Ignazio Busca
Ignazio Busca ( born August 31, 1731 in Milan, † August 12, 1803 in Rome ) was a Cardinal and Cardinal Secretary of State of the Roman Catholic Church. His attitude toward the French Revolution made in 1796 for the first French occupation of the Papal States.
Life
Up to priestly ordination
Ignazio Busca, son of a Milanese noble family, studied civil and canon law at the University La Sapienza in Rome. In 1759 he was Speaker of the Apostolic Signatura. Beginning in 1760 he became governor of Rieti, 1764-1766, he held the same position in Fabiano. Pope Clement XIII. awarded him in 1767 the title of Pontifical domestic prelates. In August 1775, he was first subdeacon and eventually was ordained a priest.
Time as Apostolic Nuncio and governor of Rome
Pope Pius VI. Busca proclaimed on 11 September 1775 Titular Archbishop of Hemesa. He received episcopal consecration six days later by Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart. Co-consecrators were Francesco Maria Piccolomini and Stefano Evodio Assemani. In September 1775, he was Apostolic Nuncio in Flanders. 1781 Emperor Joseph II issued an edict by which the Nunciature was under the responsibility of the Dukes of Limburg and Luxembourg now. Busca informed the Pope about the decision, but did not protest. In addition, he was Vicar Apostolic of the Dutch mission. He first showed diplomatic skill, but underestimated the importance of Jansenism in Holland and Flanders. In 1785 he returned as governor of Rome back to the Vatican. It was an office which Busca personally appealed because he was an expert for the internal administration of the Papal States. He held it up to his Cardinal survey.
Cardinal and Cardinal Secretary of State
In the consistory of March 30, 1789 Pius VI took. him to the College of Cardinals to a cardinal priest of Santa Maria della Pace. Cardinal Busca was then Protector of several churches, monasteries and universities in Italy. From 1791 to 1792 he was treasurer of the College of Cardinals. In December 1795 his titular church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was assigned. In August 1796, he became Cardinal Secretary of State. As Pius VI. leaned Cardinal Busca, the ideas of the French Revolution from uncompromising. However, its hostile policy ensured that the French occupied the Papal States. He therefore tried to conclude an alliance with the Emperor Joseph II, but in vain. The occupation could only be completed in March 1797 with the Treaty of Tolentino, who demanded a lot of territory to the pope and to the Secretary of State exercised his fierce criticism. So he tried in vain to avert the crumbling of the structure of the Papal States. Busca, who felt responsible for what happened, the Pope then offered the resignation of his office. Pius VI. refused at first, but Cardinal Busca resubmitted a letter of resignation a what the pope finally accepted. With Doria Pamphili Giuseppe Maria finally a successor was appointed, who owned more diplomatic sensitivity towards France as Busca.
Later years and death
Following the resignation in March 1797, his influence declined dramatically. 1798 occupied France again Rome and proclaimed the Roman Republic. Cardinal Busca had zunächsr into the Kingdom of Naples, and finally fled to Palermo, his library collection was transferred to France. After the death of Pius VI. in August 1799, he traveled to Venice to attend to 1799-1800 at the conclave in which Pius VII was elected. In 1800 he returned to Rome and was instrumental in the reorganization of the Vatican congregations and the reconstruction of the church state administration. He died three years later in Rome and was buried in his titular church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.