- Serafino Cretoni
infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Serafino Cardinal Cretoni
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=none |Serafino Cardinal Cretoni (
September 4 ,1833 —February 3 ,1909 ) was an Italianprelate of theRoman Catholic Church . He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1896.Biography
Serafino Cretoni was born in Soriano, and studied at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of "S. Apollinare", from where he obtained his doctorate in theology. He also studied and was fluent in English, French, Greek, and Spanish. Ordained to the priesthood in 1857, Cretoni then taught
philosophy at the Pontifical Urban Athenaeum of "Propaganda Fide" inRome . He also served as Vice-Substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, and asSecretary of the commission for Oriental affairs at theFirst Vatican Council (1869-1870).Cretoni was named a canon of the Liberian Basilica and of
St. Peter's Basilica before becomingArchivist of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. In 1877, he was sent byPope Pius IX to attend the general chapter of the ArmenianMechitarists inVenice . Cretoni was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness onMay 21 ,1878 , and madeUndersecretary of State onSeptember 19 ,1879 . He later became Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, in the section of Oriental rites, onNovember 16 ,1880 , andAssessor of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office onMarch 20 ,1889 .On
January 16 ,1893 , Simeoni was appointed Titular Archbishop of "Damascus" byPope Leo XIII , receiving his episcopal consecration on the followingFebruary 5 from Raffaele Cardinal Monaco La Valetta. Simeoni was namedNuncio toSpain onMay 9 of that same year, and created Cardinal Priest of "S. Maria sopra Minerva" by Pope Leo in theconsistory ofJune 22 ,1896 .From
April 19 ,1900 toApril 15 ,1901 , he served as Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals. The Cardinal was appointedPrefect of theSacred Congregation of Indulgences and Relics onOctober 23 ,1900 , and of the Sacred Congregation of Rites onJanuary 7 ,1903 . He also participated in the papal conclave of 1903, which selectedPope Pius X .Cardinal Cretoni died in Rome, at the age of 75. After an exposition in the church of "S. San Carlo ai Catinari", he was buried at
Campo di Verano cemetery .External links
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcretoni.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1896.htm#Cretoni Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
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