Benedetto Barberini (22 October 1788 – 10 April 1863) was a

Catholic Cardinal 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 ...

and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

Personal life

Barberini was born 22 October 1788, the youngest of ten children to his father ''Carlo Maria Barberini'' of the

Barberini The House of Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII. Their urban palace ...

family, duke of

Montelibretti Montelibretti is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about northeast of Rome on the slopes of Monti Sabini. Montelibretti borders the following municipalities: Capena, Fara in ...

and prince of

Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...

who assumed the last name Colonna di Sciarra after the merger of the two families. His mother was Countess ''Giustina Borromeo Arese''. As such, Barberini is also listed in some records as ''Benedetto Barberini Colonna di Sciarra''. He was the Grand-nephew of Cardinals Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra and Prospero Colonna di Sciarra.

Ecclesiastical service

Barberini entered the Roman prelature and was named domestic prelate to 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 ...

in 1820.Oblate Communications - Cardinal Benedetto Barberini
/ref> He was also appointed ''Relator of the Sacred Consulta of Good Government'' in 1820 and Secretary of the Sacred Consulta of the Discipline of the Regulars in 1822. In 1823 he was appointed ''Prefect of the Household of His Holiness'', a post he occupied for the next five years.

Cardinalate

Barberini was elevated to cardinal ( in pectore) in 1826 but was not revealed as such until 1828 He was appointed ''Prefect of the Sacred Consulta of Ecclesiastical Immunity'' in 1834, a position he occupied until his death. In 1844 he was appointed Archpriest of the

Basilica of St. John Lateran 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 ...

. He was appointed Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals between 1856 and 1857. In 1862 he was appointed both ''Secretary of Apostolic Briefs'' and ''Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Equestrian Orders''.

Papal conclaves

Barberini participated in 3 papal conclaves: *The Papal Conclave of 1829 which elected

Pope Pius VIII Pope Pius VIII ( it, Pio VIII; born Francesco Saverio Maria Felice Castiglioni; 20 November 1761 – 30 November 1830), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 31 March 1829 to his death in November 1830. Pius VIII's ...

. *The Papal Conclave of 1830-1831 which elected

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

. *The Papal Conclave of 1846 which elected Pope Pius IX

Death

Barberini died on 10 April 1863. His body lay in state in the church of S. Lorenzo in Lucina. Pope Pius IX participated in his funeral and he was buried in his family's chapel in the church of

Sant'Andrea della Valle Sant'Andrea della Valle is a minor basilica in the rione of Sant'Eustachio of the city of Rome, Italy. The basilica is the general seat for the religious order of the Theatines. It is located at Piazza Vidoni, at the intersection of Corso Vittor ...

. Barberini was the last surviving cardinal of

Pope Leo XII Pope Leo XII ( it, Leone XII; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga (; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death ...

, and the last participant in the conclaves that elected

and that elected

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barberini, Benedetto 1788 births 1863 deaths Barberini family Colonna family