Gaetano Bisleti

File:Gaetano Bisleti-1922.jpg

Gaetano Bisleti

Styles of Gaetano Bisleti
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Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	none

Gaetano Bisleti S.T.D. (20 March 1856 – 30 August 1937) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was former Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education.

Gaetano Bisleti was born in Veroli, Italy. He was educated at the Seminary of Tivoli and the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles, where he obtained a doctorate in theology in 1879.

Bisleti was ordained on 20 September 1878. He was appointed Canon and archdeacon of the cathedral chapter of Veroli where he served until 1884. He was created Privy chamberlain de numero participantium on 20 December 1884. He was raised to the level of Domestic prelate and master of papal chamber on 29 May 1901. He was awarded the numerous orders and decorations:

• Commander of the Order of the Crown of Prussia
• Commander of the Order of Ferdinand IV of Tuscany
• Commander of the Order of the Crown of Siam
• Grand Cross of the Royal Saxon Albrecht Order 09.03.1906
• medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.

In May and June 1907, when Bisleti was still a Monsignor and Maggiodomo di Sua Santita, the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury (1862-1947) who was in Rome painting a large portrait of Pope Pius X (North American College, Via dei Umilta, Rome), and had painted two portraits of Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, also completed a portrait of Bisleti, a fact that was recorded in the New York Herald, Sunday, December 27, 1908.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Deacon of S. Agata in Suburra by Pope Pius X in the consistory of November 27, 1911. He served as Grand prior of the Sovereign Order of Malta from 2 January 1914. He participated in the conclave of 1914 that elected Pope Benedict XV. Pope Benedict appointed him as the first Prefect of the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities on 1 December 1915. He was a Cardinal Elector in the conclave of 1922 that elected Pope Pius XI. As cardinal protodeacon he announced the election of Pius XI and crowned the new pope with the Papal Tiara on February 12, 1922. In October 1911 he married the future Emperor of Austria-Hungary Charles I of Austria (from the Habsburg family) with his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma. He was Cardinal Protodeacon, that is the longest serving Cardinal Deacon from 1916 until 1928. He then opted for the order of cardinal priests and his deaconry was elevated pro hace vice to title on 17 December 1928.

He died in 1937 in Grottaferrata.

References

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by none, newly established	Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education 1 December 1915–30 August 1937	Succeeded by Giuseppe Pizzardo
Preceded by Francesco Salesio Della Volpe	Cardinal Protodeacon 1916–1928	Succeeded by Camillo Laurenti