Tommaso Martinelli

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cardinal name=Tommaso Cardinal Martinelli| dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Sabina (suburbicarian see)|"His Most Reverend Eminence" Tommaso Maria Cardinal Martinelli (4 February 1827 - 30 March 1888) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was former Prefect of the Congregation of Rites.

Tommaso Martinelli was born in the parish of Sant'Anna, Lucca as the son of Cosma Martinelli and Maddalena Pardini. He was the brother of Sebastiano Cardinal Martinelli.

Education

He entered the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) in Lucca in 1842 and was professed on 19 April 1844.

Priesthood

He was ordained on 22 December 1849 in Rome. In the monastery and collegio of St. Augustine, Rome and was lector. He served as regent of studies and of the school in September 1855. He was substitute professor of Scripture at La Sapienza University in Rome in 1856. He was promoted to professor serving from 1862 to 1870. He visited Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Bavaria and Bohemia with the superior general of the order in 1862. He was consultor of the Congregation of the Index in 1864. He was a theologian at the First Vatican Council from 1869 to 1870.

Cardinalate

He was created Cardinal-Deacon of "S. Giorgio in Velabro" by Pope Pius IX in the consistory of December 22 1873. He was appointed as Prefect of the Congregation of Studies on 12 March 1874. He opted for the order of cardinal priests and the title of "Santa Prisca" on 17 September 1875. He was appointed as Prefect of the Congregation of Rites on 18 October 1877. He participated in the conclave of 1878 that elected Pope Leo XIII. He remained at the Congregation for Rites until he was appointed as Prefect of the Congregation of the Index on 15 July 1878. He served as Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from March 15 1883 until March 24 1884.

Episcopate

He opted for the order of cardinal bishops, taking the suburbicarian see of Sabina on 24 March 1884.

Death

He died in 1888, at 6:45 a.m. in Rome, after a brief illness. His body was exposed in the church of S. Agostino, Rome, where the funeral took place on 4 April at 10 a.m. The final absolution was imparted by Carlo Cardinal Sacconi, Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals; eighteen cardinals were also in attendance; the remains were buried in the chapel of his order, Campo Verano cemetery.