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Gaetano Bedini (15 May 1806 - 6 september 1864) was an Italian ecclesiastical, Cardinal and diplomat of the Catholic Church.

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Biography

Bedini was born in Senigallia into the Bedini family of Ostra, the son of Alessandro Pellegrino and Marianna Spadoni.

Last of 7 sons, Bedini was destined by his father to the ecclesiastical career. He entered in the seminary of Senigallia and was ordered to clergyman on 20 December 1828 by Cardinal Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata. In the following years he was canonical of the cathedral of Senigallia (1829-1838).

Thanks to influential friendships, including that of Giovanni Mastai Ferretti (the future Pope Pius IX, also native of Senigallia), he dedicated to politics. He was secretary of Lodovico Altieri, archbishop of Ephesus and nuncio in Austria from 1838 to 1845. When Lodovico Altieri was named cardinal and after this experience that allowed him to get acquainted with the diplomatic atmosphere, he was called to Rome as Papal clergymen of Gregorius XVI and Protonotary apostolic.

Apostolic nunziatura in Brasil

The first important assignment received by Bedini was that of Internuncio in Brasil, from 28 october 1845 to 16 august 1847. He worked for the improvement of the living conditions of German immigrates and supported Catholicism against the Protestant proselytism. His work led the Chamber of Deputies of Rio de Janeiro to improve the living conditions of it immigrates of the German colony.

Contacts with Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was also living in South America at the time, wrote Bedini in 1847 a fmous letter in which he declared “to offer to Pius IX its sword and the Italian legion for the native land and the church” remembering “the garnishments of ours August religion, always new and always immortal” knowing that “the throne of Peter rests over such foundations that don't need aid, because the human forces cannot shake them”. Bedini answered thanking, but the offer of the legion from Rome did not come received.

Roman Republic and legation in Bologna

Returned to Rome in March 1848, Bedini was substitute of the Cardinal Secretary of State Giacomo Antonelli, from 10 March 1848 to the November 1848 following Pius IX when it was forced to the exile to Gaeta by the revolution in Rome.

Once the Pope had recovered his temporal power, Bedini continued in its job of papal commissioner in the Legations and ambassador to Bologna from 1849 to 1852. Just at the beginning of that period Ugo Bassi was captured at Comacchio and executed on 8 August 1849 in Bologna by the Austrians. Many patriots accused Bedini to missing intervention to save him.

In his permanence to Bologna, however, he restored the Palace of Accursio with the restyling of Sala Urbana" and the construction of the Aula Piana, he adopted provisions for unemployed, favoured the commerce with the construction of new roads, promoted agriculture and restored important artistic monuments like the Villa S. Michele in Foresta.

Apostolic Nunziatura in USA

On 15 March 1852 he was named Archbishop of Thebes and three days after Apostolic Nuncio in Brasil. Once received the archiepiscopal order on 4 July 1852 from cardinal Luigi Lambruschini, he decided to leave for Brasil, but he could not enter in the country for a plague epidemic and he went in the United States. He was the first Papal Nuncio in United States.

He arrived in New York on 30 june 1852. For a series of particular coincidences he become the target of attacks by the more extremist Protestants and anti-Catholics currents.

In fact, in all the stages of the travel of Bedini in the Italian United States, but, some patriots and in particular the former clergyman Alessandro Gavazzi, than it reproached death of Ugo Bassi organized one clamorous persecution with manifestations of public square against the preside. Captured manifesting, after the famous crashs of Cincinnati, they came expelled for most direct and the Cardinal Bedini could continue his visit.

In its along travel, Bedini had way to know the president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, to which it delivered one letter of the Saint Father and the Secretary of State American William L. Marcy. It ordered moreover some new bishops between which James Roosevelt Bayley archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, John Loughlin bishop of the diocese of Brooklyn and Louis Joseph Mary Theodore De Goesbriand bishop of the diocese of Burlington. Finished the longest travel in which it had touched other New York also Pittsburgh, Louisville, Baltimore and Philadelphia, from New Orleans returned to Rome in January 1854.

Job in Curia

At its return in Italy he worked more intensely in the Roman Curia. On 20 june 1856 he was named General Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Propaganda of the Faith. It followed, moreover, some plans like the constitution of the North American College to Rome that with its aid had bought a building in Humility street 22 september 1858. After to have resolved all the problems of bureaucratic nature it celebrated the putting of inauguration of this institute on 8 December 1859.

Cardinal of Viterbo

On March 1861, he was named Bishop of Viterbo and Tuscanella (today's Tuscania). He entered in city 8 May 1861 from met Roman Door from the Community and the Clergy, and it oed in cathedral through the illuminated ways. Zealous it opened endured the S. pastoral Visit oing in several the countries of the diocese and taking care a lot of the devout places, the monasteri and especially of the Seminary, where deep plentiful sums much to leave not light debits its dead women; in it improves the instruction (calling from Bagnoregio the clearest one prot. Artemi for the rhetorical school), the cleanness of i|premises and thought to magnify of the manufactured one with the purchase of the Cristofari palace. 27 september1861 was created Cardinal of the Order of the Priests titular of the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

Death

He died in the morning of the 6 september 1864 at 59 years old, probably for an apopletic stroke. The pain of the city of Viterbo to the unexpected news was immense. They were quite it sends back events very important for the city as the tombola of Rosa Saint and the fireworks them, and was closed the theatre in sign of mourning, although in city there was very many people. He was buried in the Cathedral of the city, in a beautiful monument in marble, near Saint and bishop his predecessor.

Bedini's Legacy

Bedini Church

Was constructed in Senigallia near the Lambertina door. In this church there is the image of the Madonna of the Misericordia , blessed from Pius IX. The festivity was established for third Sunday of October. On the altar is written:

CAJETAN BEDINIUS ARCHIEP. THEBAR. ARAM HANC MOBILEM ROMAE TO IF RITE CONSACRATAM TEMPLO HUIC AERE ITS FLAVORED AC MARIAE S. DICATO DESTINAVIT MISIT AN. MDCCCLVIII IN SPEM PRAESIDI TO FEMALE SAINT CAELESTI NUNQUAM DEFECTURI.

Church of Roncitelli

In Roncitelli (Senigallia), Bedini made to make an other copy of the image of "the Madonna of the Misericordia" and the festivity was established for second Sunday of October. On the altar is written:

MONSIGNOR GAETANO BEDINI - SENIGALLIESE - DA BOLOGNA - DOVE ERA DELEGATO APOSTOLICO - DONAVA NELL'ANNO 1854 - QUESTA EFFIGE - NELLA QUALE LA VERGINE AUGUSTA - SI MOSTRO' SEMPRE REGINA - E MADRE DI MISERICORDIA - AGLI ABITANTI DI QUESTO PAESELLO - ED A QUANTI NELLE LORO PENE - AL SUO ALTARE PREGARONO CON FIDUCIA.

Communal palace of Bologna

• In the Sala Urbana today, also, can be still read:

PIO IX PRINCE OPT. MAX. - CAIETANUS BEDINIUS ANT. URB. PROT. AP. EQ. LEOPOLDIAN. - PRAEP. IIII PROVINC. ORDINAND. REGUND. EXTRAORD. POT. PROLEG. BON. - AULAM BERNARDINO SWORD CARD. LEG. EXCULTAM - ET URBANO VIII P.M. DE EIUS NOMINATIONS APPELLATAM - QUAM VICE SACRED BONO. IMPERANTIUM PP. MILIMETER INSIGNIBUS INCLYTAM - SACRILEGIORUM MANUS AVORUM MEMPRIAS AVERSANTIUM - FORMER OMINOUS REIPUBL. CISALP. DECREE - ALBARIO WORKS OBDUCTAM DEFORMAVERANT - INSIGNIBUS ET ORNAMENTIS ARTIFICUM AUSU PROPE MIRABILI DETECTIS - CITY SIGNOQUE IN PRISTINAM HONORIS ON SEDEM VINDICATO - CIVIBUS ARTIBUSQUE RESTITUIT TO. MDCCCLII

• In the Aula Piana can be read:

O QUEIS ALMA DATUM REDENTIS PRINCIPIS ORA - VISERE QUEIS NOSTRO PARTA LABORE QUIES - HAEU SINITE ABSCENDES DICAM MEA CURA VALETE - DULCE MIHI VESTRUM TRANS FRETA NOMEN ERIT

Cathedral of Viterbo

• In the cathedral of Viterbo there was the tomb but a bomb destroyed it in 1944. It was ready reconstructed in the post-war period.

References

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• Connelly, James F. - The visit of archbishop Gaetano Bedini tho the United Stades of America (June, 1853 - February, 1854) / James F. Connelly - Roma - 1960
• Artemi, Pietro - Elogio funebre del cardinale Gaetano Bedini Arciv. Vescovo di Viterbo e Toscanella letto de' solenni funerali degli 8 settembri 1864 nella chiesa cattedrale viterbese / - Viterbo - 1864
• Bedini, Gaetano - Agli alunni del Pontificio Collegio Urbano in propaganda : parole dette da Monsig. Gaetano Bedini nella solenne messa pontificale per l'Epifania del 1861 - Roma - 1861
• Bedini, Gaetano - 14 you open them 1850. State of the Church, Papal Government. We Gaetano Bedini, Patrizio Sinigalliese… Extraordinary Papal Commissioner of S.S. Pope Pio IX and For-Legacy of Bologna. People of the Legations. … Today he is given us of being able to you to announce that Devout immortale already IX is found in its Rome and with It shines of new in the Vatican the twofold Maestà of the Pontefice and the Monarch… - Bologna, Governmental Printing office to the Vixen. Millimeter 781x530.
• Sanfilippo, Matteo - Monsignor Gaetano Bedini and the emigration towards the Americas in Studies Emigration - 106 (1992) - pp. 277-286 53.
• Polverari, Alberto - Cronotassi of the bishops of Senigallia - p. 142
• Mencucci, Mons. Angel - Senigallia and its Diocese - and Fortune - pp. 139-147
• Mounts Guarnieri, Giovanni - Annals of Senigallia - tip. Situated - Ancona - p. 315-316 377
• Catholic Encyclopedia - coll. 1138-1139
• Biographical Dictionary of the Italians - pp. 520-522
• Vatican Secret Archives, Sacrae Visitationes - “Visit Gaetano Bedini, 1861” - vol. I-VI

See also

• Senigallia
• Giuseppe Garibaldi
• Bologna
• Santa Maria sopra Minerva
• Viterbo

External links

• catholic-hierarchy

Template:Link FA

• 1806 births
• 1864 deaths
• People from the Province of Ancona
• Italian cardinals
• Roman Catholic archbishops
• Diplomats of the Holy See
• Deaths by stroke