Luigi Lavitrano
Encyclopedia
Luigi Lavitrano was an Italian
Cardinal
of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Palermo
from 1928 to 1944, and as Prefect
of the Sacred Congregation for Religious
from 1945 until his death. Lavitrano was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1929.
, Lavitrano lost his entire family in an earthquake
in 1883 that devastated the island of Ischia
. He studied at the Pontifical Urbaniana University
, the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
, the Royal University
, and the Pontifical Leonine Institute in Rome
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on 21 March 1898, and then taught at the Leonine Institute until 1910, when he became its rector
. He was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness
on 8 March 1904.
On 25 May 1914, Lavitrano was appointed Bishop of Cava e Sarno by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following 21 June from Basilio Cardinal Pompilj, with Bishops Giovanni Regine and Giovanni Scotti serving as co-consecrators
. Lavitrano was later named Archbishop of Benevento on 16 July 1924, and finally archbishop of Palermo
on 29 September 1928. In addition, he served as Apostolic Administrator
of Castellammare di Stabia
from 1924 to 1925.
Pope Pius XI
created him Cardinal-Priest
of San Silvestro in Capite
in the consistory
of 16 December 1929. Lavitrano, who once scolded Italian Catholics for their religious negligence, was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the 1939 papal conclave
that selected Pope Pius XII
. After resigning as Palermo
's archbishop in December 1944, he was made Prefect
of the Sacred Congregation for Religious
in the Roman Curia
on 14 May 1945.
Lavitrano died in Marino
, in the Alban Hills
, at age 76. He is buried in the basilica of Santa Maria di Loreto
in his native Forio.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
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 Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Palermo
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo was founded as the Diocese of Palermo in the 1st Century but was raised to the level of an archdiocese in the 11th century...
from 1928 to 1944, and as Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of the Sacred Congregation for Religious
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
from 1945 until his death. Lavitrano was elevated to the cardinalate
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...
in 1929.
Biography
Born in ForioForio
Forio is a town and comune of c. 17,000 inhabitants in the province in Naples, Italy, situated on the island of Ischia....
, Lavitrano lost his entire family in an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1883 that devastated the island of Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
. He studied at the Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
, the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare was a university named after Saint Apollinaris. Notable people who have attended include:*Alfredo Ottaviani*Amleto Giovanni Cicognani*Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant*Benedetto Aloisi Masella*Gustavo Testa...
, the Royal University
Royal University
Royal University may mean:* Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas* Royal University of Bhutan* Royal University of Ireland...
, and the Pontifical Leonine Institute in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on 21 March 1898, and then taught at the Leonine Institute until 1910, when he became its rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain 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 8 March 1904.
On 25 May 1914, Lavitrano was appointed Bishop of Cava e Sarno by Pope Pius X
Pope 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 received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following 21 June from Basilio Cardinal Pompilj, with Bishops Giovanni Regine and Giovanni Scotti serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. Lavitrano was later named Archbishop of Benevento on 16 July 1924, and finally archbishop of Palermo
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo was founded as the Diocese of Palermo in the 1st Century but was raised to the level of an archdiocese in the 11th century...
on 29 September 1928. In addition, he served as Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia is a comune in the province of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento.-History:...
from 1924 to 1925.
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...
created him Cardinal-Priest
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 San Silvestro in Capite
San Silvestro in Capite
The Church of Saint Sylvester in Capite is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Saint Sylvester I. Built in the 8th century as a shrine for the relics of the saints and martyrs from the Catacombs, the church is the National church of Great Britain.The Latin...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 16 December 1929. Lavitrano, who once scolded Italian Catholics for their religious negligence, was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1939
The following were the cardinal electors in the 1939 papal conclave. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically...
who participated in the 1939 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 1939
The Papal conclave of 1939 was convoked on the brink of World War II with the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February that year in the Apostolic Palace. With all 62 living cardinals in attendance, the conclave to elect Pius' successor began on 1 March and ended a day later, on 2 March, after three...
that selected Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. After resigning as Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
's archbishop in December 1944, he was made Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of the Sacred Congregation for Religious
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
on 14 May 1945.
Lavitrano died in Marino
Marino, Italy
Marino is an Italian city and comune in Lazio , on the Alban Hills, Italy, 21 km south east of Rome, with population of 37,684 and a territory of 26.10 km2...
, in the Alban Hills
Alban Hills
The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio.The dominant peak is Monte Cavo. There are two small calderas which contain lakes, Lago Albano and Lake Nemi...
, at age 76. He is buried in the basilica of Santa Maria di Loreto
Santa Maria di Loreto
Santa Maria di Loreto may refer to:* Santa Maria di Loreto , a church in Rome* A musical institute in Naples, where Domenico Cimarosa studied...
in his native Forio.
Politics
- Lavitrano, then Archbishop of Palermo, voted for the National Fascist PartyNational Fascist PartyThe National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
in the 1929 Italian general electionsItalian general election, 1929The Italian general elections of 1929 were held on March 24, 1929. This is actually the first election in Italy with women's suffrage, although to a parliamentary reform enacted in 1928 by the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, elections were to be held as a simple referendum, with the Grand Council...
.