Alessio Ascalesi
Encyclopedia
Alessio Ascalesi was an Italian Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
and Archbishop of Naples.
, near Naples
. He joined the priesthood and entered the Seminary
of Spoleto
. He was ordained on 8 June 1895. He joined the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood
. He worked as a priest in the diocese of Spoleto from 1895 until 1909, doing pastoral work.
Pope Pius X
appointed him Bishop of Muro Lucano on 29 April 1909. Ascalesi was transferred to see of Sant'Agata dei Goti on 19 June 1911, and was promoted to the metropolitan see of Benevento in 1915.
He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of San Callisto
by Pope Benedict XV
in the consistory
of December 4, 1916. He participated in the conclave of 1922
that elected Pope Pius XI
. Pope Pius transferred him to the metropolitan see of Naples
on 7 March 1924. He also participated in the conclave of 1939
that elected Pope Pius XII
.
He died at Naples in 1952.
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...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Archbishop of Naples.
Biography
Ascalesi was born in CasalnuovoCasalnuovo di Napoli
Casalnuovo di Napoli is a comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 13 km northeast of Naples...
, near Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. He joined the priesthood and entered the Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
. He was ordained on 8 June 1895. He joined the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
. He worked as a priest in the diocese of Spoleto from 1895 until 1909, doing pastoral work.
Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
appointed him Bishop of Muro Lucano on 29 April 1909. Ascalesi was transferred to see of Sant'Agata dei Goti on 19 June 1911, and was promoted to the metropolitan see of Benevento in 1915.
He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of San Callisto
San Callisto
San Callisto is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, Italy, built over the site of Saint Pope Callistus I and the location of his martyrdom. The original building dates form the time of Pope Gregory III who order the building of a church on the site. The church has been rebuilt twice since,...
by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of December 4, 1916. He participated in the conclave of 1922
Papal conclave, 1922
After a reign of just eight years, Pope Benedict XV died on 22 January 1922 of pneumonia. At his death there were 61 members of the College of Cardinals. However, later that same day, Enrique Almaraz y Santos, the Archbishop of Toledo, died, leaving a college of 60 cardinals to elect Pope...
that elected Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. Pope Pius transferred him to the metropolitan see of Naples
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded in the 1st century AD and the diocese was raised to the level of an Archdiocese in the 10th century. Two of Archbishops of Naples have...
on 7 March 1924. He also participated in the conclave of 1939
Papal conclave, 1939
The Papal conclave of 1939 was convoked on the brink of World War II with the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February that year in the Apostolic Palace. With all 62 living cardinals in attendance, the conclave to elect Pius' successor began on 1 March and ended a day later, on 2 March, after three...
that elected Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
.
He died at Naples in 1952.