Birth. February 23, 1863, Montegiberto, archdiocese of Fermo, Papal State. He spent his youth in the neighboring comune of Moresco, where the family had moved.

Education. Studied at the Archiepiscoal Seminary of Fermo, where he obtained a doctorate in sacred theology.

Priesthood. Ordained, September 19, 1885, Fermo, by Cardinal Amilcare Malagola, archbishop of Fermo. Secretary of Cardinal Malagola, 1885-1895; and of Archbishop Roberto Papiri of Fermo from 1895. Professor of moral philosophy, luoghi teologici and moral theology at the Seminary of Fermo; collegiate doctor of the theological faculty; member of the diocesan philosophical Academy S. Tommaso d'Aquino; official of the archdiocesan curia; canon primicerius of the metropolitan cathedral chapter. Exercised his pastoral ministry with the Catholic Action. President of the Pious Society of Diocesan Missionaries. Director of two schools of religion, for men and women.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Modigliana, April 8, 1908. Consecrated, May 31, 1908, in the cathedral of Fermo, by Carlo Castelli, O.S.C., archbishop of Fermo, assisted by Raimundo Daffei, bishop of Forli, and by Luigi Boschi, bishop of Ripatransone; solemnly entered the diocese on the following November 15. Named secretary of the S.C. for the Discipline of Sacraments, June 8, 1914; took possession of the office the following June 12. Promoted to titular archbishop of Terme, January 22, 1915.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of June 21, 1926; received the red hat and the title of S. Pietro in Vincoli, June 24, 1926. Papal legate to the National Eucharistic Congress, Loreto, Italy, August 30, 1930. Pro-datary, July 29, 1931; datary, September 23, 1933 until his death. Papal legate to the Regional Eucharistic Congress, Piacenza, Italy, July 30, 1933. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, April 1, 1935 until June 15, 1936. He was member of the SS.CC. Consistorial, Oriental Church, Sacraments, Council, Religious, Propaganda Fide and Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs; and of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature.

Death. February 16, 1938, during the night, after having undergone several operations, Rome. Buried in the crypt of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide, Campo Verano cemetery, Rome. Later, his remains were transferred to the parish church of Moresco, Ascoli Piceno (1).

Bibliography. "Cardinali defunti." Annuario pontificio per l'anno 1939. Città del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1939, p. 84; "Luigi Capotosti." Annuario pontificio per l'anno 1936. Città del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1936, p. 40; "Nécrologe. Em. Capotosti (Louis), dataire." Annuaire Pontifical Catholique de 1939. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1939, p. 780; L'Osservatore Romano [electronic resource]. Città del Vaticano : L'Osservatore Romano, LX, n. 141 (June 21-22, 1926), p. 1-2.

Webgraphy. Photographs, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is the text of the inscription on his sarcophagus, kindly provided by Mr. Eman Bonnici, from Malta:

Birth. December 18, 1868, Tortona, Italy. Of a family originally from Lodi. Son of Cavaliere Giuseppe Perosi and Carolina Bernardi. He was one of twelve children of whom only six reached adulthood. His other siblings were: the famous composer of sacred music Lorenzo; Luigi Marziano, a Jesuit and likewise a composer who was maestro di cappella and organist of the cathedral of Milan; and three sisters: Maria Felicina, Maria Pia Giuseppina and Angela.

Education. Studied at the Seminary of Tortona; at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; in Collegio Lombardo, where he resided while in Rome, he was classmate of Luigi Sincero and Mario Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano, future cardinals.

Priesthood. Ordained, November 8, 1891. Further studies, Rome, 1891-1894. In Tortona, 1894-1904, pastoral ministry; professor of philosophy and theology and vice-rector of its seminary; pro-synodal examiner; and administrative counselor of the city hospital. In 1902, at the proposal of Cardinal Girolamo Gotti, O.C.D, prefect of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide, Pope Leo XIII named Father Perosi professor of ecclesiastical history at Collegio Urbaniano of Propaganda Fide, but not wanting to leave his diocese, he resigned. In 1904, Pope Pius X, who knew him from Venice, where he used to visit his brother Lorenzo, then maestro di capella of the patriarchal basilica of S. Marco, granted him a benefice at the patriarchal Vatican basilica and, shortly after, named him consultor of the S.C. of the Tridentine Council and member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Counselor adjunct for the Provincial Councils, Rome, September 21, 1904. Visitor to the seminaries of Sicily, 1907. Domestic prelate of His Holiness, May 15, 1907. Named substitute of the S.C. Consistorial, October 20, 1908, at the proposal of Cardinal Gaetano de Lai, secretary of that congregation; occupied the post until 1911. Named regent of the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, December 7, 1911, at the recommendation of Cardinal Serafino Vannutelli, who had great esteem for Monsignor Perosi. Consultor of the S.C. of the Holy Office in January 1915; and shortly after, canon of the patriarchal Liberian basilica. Assessor of the Supreme S.C. of the Holy Office, December 8, 1916; occupied the post until his promotion to the cardinalate. Canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica, March 6, 1917.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon, June 21, 1926: received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Eustachio, June 24, 1926. His cardinalitial motto was Per Crucem ad lucem. Pro-secretary of the S.C. Consistorial, February 10, 1928; secretary, November 1, 1928. Superior general of the Scalabrinian Fathers (Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo). He was member of the SS.CC. of the Holy Office, Consistorial, Sacraments, Council, Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs and Seminaries and Universities of Study; and of the Pontifical Commission for the Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law.

Death. February 22, 1930, Rome (1). He was the first cardinal to die in Rome after the ratification of the Lateran Treaty; accordingly, for the first time the ceremonial of the capella cardinalizia was celebrated; an intimatio from the prefect of pontifical ceremonies invited all to attend the obsequies, which took place on the following February 26, in the basilica of S. Carlo al Corso, Rome; nineteen cardinals were present; after the removal of the casket from the hearse, Cardinal Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte, sub-dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, received the mortal remains; the funeral mass was celebrated by Raffaelle Carlo Rossi, O.C.D., titular archbishop of Tessalonica, assessor of the S.C. Consistorial; Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli, dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals (who died the following July 9), imparted the absolution in the name of the pope. The late cardinal was buried in Campo Verano cemetery, Rome. In 1959, the remains of the cardinal and those of his brother, who was also buried in the same cemetery, were exhumed and transferred to the cathedral of Tortona, their birthplace (2).

Bibliography. "Cardinali defunti." Annuario pontificio per l'anno 1931. Città del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1931, p. 61; "Nécrologe. E. Perosi (Charles), card. diacre." Annuaire Pontifical Catholique de 1931. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1931, p. 921; L'Osservatore Romano [electronic resource]. Città del Vaticano : L'Osservatore Romano, LX, n. 141 (June 21-22, 1926), p. 2.

Webgraphy. His photograph and arms, Araldica Vaticana; Conferenza Stampa di presentazione dell’ “Anno Perosiano”, Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, 07.06.2022; Un anno in musica nel ricordo di Perosi, L'Osservatore Romano, 07 giugno 2022.

(1) Stricken by high fever, the cause of the aggravation of intoxication of the blood from which he suffered already two years prior following the amputation of his left leg, he spent his last ten days confined to bed, undergoing the eve before his death, surgery in his right leg. However his conditions only took for the worst with the doctors stating that there was nothing else that they could do. Informed of the situation, the cardinal received the last rites from his confessor Father Alisiardi S.J.
(2) This is the text of the inscription on the vault which contains his remains and those of his brother Lorenzo, kindly provided by Mr. Eman Bonnici, from Malta:

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