Carlo Confalonieri

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Styles of Carlo Confalonieri

Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Palestrina (suburbicarian), Ostia (suburbicarian)

Carlo Confalonieri (July 25, 1893 - August 1, 1986) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a prominent member of the Roman Curia.

Carlo Confalonieri was born in Seveso, Lombardy. He received Education in the Seminary of Seveso, the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Monza, the Pontifical Seminary Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo (Rome) and finally in the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest on March 18, 1916 in Seveso by Cardinal Andrea Carlo Ferrari, Archbishop of Milan. After pastoral work in the Italian Army and the Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop Ambrogio Achille Ratti appointed him his secretary in 1921. Confalonieri went with Ratti to Rome when Ratti was elected pope in 1922.

Confalonieri was appointed Archbishop of L'Aquila on March 27, 1941, consecrated on May 4 by Pope Pius XII in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican. In 1950 he was appointed Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities and transferred to the titular archbishopric see of Nicopolis ad Nestum.

In the consistory of 1958 Confalonieri was created Cardinal Priest by Pope John XXIII, he received the title of S. Agnese fuori le mura. In 1961 he took the office of Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. He ascended to pro-prefecture in 1966, and to prefecture of the same dicastery in 1967. The congregation was named Sacred Congregation for Bishops on August 1, 1967. From 1970 on he also chaired the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral of Emigration and Tourism. He resigned both posts in 1973.

Confalonieri was promoted to Cardinal Bishop with the title of the suburbicarian see of Palestrina in 1972. He became Vice-dean in 1974, and finally Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1977, which meant that he received the bishopric title of the suburbicarian see of Ostia, additionally to his first suburbicarian see. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, he led the funeral masses for Pope Paul VI, who died on August 6, 1978, as well as Pope John Paul I, deceased only eight weeks later.

He participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) as well as in the conclave of 1963. He lost the right to participate in further conclaves when he turned 80 in 1973.

Carlo Confalonieri died in 1986 at Rome. The funeral mass in St. Peter's Basilica three days later was presided by Pope John Paul II. He was buried in his home town Seveso, next to his parents.