Luigi Jacobini (6 January 1832 – 28 February 1887) was an Italian Cardinal of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who served as

Vatican Secretary of State The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...

from 1880 until his death; he was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 1879.

Biography

Born in Genzano, Lodovico Jacobini studied at the

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

in Albano before being

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

on 23 September 1854. He then furthered his studies at the ''Sapienza'' University in Rome, where he obtained his doctorate in theology (20 July 1857) and his doctorate in civil and canon law (25 June 1858). Jacobini then entered the Roman Curia, serving as a staff member in the Secretariat of Ecclesiastical Affairs. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness, and also became

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

of the Congregations of ''Propaganda Fide'', which at that times also was responsible for relations with Oriental Rites. In 1862, he was appointed secretary to the first commission for the preparation of the ''

Syllabus A syllabus (; plural ''syllabuses'' or ''syllabi'') or specification is a document that communicates information about an academic course or class and defines expectations and responsibilities. It is generally an overview or summary of the curric ...

''. Later named a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of the

Lateran Basilica The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

, Jacobini served as a

referendary Referendary is the English form of a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organizations in Europe. Pre-modern history The office of ' (plural: ', from the Latin ', "I inform") existed at the Byzan ...

on the Apostolic Signatura as well. In 1867, he was charged with the weighty task of gathering and publishing the answers of the world's bishops to the questionnaire for the preparation of the First Vatican Council. During the Council, Jacobini was secretary of the preparatory commission for

Church discipline Church discipline is the practice of church members calling upon an individual within the Church to repent for their sins. Church discipline is performed when one has sinned or gone against the rules of the church. Church discipline is practiced wi ...

, also serving as

Undersecretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

of the Council from 1869 to 1870. On 20 March 1874, Jacobini was appointed

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Thessalonica'' by Pope Pius IX. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on the following 24 March from Cardinal

Costantino Patrizi Naro Costantino Patrizi Naro JUD (4 September 1798 – 17 December 1876) was a long-serving Italian Cardinal who became Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Benedetto Naro was his great-uncle. Biography Born in Siena, Naro was educated in the ...

. He was named Nuncio to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

three days later, on 27 March 1874.

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

created Jacobini

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

of S Maria della Vittoria in the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church * Consistor ...

of 19 September 1879. He was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Austrian Order of Sankt Stefan in 1880. On 16 December of that same year, Jacobini was appointed

(essentially the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

) and Administrator of the Wealth of the Holy See. He died in Rome, at age 55, from an illness that had lasted nearly two years. He was buried on 6 March 1887, he is buried in the chapel of the Congregation of Propagation of the Faith in the

Campo Verano The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery is currently divided into sections: the Jewish cemetery, the Catholic cemetery, and the monument to the ...

cemetery. He cousin

Angelo Jacobini Angelo Jacobini (25 April 1825 – 3 March 1886) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who spent his entire career in the Roman Curia. He was made a cardinal in 1882. Biography Angelo Maria Jacobini was born in Genzano on 25 April 1825. ...

(1825–1886) was also a cardinal.

Honours

* Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kalākaua I, ''1881''The Royal Tourist—Kalakaua's Letters Home from Tokio to London. Editor: Richard A. Greer. Date: 10 March 1881

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobini, Luigi 1832 births 1887 deaths People from Genzano di Roma 19th-century Italian cardinals 19th-century Italian Roman Catholic titular archbishops Apostolic Nuncios to Austria Cardinal Secretaries of State Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Kalākaua Cardinals created by Pope Leo XIII Deaths from diabetes