Giuseppe Capece Zurlo

Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo OTheat (* January 3, 1711 in Monteroni di Lecce, † December 31, 1801 in Naples) was Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal.

Life

Background and study years

Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo was born into the family of the princes of Zurlo and was the youngest of six children of Prince Giacomo Capece Zurlo. The age of eleven, he attended the School San Paolo in Naples, which was conducted by the Order of Theatines. In 1727 he entered the Order at this also. After he became a deacon in 1733, he studied theology and philosophy, and finally received on 19 December 1733 ordination. In the following years Capece Zurlo taught theology and philosophy, and rose up in the Order hierarchy. When he was in 1756 elected as the General of the Order, Pope Benedict XIV appointed him bishop.

As Bishop and Cardinal

On May 24, 1756 he became Bishop of Calvi, three days later Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo was in Rome the episcopal ordination by the former Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Giuseppe Spinelli. His bishopric he held for 26 years before he became Archbishop of Naples 1782 on 16 December. On the same day it took Pope Pius VI. on the College of Cardinals. Capece Zurlo introduced some reforms in the archdiocese. So he tried the formation of the clergy annul by a new regulation that guaranteed the freedom of conscience seminarians. Nevertheless, he was largely unable to respond to the then social problems. In 1799 he stood on the side of the French Republic, in which he sought to prevent a reactionary uprising, which was organized by the movement Sanfedismo of Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo Dionigi. That was the reason why the aged Cardinal in the monastery of Monte Vergine in Naples had to live in exile. So Capece Zurlo was unable to attend the conclave 1799-1800, which Pius VII also elected. He died on the last day of the year 1801 nearly 91 years in exile, where he was first also buried. It was not until 1806 were his bones are transferred to the cathedral. His grave is now in the family chapel in the Theatinerkirche San Paolo.

As Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo died, he was 68 years and 45 years of priest bishop.

Awards

• Konstantin Medal (1781 )
• Januariusorden (1790)