Zaccaria Delfino
Zaccaria Dolfin ( Delfino ) (* March 29 1527 in Venice, † December 29, 1583 in Rome) was a cardinal and Apostolic Nuncio at the imperial court in Vienna.
As a scion of a Venetian patrician family, he completed his studies in philosophy and jurisprudence at Padua. He was one of at least seven sons of Andrea Dolfin and Deia Mocenigo. At the age of 23 years, Dolfin came into Rome to his ecclesiastical career. Three years later he was appointed ( in Croatia today the diocese of Hvar) on 5 May 1553 Bishop of Lesina. In 1554 Dolfin was sent as papal nuncio to the court of Vienna, where he remained until 1556. In the residence, he was able to establish excellent contacts with the Jesuits, apart from that he advocated to send young men from Bohemia and Germany to study in Rome. In addition, he was a great patron of the Klementinum in Prague. Dolfin sat as Pope Julius III. for the appointment of a Bishop Peter Canisius from Vienna, but all diplomatic efforts in defiance, they chose another candidate. He accompanied Cardinal Morone to the Diet of Augsburg - and as the Cardinals Morone and Steward because of the death of Julius III. returned to Rome, Dolfin was left alone as the representative of the Pope in Augsburg. In 1555 he left for Rome. Paul IV sent him in December 1555 by new to Emperor Ferdinand, who was very weighed him. Dolfin tried the negative effects of the decisions of the Diet of Augsburg to limit the papal church and he was very on the implementation of the reform of the Church. Nevertheless, he had to watch as the Reformed were repeatedly made big concessions from the emperor. The end of 1556 he returned to the papal court, and reported Paul IV on conditions in the kingdom. At the same time he taught from Rome Ferdinand on the Roman situation. On the basis of these contacts, the new Pope Pius IV, since 1559, Dolfin sent again in 1560 to Emperor Ferdinand. His task was to win this for the reopening of the Council of Trent, as the Emperor wanted a new council in Innsbruck. Dolfin finally reached but the approval of Ferdinand for Trent and he traveled thereafter by the German lands, to invite the prelates to the council. He also participated in the meeting of the Protestants in 1561 in Naumburg ( Saale). Here, however, the Protestants refused to fully participating in the Council of Trent. After Dolfin return to Vienna he was papal nuncio again, this time to 1565th
He worked to bring about a positive regulation of the question of the lay chalice and the marriage of priests. In addition, he was commissioned to convey the decisions of the Council of Trent the German clergy. On March 12, 1565 Dolfin was made a cardinal with the title of Santa Maria in diakonia Aquiro 1578 he switched to the titular church of Santo Stefano al Monte Celio and 1579 for the titular church of Santa Anastasia. Under Gregory XIII. He received the 1573 Vice protectorate over the German nation.
On Dolfin the proposal goes back to send Nuncios to southern Germany, from which eventually developed the Nunciature in Graz. After his death on December 29, 1583, he was buried in Rome in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
Some said at the time that he was a man who wanted to serve two masters - the emperor and the pope.