Pier Francesco Meglia (3 November 1810 – 31 March 1883) was an Italian prelate of the

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 spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He was made a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

in 1879.

Biography

Pier Francesco Meglia was born in

Santo Stefano al Mare Santo Stefano al Mare ( lij, San Stéva) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Imperia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,2 ...

on 3 November 1810. He studied at the seminaries of Genoa and Savona and then in Rome at La Sapienza University, where he earned a doctorate in civil and canon law on 23 May 1843. He was ordained a priest in Rome on 24 September 1836. He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See. His early postings included stints as secretary of the nunciature in Naples at the court of the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...

, auditor and then chargé d'affaires of the nunciature in France. He was named

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 ...

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

on 22 September 1864. He received his episcopal consecration on 25 September 1864 from

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

. He was appointed apostolic delegate to Mexico on 1 October 1864 when the Holy See and the Mexican government were at loggerheads. Recent legislation calling for the seizure of Church property, the abolition of religious orders, and freedom of religion was awaiting only promulgation by the Emperor. Mexican Emperor Maximilian I hoped to negotiate a compromise concordat while the Holy See sought the full restoration of the status quo ante. Efforts at negotiation collapsed by yearend, and the reform laws were decreed in February. Meglia delayed his departure until May, but took the nunciature's archives with him. His next assignment was Apostolic Nuncio to the Kingdom of Bavaria on 26 October 1866. He was named

Apostolic Nuncio to France The Apostolic Nunciature to France is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in France. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. History of the Nunciatu ...

on 10 July 1874. He crowned the statue of

Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (french: Notre-Dame de Lourdes) is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, o ...

on 3 July 1876.

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 ...

made him a cardinal of the order of cardinal priests on 19 September 1879. He received his red

galero A (plural: ; from la, galērum, originally connotating a helmet made of skins; cf. '' galea'') is a broad-brimmed hat with tasselated strings which was worn by clergy in the Catholic Church. Over the centuries, the red ''galero'' was restricte ...

and the title of

Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti San Martino ai Monti, officially known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti ("Saints Sylvester & Martin in the Mountains"), is a minor basilica in Rome, Italy, in the Rione Monti neighbourhood. It is located near the edge of the Parco del Colle ...

on 27 February 1880. He was made a member of the Council for the Administration of the Wealth of the Apostolic See on 21 December 1880. He died in Rome on 31 March 1883.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meglia, Pier Francesco 1810 births 1883 deaths People from the Province of Imperia Apostolic Nuncios to France Apostolic Nuncios to Bavaria Apostolic Nuncios to Mexico Cardinals created by Pope Leo XIII 19th-century Italian cardinals