Former Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, Cardinal Bishop of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina and Archpriest of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, Cardinal Benedetto Aloisi Masella was the nephew of Cardinal Gaetano Aloisi Masella (1826 - 1902).
Born in Pontecorvo, Italy, on June 29, 1879, Benedetto studied at the Diocesan Seminary of Ferentino, at the Pontifical Gregorian University, at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of San Apollinare, and later at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy of Rome, where he was ordained to the priesthood at 22 years of age on June 1, 1902.
After briefly serving as private secretary to his uncle, Cardinal Gaetano, for a few months, until the latter's unexpected demise at the age of 76, he served as Staff Member of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican City from 1906 until 1908, when he was assigned as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, where he also served as Chargé d'Affaires between 1910 and 1919. Named as Domestic Prelate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV on September 29, 1917, with the personal title of Monsignor, he was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio in Chile on November 20, 1919.
Aged 40, Aloisi Masella was elected as Archbishop of the Titular See of Caesarea in Palaestina, receiving his Episcopal Consecration inside the Chapel of the Pontifical Collegio Pio Latino Americano of Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, assisted by Msgr. Sebastião Leite de Vasconcellos, Archbishop of the Titular See of Damiata, and by Msgr. Antonio Maria Iannotta, Bishop of the Diocese of Sora, Aquino e Pontecorvo, on December 21, 1919.
Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Monte Carmelo in Santiago, Chile on November 29, 1926, he was named as Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil on April 26, 1927. In all, he served as Papal Nuncio in Chile and Brazil for nearly 27 years.
Pope Pius XII created Archbishop Aloisi Masella a cardinal priest in the consistory of February 18, 1946, with the title of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal on April 28, 1946, he opted for the Order of Cardinal Bishops and the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on June 21, 1948. Appointed Archpriest of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica of Rome on October 27, 1954, he was named as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments on October 27, 1954.
Papal Legate to the 36th International Eucharistic Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21, 1955, the Cardinal was assigned as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on October 9, 1958. Participating in the Conclave of 1958, which elected Pope John XXIII as Vicar of Christ, he attended the Second Vatican Council and participated in the Conclave of 1963, which elected Pope Paul VI to the See of St. Peter.
Named by the latter as Cardinal Bishop of title of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on November 17, 1966, he retired from the Prefecture of the Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments at 88 years of age on January 11, 1968.
Cardinal Aloisi Masella died from kidney disease in Rome at the venerable age of 91 on September 30, 1970, being by the time of his death, the oldest member of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and was interred inside the Cathedral of Pontecorvo.
Born in Pontecorvo, Italy, on June 29, 1879, Benedetto studied at the Diocesan Seminary of Ferentino, at the Pontifical Gregorian University, at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of San Apollinare, and later at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy of Rome, where he was ordained to the priesthood at 22 years of age on June 1, 1902.
After briefly serving as private secretary to his uncle, Cardinal Gaetano, for a few months, until the latter's unexpected demise at the age of 76, he served as Staff Member of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican City from 1906 until 1908, when he was assigned as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, where he also served as Chargé d'Affaires between 1910 and 1919. Named as Domestic Prelate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV on September 29, 1917, with the personal title of Monsignor, he was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio in Chile on November 20, 1919.
Aged 40, Aloisi Masella was elected as Archbishop of the Titular See of Caesarea in Palaestina, receiving his Episcopal Consecration inside the Chapel of the Pontifical Collegio Pio Latino Americano of Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, assisted by Msgr. Sebastião Leite de Vasconcellos, Archbishop of the Titular See of Damiata, and by Msgr. Antonio Maria Iannotta, Bishop of the Diocese of Sora, Aquino e Pontecorvo, on December 21, 1919.
Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Monte Carmelo in Santiago, Chile on November 29, 1926, he was named as Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil on April 26, 1927. In all, he served as Papal Nuncio in Chile and Brazil for nearly 27 years.
Pope Pius XII created Archbishop Aloisi Masella a cardinal priest in the consistory of February 18, 1946, with the title of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal on April 28, 1946, he opted for the Order of Cardinal Bishops and the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on June 21, 1948. Appointed Archpriest of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica of Rome on October 27, 1954, he was named as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments on October 27, 1954.
Papal Legate to the 36th International Eucharistic Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21, 1955, the Cardinal was assigned as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on October 9, 1958. Participating in the Conclave of 1958, which elected Pope John XXIII as Vicar of Christ, he attended the Second Vatican Council and participated in the Conclave of 1963, which elected Pope Paul VI to the See of St. Peter.
Named by the latter as Cardinal Bishop of title of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on November 17, 1966, he retired from the Prefecture of the Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments at 88 years of age on January 11, 1968.
Cardinal Aloisi Masella died from kidney disease in Rome at the venerable age of 91 on September 30, 1970, being by the time of his death, the oldest member of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and was interred inside the Cathedral of Pontecorvo.
Former Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, Cardinal Bishop of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina and Archpriest of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, Cardinal Benedetto Aloisi Masella was the nephew of Cardinal Gaetano Aloisi Masella (1826 - 1902).
Born in Pontecorvo, Italy, on June 29, 1879, Benedetto studied at the Diocesan Seminary of Ferentino, at the Pontifical Gregorian University, at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of San Apollinare, and later at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy of Rome, where he was ordained to the priesthood at 22 years of age on June 1, 1902.
After briefly serving as private secretary to his uncle, Cardinal Gaetano, for a few months, until the latter's unexpected demise at the age of 76, he served as Staff Member of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican City from 1906 until 1908, when he was assigned as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, where he also served as Chargé d'Affaires between 1910 and 1919. Named as Domestic Prelate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV on September 29, 1917, with the personal title of Monsignor, he was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio in Chile on November 20, 1919.
Aged 40, Aloisi Masella was elected as Archbishop of the Titular See of Caesarea in Palaestina, receiving his Episcopal Consecration inside the Chapel of the Pontifical Collegio Pio Latino Americano of Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, assisted by Msgr. Sebastião Leite de Vasconcellos, Archbishop of the Titular See of Damiata, and by Msgr. Antonio Maria Iannotta, Bishop of the Diocese of Sora, Aquino e Pontecorvo, on December 21, 1919.
Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Monte Carmelo in Santiago, Chile on November 29, 1926, he was named as Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil on April 26, 1927. In all, he served as Papal Nuncio in Chile and Brazil for nearly 27 years.
Pope Pius XII created Archbishop Aloisi Masella a cardinal priest in the consistory of February 18, 1946, with the title of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal on April 28, 1946, he opted for the Order of Cardinal Bishops and the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on June 21, 1948. Appointed Archpriest of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica of Rome on October 27, 1954, he was named as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments on October 27, 1954.
Papal Legate to the 36th International Eucharistic Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21, 1955, the Cardinal was assigned as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on October 9, 1958. Participating in the Conclave of 1958, which elected Pope John XXIII as Vicar of Christ, he attended the Second Vatican Council and participated in the Conclave of 1963, which elected Pope Paul VI to the See of St. Peter.
Named by the latter as Cardinal Bishop of title of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on November 17, 1966, he retired from the Prefecture of the Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments at 88 years of age on January 11, 1968.
Cardinal Aloisi Masella died from kidney disease in Rome at the venerable age of 91 on September 30, 1970, being by the time of his death, the oldest member of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and was interred inside the Cathedral of Pontecorvo.
Born in Pontecorvo, Italy, on June 29, 1879, Benedetto studied at the Diocesan Seminary of Ferentino, at the Pontifical Gregorian University, at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of San Apollinare, and later at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy of Rome, where he was ordained to the priesthood at 22 years of age on June 1, 1902.
After briefly serving as private secretary to his uncle, Cardinal Gaetano, for a few months, until the latter's unexpected demise at the age of 76, he served as Staff Member of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican City from 1906 until 1908, when he was assigned as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, where he also served as Chargé d'Affaires between 1910 and 1919. Named as Domestic Prelate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV on September 29, 1917, with the personal title of Monsignor, he was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio in Chile on November 20, 1919.
Aged 40, Aloisi Masella was elected as Archbishop of the Titular See of Caesarea in Palaestina, receiving his Episcopal Consecration inside the Chapel of the Pontifical Collegio Pio Latino Americano of Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State, assisted by Msgr. Sebastião Leite de Vasconcellos, Archbishop of the Titular See of Damiata, and by Msgr. Antonio Maria Iannotta, Bishop of the Diocese of Sora, Aquino e Pontecorvo, on December 21, 1919.
Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Monte Carmelo in Santiago, Chile on November 29, 1926, he was named as Apostolic Nuncio in Brazil on April 26, 1927. In all, he served as Papal Nuncio in Chile and Brazil for nearly 27 years.
Pope Pius XII created Archbishop Aloisi Masella a cardinal priest in the consistory of February 18, 1946, with the title of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Papal Legate to the Coronation of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal on April 28, 1946, he opted for the Order of Cardinal Bishops and the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on June 21, 1948. Appointed Archpriest of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica of Rome on October 27, 1954, he was named as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments on October 27, 1954.
Papal Legate to the 36th International Eucharistic Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 21, 1955, the Cardinal was assigned as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on October 9, 1958. Participating in the Conclave of 1958, which elected Pope John XXIII as Vicar of Christ, he attended the Second Vatican Council and participated in the Conclave of 1963, which elected Pope Paul VI to the See of St. Peter.
Named by the latter as Cardinal Bishop of title of the Suburbicarian See of Palestrina on November 17, 1966, he retired from the Prefecture of the Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments at 88 years of age on January 11, 1968.
Cardinal Aloisi Masella died from kidney disease in Rome at the venerable age of 91 on September 30, 1970, being by the time of his death, the oldest member of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and was interred inside the Cathedral of Pontecorvo.
