Francesco Ragonesi
Encyclopedia
Francesco Cardinal Ragonesi S.T.D.
J.U.D. (21 December 1850 – 14 September 1931) was a Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church and was the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
.
Francesco Ragonesi was born in Bagnaia, Italy. He was educated at the seminary of Viterbo
, and later at the Pio-Roman Seminary, and at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum "S. Apollinare", where he earned doctorates in philosophy
, theology
and a doctorate utroque iuris (in both canon
and civil law).
of the diocese. Between 1885 and 1904 he was vicar general
. He was created Domestic prelate of His Holiness
on 12 June 1889. He was appointed Apostolic delegate and extraordinary envoy to Colombia
on 7 September 1904; during his delegation, he favored the opening of the Panama Canal
in that country.
. He was consecrated on 25 September by Rafael Merry del Val, Cardinal Secretary of State
. He served as Nuncio
in Spain with faculties of legate a latere from 1913 until 1921.
in the consistory of 7 March 1921 by Pope Benedict XV
. He participated in the conclave of 1922
that elected Pope Pius XI
. He was appointed as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura
by Pope Pius on 9 March 1926.
, Pistoia
, where he had gone to recover his health. He is buried at the Campo Verano cemetery in Rome.
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
J.U.D. (21 December 1850 – 14 September 1931) was a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church and was the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
Apostolic Signatura
The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church...
.
Francesco Ragonesi was born in Bagnaia, Italy. He was educated at the seminary of Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
, and later at the Pio-Roman Seminary, and at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum "S. Apollinare", where he earned doctorates in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and a doctorate utroque iuris (in both canon
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
and civil law).
Priesthood
He was ordained and worked in the diocese of Viterbo, where he did pastoral work and for twenty-five years served as a professor of history and Scripture in its seminary, as well as being elected vicar capitularVicar capitular
A diocesan administrator is a provisional ordinary of a Roman Catholic particular church. The college of consultors elects an administrator within eight days after the see is known to be vacant. The college must elect as administrator a priest or bishop at least 35 years old...
of the diocese. Between 1885 and 1904 he was vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
. He was created Domestic prelate of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on 12 June 1889. He was appointed Apostolic delegate and extraordinary envoy to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
on 7 September 1904; during his delegation, he favored the opening of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in that country.
Episcopate
He was appointed as titular archbishop of Mira on 16 September 1904 by Pope Pius XPope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
. He was consecrated on 25 September by Rafael Merry del Val, Cardinal Secretary of State
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Cardinal Secretary of State—officially Secretary of State of His Holiness The Pope—presides over the Holy See, usually known as the "Vatican", Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia...
. He served as Nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
in Spain with faculties of legate a latere from 1913 until 1921.
Cardinalate
He was created Cardinal-Priest of San MarcelloSan Marcello
San Marcello is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about 25 km west of Ancona.The municipality of San Marcello contains the frazione Acquasanta....
in the consistory of 7 March 1921 by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
. He participated in the conclave of 1922
Papal conclave, 1922
After a reign of just eight years, Pope Benedict XV died on 22 January 1922 of pneumonia. At his death there were 61 members of the College of Cardinals. However, later that same day, Enrique Almaraz y Santos, the Archbishop of Toledo, died, leaving a college of 60 cardinals to elect Pope...
that elected Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. He was appointed as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura
Apostolic Signatura
The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church...
by Pope Pius on 9 March 1926.
Death
He died in 1931, in the mother-house of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Poggio a CaianoPoggio a Caiano
Poggio a Caiano is a town and comune in the Province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy. The town lies 9 km south of the provincial capital of Prato.-The Medici villa:...
, Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
, where he had gone to recover his health. He is buried at the Campo Verano cemetery in Rome.