Serafino Cretoni

Serafino Cardinal Cretoni ( born September 4, 1833 in Soriano nel Cimino, † February 3, 1909 in Rome) was cardinal.

Life

Cretoni studied at the Pontifical Athenaeum San Apollinare, where he received his doctorate doctor of theology. He learned and spoke fluent English, French, Greek and Spanish. After ordination in 1857, he taught philosophy at the Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide. He also served as Vice - substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State and the Secretary of the Commission for Eastern Affairs during the First Vatican Council ( 1869-1870 ).

He was a canon of the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Peter's Basilica and later archivist of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide. Pius IX. sent him in 1877 to Venice to take part in the religious section of the Armenian Mechitarists. The Pope raised him on 21 May 1878 in the rank of domestic prelates of His Holiness and made him on September 19, 1879 Under Secretary of State. He was born on November 16, 1880 Secretary of the Congregation de Propaganda Fide in the Department of Oriental rites and on March 20, 1889 Assessor of the Congregation of the Roman and general inquisition.

On January 16, 1893, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Damascus and on 9 May the same year as apostolic nuncio in Spain. He received his episcopal consecration of the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for ceremonies, Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta, on 5 February of the same year. Leo XIII. took him on 22 June 1896 as cardinal priest in the Sacred College, and he received on 3 December of the same year the titular church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. He participated in the conclave of 1903 that elected Pope Pius X.. Since 1903 until his death he was Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

After the death of pneumonia and the lying in state in the church of San Carlo ai Catinari he was buried in the cemetery Campo Verano.