of that body.He administered all property, fees, funds and revenue belonging to the College of Cardinals, celebrated the requiem Mass for a deceased cardinal and was charged with the registry of the Acta Consistoralia.It is...
.
He also held the following titles:
- Prefect of the Sacred Consulta of Bishops and Religious (1852)
- Prefect of the Sacred Consulta of Religious Discipline (1856)
- Secretary of Apostolic Briefs (1860)
- Grand chancellor of the Pontifical Equestrian Orders.
Death, burial and funeral
Sermattei died on 10 February 1861 in Rome. As per tradition, he was exposed and then buried, according to his will, in the church of S. Lorenzo in Lucina. His funeral was attended by Pope Pius IXPope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
.
See also
- College of CardinalsCollege of CardinalsThe College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...