Lodovico Altieri
Encyclopedia
Lodovico Altieri was an Italian Cardinal
and Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
by Pope Leo XII
. In the pontificate of Pope Gregory XVI
he was named qualificator of the Congregation of the Holy Office
while he served as vicar of the School of Santa Maria in Via Lata
. During this time he also served as secretary
of the Congregation of Studies
.
He was appointed titular archbishop of Ephesus on 11 July 1836 by Pope Gregory XVI
and was consecrated on 17 July of that year by Pope Gregory, and appointed Nuncio
to Austria
the next day.
He was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Portico (deaconry elevated pro hac vice
to title) but only in pectore
in the consistory of December 14, 1840. His name was published in the consistory of April 21, 1845. He participated in the conclave of 1846
that elected Pope Pius IX
. He was a member of the triumvirate
that governed Rome between July 1849 and April 1850 after the short-lived Roman Republic
. He was Secretary of the Congregation for Memorials serving from 1855 to 1857. He was appointed Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on 19 March 1857 and held the post until his death. He opted for the order of cardinal bishops, taking the suburbicarian see of Albano
on 17 December 1860. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation of the Index by Pope Pius on 5 September 1861. He was appointed Archpriest
of the Basilica of St. John Lateran
on 8 March 1863. During the cholera epidemic that affected his diocese, he assisted the sick and the dying and he himself contracted the malady, dying in 1867. His funeral took place in the church of Santa Maria in Portico.
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 Holy Roman Church.
Biography
Lodovico Altieri was born as the son of Paluzzo Altieri and Maria Anna di Sassonia in Rome. He was ordained on 24 March 1833. He was created a Privy chamberlainMonsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
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:...
. In the pontificate of 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 named qualificator of the Congregation of the Holy Office
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
while he served as vicar of the School of Santa Maria in Via Lata
Santa Maria in Via Lata
Santa Maria in Via Lata is a church on the Via del Corso , in Rome, Italy.-History:It is claimed that St. Paul spent two years here, in the crypt under the church, whilst under house arrest waiting for his trial. This conflicts with the tradition regarding San Paolo alla Regola...
. During this time he also served as secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the Congregation of Studies
Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education is the Pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: seminaries and houses of formation of...
.
He was appointed titular archbishop of Ephesus on 11 July 1836 by 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...
and was consecrated on 17 July of that year by Pope Gregory, and appointed Nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
the next day.
He was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Portico (deaconry elevated pro hac vice
Pro hac vice
Pro hac vice , Latin: "for this occasion" or "for this event", is a legal term usually referring to a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction but has been allowed to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction.The right to appear pro hac vice is not...
to title) but only in pectore
In pectore
In pectore is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope when the name of the newly appointed cardinal is not publicly revealed...
in the consistory of December 14, 1840. His name was published in the consistory of April 21, 1845. He participated in the 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...
that 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...
. He was a member of the triumvirate
Triumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
that governed Rome between July 1849 and April 1850 after the short-lived Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. He was Secretary of the Congregation for Memorials serving from 1855 to 1857. He was appointed Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on 19 March 1857 and held the post until his death. He opted for the order of cardinal bishops, taking the suburbicarian see of Albano
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
on 17 December 1860. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation of the Index by Pope Pius on 5 September 1861. He was appointed Archpriest
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
of the Basilica of St. John Lateran
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...
on 8 March 1863. During the cholera epidemic that affected his diocese, he assisted the sick and the dying and he himself contracted the malady, dying in 1867. His funeral took place in the church of Santa Maria in Portico.