The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846)
Consistory of April 15, 1833 (III)


(15) 1. MATTEI, Lorenzo Girolamo (1748-1833)

Birth. May 28, 1748, Rome. Second of the four children of Prince Girolamo Mattei and his second wife, Maria Caterina Altieri. The other siblings were Alessandro (cardinal, 1779), Carlo Maria (canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica); and Maria Eugenia (nun in Regina Coeli. Prince Girolamo had a son, Giuseppe (fourth duke of Giove), from his first wife Anna Maria Falconieri. Nephew of Cardinals Luigi Mattei (1753); and Vincenzo Maria Altieri (1777). Other cardinals of the Mattei family were Girolamo Mattei (1586); Gaspare Mattei (1643); Orazio Mattei (1686); and Ruggero Luigi Emidio Antici Mattei (1875). Another cardinal of the Altieri family was Giambattista Altieri, seniore (1643).

Education. Granted a doctorate in utroque iuris, both civil and canon law, by special grace of His Holiness, on December 29, 1801.

Early life Canon of the patriarchal Vatican basilica in 1771; he kept this position until his death.

Priesthood. Ordained, June 13, 1772. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace. Domestic prelate of His Holiness, 1787. Secretary of the S.C. of Indulgences and Sacred Relics. Canon of the patriarchal Lateran basilica. Secretary of the S.C. of the Apostolic Visit.

Episcopate. Elected titular Latin patriarch of Antioch, September 27, 1822. Consecrated, September 29, 1822, Rome, by Cardinal Giulio Maria della Somaglia, bishop of Ostia e Velletri, dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, assisted by Gianfrancesco Falzacappa, titular archbishop of Atena and secretary of the S.C. of the Council, and by Antonio Baldini, titular archbishop of Neocesarea in Ponto and deputy of the monasteries of Rome. In 1826, he declined the nomination to archbishop of Ferrara.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of April 15, 1833; received the red hat, April 18, 1833; died before the consistory for the assignation of the title which was held July 29, 1833.

Death. July 24, 1833, in the afternoon, Rome. Exposed and buried in the church of S. Maria in Aracoeli, in his family's tomb.

Bibliography. LeBlanc, Jean. Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle : contribution à l'histoire du Sacré Collège sous les pontificats de Pie VII, Léon XII, Pie VIII, Grégoire XVI, Pie IX et Léon XIII, 1800-1903. Montréal : Wilson & Lafleur, 2007. (Collection Gratianus. Série instruments de recherche), p. 612-613; Moroni, Gaetano. Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni. 103 vols. in 53. Venezia : Tipografia Emiliana, 1840-1861, XLIII, 304-306; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp. 26 and 79; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), II, 605.

Webgraphy. His engraving, arms and biography, Wikipedia; his engraving and arms, Araldica Vaticana.

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(16) 1. CASTRACANE DEGLI ANTELMINELLI, Castruccio (1779-1852)

Birth. September 21, 1779, Urbino. Also named Gaetano Castruccio. Of a very ancient noble family of Lucca. Son of Giuseppe Castracane degli Antelminelli and Marchioness Gentilina Honorati. Brother of Innocenzo (1780-1848, bishop of Cervia (1834-1838) and Cesena (1838-1848). Other members of the family elevated to the cardinalate were Giovanni Battista Castrucci (1585); and Bernardino Honorati (1777).

Education. Studied at Collegio dei Nobili, Urbino; at Collegio Romano, Rome; and at the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles (diplomacy), from 1803 to 1807.

Priesthood. Ordained (no information found). Judge in the S.C. of the Fabric of St. Peter's, 1816; also, economous-secretary until 1825. Secretary of the S.C. of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, December 1825. Secretary of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide, 1828. During the papal exile in Gaeta, November 1848 to July 1849, president of an administration commission. Secretary of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of April 15, 1833; received the red hat, April 18, 1833; and the title of S. Pietro in Vincoli, July 29, 1833. Prefect of the S.C. of Indulgences and Relics, December 11, 1834. Pro-secretary of Memorandums, October 7, 1837. Grand penitentiary, November 12, 1839 until his death.

Episcopate. Opted for the order of bishops and the suburbicarian see of Palestrina, January 22, 1844. Consecrated, February 11, 1844, patriarchal Vatican basilica, Rome, by Pope Gregory XVI, assisted by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro, vicar of Rome, and by Cardinal Gabriele Ferretti, prefect of the S.C. of Indulgences and Sacred Relics. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 19, 1846 until 1847. Participated in the conclave of 1846, which elected Pope Pius IX. President of the Governmental Commission, December 1848 to January 1849.

Death. February 22, 1852, Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli; Pope Pius IX attended his funeral; buried, according to his will, in the tomb that Pope Julius II had built for himself in that church.

Bibliography. LeBlanc, Jean. Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle : contribution à l'histoire du Sacré Collège sous les pontificats de Pie VII, Léon XII, Pie VIII, Grégoire XVI, Pie IX et Léon XIII, 1800-1903. Montréal : Wilson & Lafleur, 2007. (Collection Gratianus. Série instruments de recherche), p. 231-232; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp. 26, 38 and 44.

Webgraphy. His engraving, family's arms, inscription on his tomb, and biography in Italian, Wikipedia; . his portrait and biography, in Italian, toward the middle of the page, Biblioteca Digital Marista; his engraving and arms, Araldica Vaticana.

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