Tommaso Ruffo (1663-1753) was an Italian
archbishop of Ferrara
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio ( la, Archidioecesis Ferrariensis-Comaclensis) has existed since 1986, when the diocese of Comacchio was combined with the historical archdiocese of Ferrara. It is a suffragan of the archdioce ...
and
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 ...
.
Life
He was born in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, son of Carlo Ruffo, 3rd Duke of Bagnara.
He was educated at
La Sapienza University
The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a public research university located in Rome, Ita ...
, becoming a
doctor of canon and civil law
A doctor of both laws, from the Latin ''doctor utriusque juris'', or ''juris utriusque doctor'', or ''doctor juris utriusque'' ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD a ...
. He was a papal diplomat, elected
titular archbishop of Nicaea in 1698. On 13 Apr 1698, he was
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
bishop by
Fabrizio Spada
Fabrizio Spada (Rome, 17 March 1643 – Rome, 15 June 1717) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and served as Secretary of State under Pope Innocent XII.
Life
Born on March 17, 1643 in Rome, he was the son of Orazio Spada and ...
,
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
San Crisogono
San Crisogono is a church in Rome (rione Trastevere) dedicated to the martyr Saint Chrysogonus. It was one of the tituli, the first parish churches of Rome, and was probably built in the 4th century under Pope Sylvester I (314–335).
T ...
, with
Michelangelo dei Conti,
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 ''Tarsus'', and
Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona,
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 ''Larissa in Thessalia'', serving as
co-consecrators.
He was created cardinal-priest in 1706, despite having a cousin
Giacomo Boncompagni
Giacomo Boncompagni (also ''Jacopo Boncompagni''; 8 May 1548 – 18 August 1612) was an Italian feudal lord of the 16th century, the illegitimate son of Pope Gregory XIII (Ugo Boncompagni). He was also Duke of Sora, Aquino, Italy, Aquino, Arce, Ita ...
in the
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...
, with the title of S. Lorenzo in Panisperna. Having served as a
papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title ''legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic ...
, he became archbishop of Ferrara in 1717. He took part in the
papal conclave, 1721 and the
papal conclave, 1724
The 1724 papal conclave was called upon the death of Pope Innocent XIII. It began on 20 March 1724 and ended on 28 May that year with the election of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, a Dominican friar, as Pope Benedict XIII. The conclave was made ...
. He became
bishop of Palestrina
The Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Palestrina ( la, Diocesis Praenestina) is a Roman Catholic suburbicarian diocese centered on the comune of Palestrina in Italy.
The current bishop of Palestrina is Domenico Sigalini, who from 3 Novemb ...
in 1726 and participated in the
papal conclave, 1730
The 1730 papal conclave elected Pope Clement XII as the successor to Pope Benedict XIII.
Background
Pope Benedict XIII died on February 21, 1730 at the age of eighty-one. The conclave which followed is considered to be the longest and most corrup ...
. He was
bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
1738. and participated in the
papal conclave, 1740
The 1740 papal conclave (18 February – 17 August), convoked after the death of Pope Clement XII on 6 February 1740, was one of the longest conclaves since the 13th century.
The initial favourite to succeed as pope, the elderly Pietro Ottoboni ...
. He became
Dean of the College of Cardinals
The dean of the College of Cardinals ( la, Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) presides over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, serving as '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals). The position was establ ...
and
bishop of Ostia e Velletri
The Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Ostia is an ecclesiastical territory located within the Metropolitan City of Rome in Italy. It is one of the seven suburbicarian dioceses. The incumbent Bishop is cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Since ...
in 1740, and died in Rome in 1753. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living cardinal.
Episcopal succession
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffo, Tommaso
1663 births
1753 deaths
18th-century Italian cardinals
Bishops of Ferrara
Diplomats of the Holy See
Tommaso Tommaso is an Italian given name. It has also been used as a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name A
* Tommaso Acquaviva d'Aragona (1600–1672), Roman Catholic prelate
* Tommaso Aldrovandini (1653–1736), Italian painter of ...
Inquisitors of Malta
18th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops