| Styles of Serafino Cretoni |
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|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | none |
Serafino Cretoni (September 4, 1833 – February 3, 1909) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1896.
Serafino Cretoni was born in Soriano, and studied at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare, where he obtained his doctorate in theology. He also studied and was fluent in English, French, Greek, and Spanish. Ordained to the priesthood in 1857, Cretoni then taught philosophy at the Pontifical Urban Athenaeum of Propaganda Fide in Rome. He also served as Vice-Substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, and as Secretary of the commission for Oriental affairs at the First Vatican Council (1869–1870).
Cretoni was named a canon of the Liberian Basilica and of St. Peter's Basilica before becoming Archivist of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. In 1877, he was sent by Pope Pius IX to attend the general chapter of the Armenian Mechitarists in Venice. Cretoni was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on May 21, 1878, and made Undersecretary of State on September 19, 1879. He later became Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, in the section of Oriental rites, on November 16, 1880, and Assessor of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office on March 20, 1889.
On January 16, 1893, Simeoni was appointed Titular Archbishop of Damascus by Pope Leo XIII, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following February 5 from Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta. Simeoni was named Nuncio to Spain on May 9 of that same year, and created Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria sopra Minerva by Pope Leo in the consistory of June 22, 1896.
From April 19, 1900 to April 15, 1901, he served as Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals. He was appointed Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences and Relics on October 23, 1900, and of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on January 7, 1903. He also participated in the papal conclave of 1903, which selected Pope Pius X.
Cardinal Cretoni died in Rome, at the age of 75. After lying in state in the church of San Carlo ai Catinari, he was buried at the Campo Verano cemetery.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Angelo Di Pietro |
Nuncio to Spain 1893–1900 |
Succeeded by Giuseppe Francica-Nava di Bontifé |
| Preceded by Domenico Ferrata |
Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals 1900–1901 |
Succeeded by Giovanni Casali del Drago |
| Preceded by Domenico Ferrata |
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites 1903–1909 |
Succeeded by Luigi Tripepi |