- Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini
Celso Benigno Luigi Cardinal Costantini (
April 3 ,1876 —October 17 ,1958 ) was an Italianprelate of theRoman Catholic Church . He served as Apostolic Chancellor from 1964 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 byPope Pius XII .Biography
Born in
Zoppola , Celso Costantini studied inRome , where he obtained hisdoctorate s inphilosophy and theology. He was ordained to the priesthood onDecember 26 ,1899 , and then did pastoral work in Concordia, where he also served as capitular vicar, until 1914. DuringWorld War I , Costantini was a militarychaplain in theItalian Army . He served as Concordia'svicar general from 1919 to 1920, when he was madeApostolic Administrator ofFiume onMay 10 .OnJuly 22 ,1921 , Costantini was appointed Titular Bishop of "Hierapolis in Phrygia" byPope Benedict XV . He received his episcopal consecration on the followingAugust 24 from Pietro Cardinal LaFontaine, with Bishops Angelo Bartolomasi and Luigi Paulini serving asco-consecrator s. Costantini was later named the firstApostolic Delegate toChina onAugust 12 ,1922 , being advanced to Titular Archbishop of "Theodosiopolis in Arcadia" the next month, onSeptember 9 . During his time in China, he called for the firstepiscopal conference inShanghai in 1924, made constitutions for the mission in China, helped the foundation ofFu Jen Catholic University and the episcopal promotion of six Chinese priests, and instituted several regional major seminaries.In 1931, he founded the Congregation of the Disciples of the Lord (
March 31 ) and became the LatinOrdinary ofHarbin (May 28 ). After departing from China in 1933, Costantini entered the service of theRoman Curia , being appointedSecretary of the Congregation for Propagation of Faith onDecember 20 ,1935 . As Secretary, he was the second-highest official of thatdicastery , under CardinalPietro Fumasoni Biondi .Pope Pius XII created himCardinal Priest of "Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo" in theconsistory ofJanuary 12 ,1953 . OnMay 22 ,1954 , the Cardinal was named Apostolic Chancellor, opting for the cardinalatial title of "S. Lorenzo in Damaso" onJune 9 ,1958 .He died in Rome, at age 82. He is buried next to his brother Giovanni, who also entered religion, in his native Zoppola.
External links
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcostc.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-c.htm#Costantini Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.cdd.org.tw/English/cdd-e2.htm Congregatio Discipulorum Domini]
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