Carlo Odescalchi
Encyclopedia
Carlo Odescalchi, was an Italian
prince and priest, archbishop of Ferrara
, cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
and Vicar of the diocese of Rome. Close collaborator of Pope Pius VII
. and of Gregory XVI he renounced his titles in order to become a Jesuit
in 1638.
He was born in Rome
to a family of nobles
. His father, Baldassare, was Duke of Sirmio
and a prince of the Holy Roman Empire
, and his mother was named Valeria Caterina Giustiniani. After being educated at home
by his father, Odescalchi studied in Hungary
from 1798 to 1800, and he earned doctorate
s in civil and canon law
in 1809. He received the clerical tonsure
in 1797 and was eventually ordained
to the priesthood
on December 31, 1808, celebrating his first Mass
on the next day, January 1. After becoming acquainted with Joseph Pignatelli and following Pope Pius VII's
restoration of the Society of Jesus
, he planned on entering the Society but failed due to the resistance of his sister Vittoria, who desperately sought to live near her brother. Pius VII himself agreed with Vittoria and promised Carlo that he could enter at a more appropriate time, but after Vittoria's marriage three years later, Pius decided to keep Carlo and appointed him the papal audit
or.
Pius VII, following his release from France
, sent Odescalchi to Olomouc
in 1815 as a papal legate
to Antonín Colloredo-Waldsee, and again in 1819 to bestow the cardinalatial red biretta
on Rudolf von Habsburg-Lotharingen. From 1815 to 1820, Odescalchi served as audit
or of the Sacra Rota Romana
for Austria
, auditor of the pope, and canon
of St. Peter's Basilica
.
On March 10, 1823, Pius VII appointed Odescalchi the Archbishop of Ferrara and also created him Cardinal Priest
with the title of Santi Apostoli. Odescalchi was consecrated a bishop
on the following May 25 by Cardinal Giulio Maria della Somaglia
, with Cardinals Giuseppe della Porta Rodiani
and Lorenzo Mattei
serving as co-consecrators. He served as the papal legate for the opening of the holy door
of the Lateran Basilica
in the 1825 Holy Year
.
Odescalchi resigned as Archbishop of Ferrara on July 2, 1826. He was then named the Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars
on February 5, 1828.
He was later appointed to two cardinalatial posts on April 15, 1833: Cardinal Bishop of Sabina (which he resigned on November 30, 1838, along with the post of Prefect of Bishops and Regulars), and Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso
(which he resigned on December 19, 1834).
In 1837, Odescalchi submitted to Pope Gregory XVI
his resignation from all his offices to enter the Society of Jesus
, but the Pope refused. Appointed Grand Prior
of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Rome, he again asked the Pope to accept his resignation, which Gregory did this time. After abdicating his cardinalate and episcopate in 1838, Odescalchi finally entered the Jesuit Order on December 6; he took the habit on the following December 8 and professed his vows
on February 2, 1840.
For three years he was much in demand for spiritual retreats to the clergy
and rural missions in the Northern part of Italy. He died at the age of 56, at 10:30 a.m., in a Jesuit school in Modena
. The correspondence that followed his death suggests that many considered him a saint.
Odescalchi, who ordained Gioacchino Pecci
(the future Pope Leo XIII) a priest in 1837, participated in the conclaves
of 1823, 1829, and 1830-31. His beatification
process was commenced in 1927, and remains open.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
prince and priest, archbishop of Ferrara
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio has existed since 1986, when the diocese of Comacchio was combined with the historical archdiocese of Ferrara. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bologna. Ferrara became an archdiocese, though without suffragans, in 1735...
, cardinal
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 Vicar of the diocese of Rome. Close collaborator of Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
. and of Gregory XVI he renounced his titles in order to become a Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1638.
He was born in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to a family of nobles
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. His father, Baldassare, was Duke of Sirmio
Sirmio
Sirmio is a promontory at the southern end of Lake Garda, projecting 3.3 kilometers into the lake. It is celebrated in connection with the Roman poet Catullus, as the large ruins of a Roman villa on the promontory have been supposed to be his country house...
and a prince of the Holy Roman Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
, and his mother was named Valeria Caterina Giustiniani. After being educated at home
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
by his father, Odescalchi studied in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
from 1798 to 1800, and he earned doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s in civil and canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
in 1809. He received the clerical tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
in 1797 and was eventually ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on December 31, 1808, celebrating his first Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
on the next day, January 1. After becoming acquainted with Joseph Pignatelli and following Pope Pius VII's
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
restoration of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, he planned on entering the Society but failed due to the resistance of his sister Vittoria, who desperately sought to live near her brother. Pius VII himself agreed with Vittoria and promised Carlo that he could enter at a more appropriate time, but after Vittoria's marriage three years later, Pius decided to keep Carlo and appointed him the papal audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
or.
Pius VII, following his release from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, sent Odescalchi to Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
in 1815 as a papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
to Antonín Colloredo-Waldsee, and again in 1819 to bestow the cardinalatial red biretta
Biretta
The biretta is a square cap with three or four peaks or horns, sometimes surmounted by a tuft. Traditionally the three peaked biretta is worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy. The four peaked biretta is worn as academic dress by those holding a doctoral degree from a...
on Rudolf von Habsburg-Lotharingen. From 1815 to 1820, Odescalchi served as audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
or of the Sacra Rota Romana
Sacra Rota Romana
The Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae — also called the Sacred Roman Rota, and anciently the Apostolic Court of Audience — is the highest appellate tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church, with respect to both Latin-rite members and the eastern-rite members and is, with respect to judicial trials...
for Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, auditor of the pope, and canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
On March 10, 1823, Pius VII appointed Odescalchi the Archbishop of Ferrara and also created him Cardinal Priest
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...
with the title of Santi Apostoli. Odescalchi was consecrated a bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following May 25 by Cardinal Giulio Maria della Somaglia
Giulio Maria della Somaglia
-External links:*...
, with Cardinals Giuseppe della Porta Rodiani
Latin Patriarch of Constantinople
The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was an office established as a result of Crusader activity in the Near East. The title should not be confused with that of the Patriarch of Constantinople, an office which existed before and after....
and Lorenzo Mattei
Latin Patriarch of Antioch
The Latin Patriarch of Antioch was an office created in 1098 by Bohemund, founder of the Principality of Antioch, one of the crusader states....
serving as co-consecrators. He served as the papal legate for the opening of the holy door
Holy door
Each of the four papal basilicas in Rome has a Holy door . The doors are normally sealed shut from the inside so that they cannot be opened...
of the Lateran Basilica
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
in the 1825 Holy Year
Jubilee (Christian)
The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. In the Biblical Book of Leviticus, a Jubilee year is mentioned to occur every fifty years, in which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be particularly...
.
Odescalchi resigned as Archbishop of Ferrara on July 2, 1826. He was then named the Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars
Congregation (Roman Curia)
A congregation is a type of dicastery of the Roman Curia, the central administrative organism of the Catholic Church....
on February 5, 1828.
He was later appointed to two cardinalatial posts on April 15, 1833: Cardinal Bishop of Sabina (which he resigned on November 30, 1838, along with the post of Prefect of Bishops and Regulars), and Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso
San Lorenzo in Damaso
San Lorenzo in Damaso is a basilica church in Rome, Italy, one of several dedicated to the Roman deacon and martyr Saint Lawrence...
(which he resigned on December 19, 1834).
In 1837, Odescalchi submitted to 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...
his resignation from all his offices to enter the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, but the Pope refused. Appointed Grand Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Rome, he again asked the Pope to accept his resignation, which Gregory did this time. After abdicating his cardinalate and episcopate in 1838, Odescalchi finally entered the Jesuit Order on December 6; he took the habit on the following December 8 and professed his vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
on February 2, 1840.
For three years he was much in demand for spiritual retreats to the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and rural missions in the Northern part of Italy. He died at the age of 56, at 10:30 a.m., in a Jesuit school in Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
. The correspondence that followed his death suggests that many considered him a saint.
Odescalchi, who ordained Gioacchino Pecci
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
(the future Pope Leo XIII) a priest in 1837, participated in the conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of 1823, 1829, and 1830-31. His beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
process was commenced in 1927, and remains open.