Maurilio Fossati

Styles of Maurilio Cardinal Fossati
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Turin

Maurilio Fossati (24 May 1876—30 March 1965) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as archbishop of Turin from 1930 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1933.

Biography

Born in Arona, Fossati studied at the seminary in Novara before being ordained to the priesthood on 27 November 1898. He was private secretary to Edoardo Pulciano, bishop of Novara, later Archbishop of Genoa, from 1901 to 1911, the year when Fossati entered the Oblates of Saints Charles and Gaudentius of Novara. Fossati then did pastoral work in Novara until 1914. After serving as a military chaplain during World War I, he was made superior of his order in Varallo Sesia in 1919.

On 24 March 1924, Fossati was appointed Bishop of Nuoro by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 27 April from Archbishop Giuseppe Gamba, and was then Apostolic Administrator of Ogliastra from 1925 to 1927. Fossati was later named Archbishop of Sassari on 2 October 1929, and archbishop of Turin on 11 December 1930.

Pope Pius created him Cardinal-Priest of San Marcello al Corso in the consistory of 13 March 1933. Fossati was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1939 papal conclave (at which he was considered papabile)^[1] which selected Pope Pius XII, and again voted in the 1958 conclave, resulting in the election of Pope John XXIII.

During World War II, the Cardinal was an outspoken opponent of Fascism, and asked that Catholics take Jewish refugees and Gypsies into their homes.^[2] Fossati even convinced the German Army to avoid Turin, thus sparing the city from devastation, in its 1945 retreat.^[2] From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council, and then served as an elector at the conclave of 1963, which selected Pope Paul VI.

Cardinal Fossati died from pneumonia in Turin, at age 88^[2]. He was initially buried at the chapel in the Seminary of Rivoli, but his remains were transferred to the Consolata Shrine in 1977.

References

1. ^ TIME Magazine. Death of a Pope 20 February 1939
2. ^ ^{a b c} TIME Magazine. Milestones 9 April 1965

External links

• Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
• Catholic-Hierarchy

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Luca Canepa	Bishop of Nuoro 1924–1929	Succeeded by Giuseppe Cogoni
Preceded by Cleto Cassani	Archbishop of Sassari 1929–1930	Succeeded by Arcangelo Mazzotti, OFM
Preceded by Giuseppe Gamba	Archbishop of Turin 1930–1965	Succeeded by Michele Pellegrino
Preceded by Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, OCD	President of the Italian Episcopal Conference 1954–1958	Succeeded by Giuseppe Siri

Persondata
Name	Fossati, Maurilio
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1876
Place of birth
Date of death	1965
Place of death