Clarissimo Falconieri Mellini
Encyclopedia
Clarissimo Falconieri Mellini (born 25 September 1794, died 22 August 1859) was a Catholic Cardinal
and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
.
. He was a relative of Cardinals Lelio Falconieri
(1643) and Alessandro Falconieri (1724). His great-great-grandfather was Duke Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere
.
He was educated at the Collegio Tolomei in Siena
, the Collegio Romano in Rome
and the La Sapienza University in Rome
where he received a doctorate in utroque iuris (both civil and canon law)in 1824.
He was elected Archbishop of Ravenna
and was consecrated in 1826 by Pope Leo XII
.
of 12 February 1838. He participated in the Papal Conclave of 1846
which elected Pope Pius IX
and was made Secretary of Memorials in 1857.
Mellini was appointed Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
in 1859 .
and was exposed and buried in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Ravenna.
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
Mellini was born on 25 September 1794 in Rome, the son of Marquis Alessandro Falconieri Mellini and Marianna Lante Montefeltro della Rovere, of the dukes of BomarzoBomarzo
Bomarzo is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo , in the lower valley of the Tiber. It is located 14.5 km ENE of Viterbo and 68 km NNW of Rome.-History:...
. He was a relative of Cardinals Lelio Falconieri
Lelio Falconieri
Lelio Falconieri was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.-Family and early life:Falconieri was born in 1585 in Florence, the tenth of the thirteen children of Paolo Falconieri and his second wife Maddalena degli Albizzi. He was the brother of Don Orazio Falconieri who purchased the Villa Falconieri and...
(1643) and Alessandro Falconieri (1724). His great-great-grandfather was Duke Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere
Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere
Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere was an Italian nobleman and Duke of Bomarzo.-Biography:Lante was the son of Marcantonio Lante and his wife Lucrezia della Rovere. He was nephew to his father's brother, Cardinal Marcello Lante della Rovere...
.
He was educated at the Collegio Tolomei in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, the Collegio Romano 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...
and the La Sapienza University 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...
where he received a doctorate in utroque iuris (both civil and canon law)in 1824.
Priesthood
Mellini was ordained on 19 September 1818 and was named an Auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota.He was elected Archbishop of Ravenna
Archdiocese of Ravenna
The Archdiocese of Ravenna was a Roman Catholic diocese in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The archdiocese was erected in the 1st century as a diocese, and was elevated to an archdiocese in the 5th century. Among its famous archbishops are Saint Peter Chrysologus, a Doctor of the Church, and Saint Guido...
and was consecrated in 1826 by 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:...
.
Cardinalate
Mellini was elevated to cardinal-priest in the consistoryConsistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 12 February 1838. 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 made Secretary of Memorials in 1857.
Mellini was appointed 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...
in 1859 .
Death
Mellini died on 22 August 1859 at RavennaRavenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
and was exposed and buried in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Ravenna.
See also
- VaticanHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
- 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...
- Catholic Church