Giuseppe Spinelli

His Eminence Giuseppe Spinelli
Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	11 September 1756
Term ended	12 April 1763
Other post(s)	Dean of the College of Cardinals (1761–63) Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia e Velletri (1761–63)
Previous post(s)	Archbishop of Naples (1734–54)
Orders
Ordination	8 March 1722 (Deacon) 17 April 1724 (Priest)
Consecration	28 October 1725 (Bishop) by Thomas de Hénin-Liétard
Created cardinal	17 January 1735 by Clement XII
Rank	Cardinal-Bishop
Personal details
Born	1 February 1694 Naples, Kingdom of Naples
Died	12 April 1763 (aged 69) Rome, Papal States
Buried	Santi XII Apostoli, Rome

Giuseppe Spinelli (1 February 1694 – 12 April 1763) was an Italian cardinal. He was Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith

Biography

A native of Naples, he was the son of Giambattista Spinelli, marquis of Fuscaldo, prince of Sant'Arcangelo and duke of Caivano. His mother was Maria Imperiali. He was the grand-nephew of Cardinal Lorenzo Imperiali, cousin of Cardinal Cosimo Imperiali, and uncle of Cardinal Ferdinando Spinelli.^[1]

At the age of thirteen, he was sent to Rome to live with his maternal uncle, Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, while attending the seminary. In 1717, he was awarded a doctorate in civil and canon law from La Sapienza University.^[1]

He was named privy chamberlain of Pope Clement XI, and ordained a priest in 1724. The following year he was appointed papal nuncio to Flanders and consecrated titular archbishop of Corinthus by Cardinal d'Alsace. He was archbishop of Naples from 1734 until 1754. In this capacity, he conducted a search for the relics of Agrippinus, an early bishop of the city. He found a marble vase with the following words written: "Indeterminate relics that are believed to be the body of Saint Agrippinus."[1] He also summoned Stefano Pozzi to decorate the cathedral at Naples.

His clandestine attempt to introduce the Inquisition to Naples in 1746, resulted in a violent popular uprising, whereupon Charles III forced him to renounce his see and leave the capital. He did so with the greatest of reluctance, attempting first to remedy the situation from Rome, but finally resigned the Archbishopric in early 1754.^[2]

In 1756, he became prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He later became Bishop of Palestrina in 1753, Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina in 1759, and Bishop of Ostia in 1761. He belonged to the conservative zelanti faction in the College of Cardinals. He became Dean of the Sacred College in June 1761. He was also Cardinal protector of the Scottish nation from 1753 until his death.^[3]

Spinelli died at Rome in 1763.

References

1. Miranda, Salvador. "Spinelli, Giuseppe (1694-1763)", The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Florida International University, 2018
2. Acton, Harold (1957). The Bourbons of Naples (1731-1825). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 9780571249015. ^{[page needed]}
3. McCluskey, Raymond, ed. (2000). The Scots College Rome 1600-2000. Edinburgh: John Donald. p. 168. ISBN 0 85976 524 5.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Carlos de Borja y Centellas	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana 14 March 1735 – 25 September 1752	Succeeded by Carlos de Borja y Centellas
Preceded by Francesco Borghese	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere 25 September 1752 – 09 April 1753	Succeeded by Joaquín Fernández Portocarrero
Preceded by Antonio Xaverio Gentilis	Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina 09 April 1753 – 13 July 1759	Succeeded by Federico Marcello Lante
Preceded by Francesco Borghese	Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina 13 July 1759 – 13 July 1761	Succeeded by Camillo Paolucci
Preceded by Rainiero d'Elci	Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia 17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763	Succeeded by Carlo Alberto Guidoboni Cavalchini
	Dean of the College of Cardinals 17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763

External links

• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}
• Biography