Giulio Maria Cardinal della Somaglia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Giulio Maria Cardinal della Somaglia (born July 29, 1744, Piacenza, Italy; died April 2, 1830, Rome, Italy) was one of the most prominent cardinals of the early eighteenth century. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church received the greatest threats to its legitimacy for a long time in the shape of the French Revolution and della Somaglia's reputation suffered from this. However, he was in fact - at least in his later life - a staunch zelanti cardinal who, as Secretary of State under Pope Leo XII, helped enforce an authoritarian regime in the crumbling Papal States.
Of noble birth, della Somaglia was sent to Rome at the young age of twelve and at the Collegio Nazzareno and La Sapienza University acquired degrees in both canon and civil law. In 1769 he became domestic prlate of Pope Clement XIV and under Pope Pius VI he was secretary to numerous curial congregations between 1773 and 1787. Although he was only ordained to the priesthood in 1787, he became titular patriarch of Antioch the following year and on June 1, 1795 became a cardinal.
In his years as a cardinal della Somaglia played an important role as a negotiator with the revolutionary regime in France. Although he undoubtedly agreed with Pius VI's 1791 condemnation of the French Revolution and was expelled from Rome when Napoleon's army invaded in 1808, he was charged with the examination of the concordat with France several years later and this role actually served to taint della Somaglia's reputation in the eyes of fellow zelanti cardinals. From 1814 he was Secretary of the Inquisition and Dean of the College of Cardinals in 1820.
In the 1823 conclave, della Somaglia was considered papabile but his reputation as too diplomatic and lacking in intellectual ability probably weakened his chances considerably. However, his role in enforcing a highly authoritarian, reactionary regime as Secretary of State under Leo XII made many of those claims highly doubtful. In 1826, he resigned the post of Secretary of State but contined as Secretary of the Inquisition until his death in 1830. When he died, della Somaglia was the last cardinal still alive elevated by Pius VI.
