21 Facts About Carlo Confalonieri

Carlo Confalonieri was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Carlo Confalonieri served as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops from 1967 to 1973, and dean of the College of Cardinals from 1977 until his death.

Carlo Confalonieri entered the seminary in Seveso in 1904, and then archdiocesan seminary of Monza in 1909.

Carlo Confalonieri then served in World War I from 1914 to 1916.

Carlo Confalonieri entered the ranks of the clergy upon receiving the tonsure from Andrea Ferrari on 14 June 1912.

Carlo Confalonieri was eventually ordained to the priesthood on 18 March 1916 by Cardinal Ferrari.

Carlo Confalonieri travelled with Ratti to Rome as his attendant, or conclavist, for the 1922 papal conclave, at which the Cardinal was elected to the papacy as Pius XI.

Carlo Confalonieri continued to serve as Ratti's secretary until the Pope's death in 1939, and during that period he was raised to the rank of Monsignor, Protonotary Apostolic, and canon of St Peter's Basilica.

Carlo Confalonieri was intended to be appointed Substitute, or Deputy, Secretary of State in 1937, but the position instead went to Giovanni Battista Montini.

On 27 March 1941, Carlo Confalonieri was appointed Archbishop of L'Aquila by Pope Pius XII.

Carlo Confalonieri became Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities on 25 January 1950, and later Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis ad Nestum on 22 February of that same year.

Pope John XXIII created him Cardinal-Priest of S Agnese fuori le mura in the consistory of 15 December 1958, and Confalonieri was later appointed Archpriest of the Liberian Basilica on 16 November 1959.

From 1962 to 1965, Carlo Confalonieri attended the Second Vatican Council.

Carlo Confalonieri was one of the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave, which selected Pope Paul VI.

Carlo Confalonieri later ascended to Pro-Prefect and shortly afterwards Prefect of the Consistorial, which Pope Paul renamed the Congregation for Bishops on 1 August 1967.

Carlo Confalonieri was President of the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral of Emigration and Tourism from 30 April 1970 until 25 February 1973, when he resigned all of his posts.

Carlo Confalonieri was promoted to Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina on 15 March 1972.

Carlo Confalonieri became Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals on 7 January 1974, and finally its Dean on 12 December 1977.

Carlo Confalonieri complimented Luciani's speech and writing, saying "the Church has chosen well" in selecting him for the papacy.

At the conclave of 1963, Carlo Confalonieri was seen as a possible candidate for a transitional pope, one who is not likely to effect great change during his tenure.

Carlo Confalonieri published a moving tribute to Pope Pius XI with numerous valuable anecdotes.