Giovanni Stefano Donghi

Giovanni Stefano Donghi (1608 – 26 November 1669)[1] was an Italian Catholic cardinal.

Early life

Donghi was born in Genoa in 1608, the son of Bartolomeo Donghi and Giacoma Bernardi. Little is known of his early education but he completed studies at the University of Bologna and the University of Salamanca.

Ecclesiastic career

Throughout the 1630s, Donghi was employed in a number of administrative positions in Rome including referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace and president of the Apostolic Chamber.

In 1643 he acted as commissary-resident for the three legations held by Cardinal Antonio Barberini over regions in which he did not reside - effectively operating as the cardinal's representative in those regions when the cardinal was not there. He was also sent by the pope as legate to Lombardy during the First War of Castro to reach a peace agreement with the Dukes of Parma after the pope renounced the peace agreement negotiated by Cardinal Bernardino Spada.[2]

Donghi was made cardinal-deacon by Pope Urban VIII in the consistory of July 1643 and deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro in August of that year.[3] When Urban died the following year, he participated in the papal conclave of 1644 that elected Pope Innocent X. Donghi was openly a part of the Spanish faction of the College of Cardinals.[2]

Thereafter he was named plenipotentiary of Pope Innocent during the Second War of Castro, returned to Lombrady and helped to reach a treaty with the Duchy of Parma.

In 1655 he was appointed bishop of Imola and in 1663 he resigned that commission and was appointed bishop of Ferrara - a title he held until his death.[3]

He participated in the conclave of 1655 which elected Pope Alexander VII and the conclave of 1667 which elected Pope Clement IX.

He died on 26 November 1669 and was buried in the Chapel of the Madonna at the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

References

  1. ↑ S. Miranda - Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Giovanni Stefano Donghi
  2. 1 2 Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals by John Bargrave, edited by James Craigie Robertson (reprint; 2009)
  3. 1 2 Catholic Hierarchy: Giovanni Stefano Cardinal Donghi
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.