Sebastiano Martinelli

Sebastiano Martinelli OESA ( born August 20, 1848 in Borgo Sant'Anna in Lucca, † July 4, 1918 in Rome ) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church.

Martinelli took 16 years to enter the seminary of the Augustinian Order. He was elected in 1889 and 1896, Prior General of the Augustinian Order. In 1896, he received episcopal consecration and was approved by Leo XIII. appointed Titular Archbishop of Ephesus, and called to the second apostolic delegate in the United States. Pope Leo XIII. created him cardinal in 1901 and appointed him in 1902 as Cardinal Priest of Sant'Agostino. In 1903 he took part in the conclave that elected Pope Pius X.. 1909 -1918 was the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of Rites. At the conclave of 1914 Martinelli could not attend because he was ill. Sebastiano Martinelli was the brother of Cardinal Tommaso Maria Martinelli, who was elevated to cardinal in 1873.