Basilio Pompilj

Styles of Basilio Pompilj
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

Basilio Pompilj (16 April 1858 – 5 May 1931) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1913 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.

Biography

Basilio Pompilj was born in Spoleto, and studied at the Pontifical Roman Seminary before being ordained to the priesthood on 5 December 1886. He then did pastoral work in Rome from 1888 to 1904. During that time, Pompilj was made auditor of the Sacred Congregation of the Council in 1891, an official in the Apostolic Penitentiary in 1896, and prelate adjunct of the Congregation of the Council on 16 March 1898. He was raised to the rank of a protonotary apostolic on 18 December 1899, and was named Auditor of the Roman Rota on 18 July 1904. During his time at the Roman Rota, Pompilj sat at the sixth trial for the annulment of Paul Ernest Boniface and Anna Gould.^[1]

Pompilj later returned to the Congregation of the Council upon becoming its Secretary on 31 January 1908. As Secretary, he served as the second-highest official of that dicastery, successively under Cardinals Vincenzo Vannutelli and Casimiro Gennari. Before becoming a bishop, Pompilj was created Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria in Domnica by Pope Pius X in the consistory of 27 November 1911. Pius X later named him Vicar General of Rome, and thus in charge of the pastoral of the diocese of Rome, on 7 April 1913.

On 5 May 1913, Pompilj was appointed Titular Archbishop of Philippi. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 11 May from Cardinal Antonio Agliardi, with Archbishop Donato Sbarretti and Bishop Americo Bevilacqua serving as co-consecrators, in the church of S. Vincenzo de' Paoli alla Bocca della Verità. In late May 1914, Pompilj opted to become a Cardinal-Priest, with the title of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. He then participated in the conclave of 1914, which elected Pope Benedict XV, and was named Archpriest of the Lateran Basilica on 28 October 1914.

The Cardinal Vicar was elevated to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni on 22 March 1917, and was one of the cardinal electors in another conclave, that of 1922, resulting in the election of Pope Pius XI. In 1923, he exchanged visits with Filippo Cremonesi, a Royal Commissioner, who served as Mayor of Rome from 1922 to 1926.^[2] Among other events, Pompilj served as papal legate to the opening (24 December 1924) and closing (24 December 1925) of the Holy Door at the Lateran Basilica. On 9 July 1930, he was made Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, remaining in that position until his death.

Pompilj died in Rome, at age 73. He was initially buried at the Campo Verano cemetery, but his remains were later transferred to the Cathedral of his native Spoleto on 18 December 1933.

Trivia

• Pompilj was a onetime athlete.^[3]
• From 1919 to 1920, he was Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

References

1. TIME Magazine. Courts 13 April 1925
2. TIME Magazine. Cardinal Greets Mayor 24 March 1923
3. TIME Magazine. Milestones 11 May 1931

External links

• Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
• Catholic-Hierarchy