Aristide Rinaldini

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Aristide Cardinal Rinaldini
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=none |

Aristide Cardinal Rinaldini (February 5, 1844—February 11, 1920) was an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Nuncio to Spain from 1899 to 1907, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1907.

Biography

Born in Montefalco, Aristide Rinaldini studied at the seminary of the Vatican (1860-1862), "Almo Collegio Capranica" in Rome (1862-1868), and the Pontifical Gregorian University, from where he obtained his doctorate in philosophy and licentiate in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1868, and then served as secretary of the nunciature to Portugal until 1872.

Within the nunciature to Belgium, Rinaldini served as secretary from 1872 to 1880. He remained in Belgium as a "private agent" after the liberal cabinet of Prime Minister Walthère Frère-Orban broke diplomatic relations with the Holy See and the nuncio, Serafino Vannutelli, left for Rome. Rinaldini subsequently served as "chargé d'affaires" (1880-1885) and auditor (1887) in the nunciature. Following his elevation to a protonotary apostolic "ad instar participantium", he was the Internuncio to the Netherlands from 1887 to 1893; Rinaldini also became Internuncio to Luxembourg in January 1891. He returned to his native Italy upon being made Substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State on May 31, 1893, and remained in that position for three years.

On August 14, 1896, Rinaldini was appointed Nuncio to Belgium and Titular Archbishop of "Heraclea in Europa" by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 30 from Mariano Cardinal Rampolla del Tindaro, with Bishops Guglielmo Pifferi, OSA and Vincenzo Veneri (Rinaldini's own cousin) serving as co-consecrators. Bauer was later named Nuncio to Spain on December 28, 1899. He acted as the papal legate to the baptism of the Prince of Asturias on May 18, 1907.

Pope Pius X created him Cardinal Priest of "S. Girolamo degli Schiavoni" in the consistory of April 15, 1907. Rinaldini was Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals on December 2, 1912 to May 25, 1914, and was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1914 papal conclave, which selected Pope Benedict XV.

The Cardinal died in Rome, at the age of 76. He is buried in the chapel of the Reverend Fabric of St. Peter's at the Campo di Verano cemetery.

External links

* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-r.htm#Rinaldini Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brina.html Catholic-Hierarchy]