The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary

The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Leo XII (1823-1829)
Consistory of September 27, 1824 (II)

(3) 1. GAISRUCK, Karl Kajetan (1769-1846)

Birth. August 7, 1769, Klangefurt, diocese of Gurk, Austria. Baptized on that same day. Received the sacrament of confirmation, September 10, 1780; insignias of the clerical character and minor orders, August 15, 1788; subdiaconate, December 26, 1795; diaconate, December 23, 1797.

Education. First studies, Buda and Salzburg; Collegium Germanicum, Pavia; University of Salzburg, Salzburg (doctorates in liberal arts and philosophy; also studied theology and canon law).

Priesthood. Elected canon of the cathedral chapter of Passau, September 15, 1788; capitular, 1797. Ordained, July 6, 1800. Pastor of Sankt Martin, Kallham, diocese of Linz.

Episcopate. Elected titular bishop of Derbe and appointed suffragan of Passau, July 20, 1801. Consecrated, Sunday August 23, 1801, Passau, by Leopold von Thun, bishop of Passau, assisted by (no information found). Promoted to the metropolitan see of Milan, March 16, 1818.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 27, 1824; received the red hat, May 18, 1829; and the title of S. Marco, May 21, 1829. Participated in the conclave of 1829, which elected Pope Pius VIII. Participated in the conclave of 1830-1831, which elected Pope Gregory XVI. Decorated with the grand cross of the Austrian Order of Sankt Stefan, 1838. Arrived at the conclave of 1846 when Cardinal Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti had already been elected Pope Pius IX; was bringing the veto of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary against the election of Cardinal Mastai Ferretti.

Death. November 19, 1846, Milan. Exposed and buried in the metropolitan cathedral.

Bibliography. Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp. 18, 42, 174 and 259.

Links. Theatrical piece about him; and brief biographical data, in German.

(4) 2. SILVA, O.E.S.A., Patrício da (1756-1840)

Birth. September 15, 1756, Pinheiros, diocese of Leiria, Portugal. His parents were so poor that to obtain means of subsistence, he had to enter the convent of the Hermits of Saint Augustine in Leiria, as a servant. Because of his intelligence, inclination towards studying, and his religious vocation, he was admitted to make the profession in the order.

Education. Entered the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine. University of Coimbra, Coimbra (doctorate in theology, July 31, 1785).

Priesthood. Ordained, December 21, 1780. Lector of theology and Sacred Scriptures, University of Coimbra, for many years. Rector of the school of his order in Lisbon. Royal preacher and, also, preacher of the house of the Infantado. Chaplain of the royal chapel of Bemposta Palace. Ecclesiastical censor of the patriarchate of Lisbon. Deputy to the Junta do Melhoramento. Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon. Professor of theology at the Seminary of Santarém. Inspector of studies of the patriarchate of Lisbon. It has been said that he was a mason.

Episcopate. Presented by the king of Portugal for the see of Castelo Branco, May 13, 1818. The canonical process was completed on April 27, 1819, but it did not take effect because on May 3, 1819, the king presented him for the metropolitan see of Évora; preconized, February 21, 1820. Consecrated, April 30, 1820, Lisbon, by José António Pinto de Mendoça Arrais, bishop of Guarda. Member of the junta established by decree of June 18, 1823, to prepare the project of a new fundamental charter of the monarchy. When the Abrilada occurred on April 30, 1824, King João VI named him minister and secretary of ecclesiastical affairs and of justice, May 14, 1824 to January 15, 1825. Charged with delivering a message to Queen Carlota Joaquina from her husband urging her to leave the kingdom, June 22, 1824; she never complied. Royal counselor.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 27, 1824; never received the red hat and the title. Transferred to the patriarchal see of Lisbon, March 13, 1826. Member of the Council of Regency named by King João VI on April 6, 1826 to govern the kingdom after his death, which occurred four days later. Vice-president of the Chamber of Peers, 1826. Did not participate in the conclave of 1829, which elected Pope Pius VIII. Did not participate in the conclave of 1830-1831, which elected Pope Gregory XVI. In spite of the political unrest that took place in 1828 and 1834, he was never forced to emigrate because of the high regard in which he was kept by both liberals and conservatives.

Death. January 3, 1840, Lisbon. Exposed in the patriarchal and metropolitan cathedral of Lisbon and buried in the church of São Vicente da Fora, Lisbon.

Links. Biographical data, in Portuguese; and another brief biography, also in Portuguese, in Os Cardeais Portugueses - Nota Histórica.

(5) 3. FERRERO DELLA MARMORA, Teresio Maria Carlo Vittorio (1757-1831)

Birth. October 15, 1757, Turin, Piedmont.

Education. University of Turin (doctorate in utroque iuris, both civil and canon law, April 28, 1779).

Priesthood. Ordained, June 9, 1781. Member of Collegio di Filosofia, 1786. Synodal examiner in Turin. Almoner of the King of Sardinia.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Casale Monferrato, June 27, 1796. Consecrated, July 3, 1796, Rome, by Cardinal Giacinto Sigismondo Gerdil, B. When the inhabitants of Casale Monferrato rebelled against the French, he was imprisoned in Alessandria. Resigned pastoral government of the diocese, May 18, 1803. The diocese was suppressed on June 1, 1803 by Pope Pius VI at the request of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte. Transferred to the see of Saluzzo, February 1, 1805. The emperor, even knowing the bishop's opposition to his government, appointed him knight of the Légion d'honneur, and baron of the Empire, 1808. Resigned pastoral government of the diocese, April 9, 1824. Abbot comendatario of the abbey of S. Benigno di Fruttuaria, 1824

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 27, 1824; never received the red hat and the title. Did not participate in the conclave of 1829, which elected Pope Pius VIII. Did not participate in the conclave of 1830-1831, which elected Pope Gregory XVI.

Death. December 30 (or 31), 1831, Turin, abbatial palace of S. Benigno di Fruttuaria. Exposed in the abbatial church of S. Benigno and buried in the metropolitan cathedral of Turin. (1)

Bibliography. Notizie per l'anno 1834. Rome : G.F. Chracas, 1833, p. 65; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VI (1730-1799). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, p. 151-152; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Voulmen VII (1800-1846). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, pp.19 and 331.

Link. Portrait and biography, in Italian.

(1) This information is according to Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, VII, 19. Notizie per l'anno 1834, p. 65, indicates that he was buried in the abbatial church of S. Benigno di Fruttuaria.