Basilio Pompilj

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Styles of Basilio Cardinal Pompilj


Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Velletri-Segni (suburbicarian)

Basilio Cardinal Pompilj (April 16, 1858—May 5, 1931) was an Italian prelate 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.

[edit] Biography

Basilio Pompilj was born in Spoleto, and studied at the Pontifical Roman Seminary before being ordained to the priesthood on December 5, 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 March 16, 1898. He was raised to the rank of a protonotary apostolic on December 18, 1899, and was named Auditor of the Roman Rota on July 18, 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 January 31, 1908. As Secretary, he served as the second-highest official of that dicastery, successively under Cardinals Vannutelli and Gennari. Before becoming a bishop, Pompilj was created Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Domnica by Pope Pius X in the consistory of November 27, 1911. Pius X later named him Vicar General of Rome, and thus the unofficial bishop of Rome, on April 7, 1913.

On May 5, 1913, Pompilj was appointed Titular Archbishop of Philippi. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 11 from Antonio Cardinal Agliardi, with Archbishop Donato Sbarretti Tazza 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 S. 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 October 28, 1914.

The Cardinal Vicar was elevated to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni on March 22, 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 (December 24, 1924) and closing (December 24, 1925) of the Holy Door at the Lateran Basilica. On July 9, 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 di Verano cemetery, but his remains were later transferred to the Cathedral of his native Spoleto on December 18, 1933.

Preceded by Gaetano De Lai	Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Council 1908–1911	Succeeded by Oreste Giorgi
Preceded by Pietro Respighi	Vicar General of Rome 1913–1931	Succeeded by Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani
Preceded by Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte	Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals 1919–1920	Succeeded by Giulio Boschi
Preceded by unknown	President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology 1925–1931	Succeeded by Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani
Preceded by Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte	Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals 1930–1931	Succeeded by Michele Lega