Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878–1903) created 147 cardinals in 27 consistories held at roughly annual intervals. With his appointments he approached[a] but did not exceed the limit on the size of the College of Cardinals set at 70 in 1586.[2] The size of the college was 64 at the beginning and end of Leo XIII's 25-year papacy.[b] With 147 additions to a body of fewer than 70, Leo had, as one observer phrased it, "renewed the Sacred College more than twice".[3]
The largest group of fourteen new cardinals, with two more kept secret, was announced on 16 January 1893. Nine of Leo's cardinals were created in pectore and only announced at a later consistory. Those announced at his first consistory included his brother Giuseppe Pecci. In 1893, he elevated to cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, who succeeded him as Pope Pius X in 1903. The cardinals he created included brothers Serafino and Vincenzo Vannutelli in 1887 and 1889 and cousins Luigi Jacobini and Angelo Jacobini in 1879 and 1882. Another of Leo's cardinals, von Fürstenberg, had a cousin in the College appointed in 1842 by Pope Gregory XVI.[4]
Of the 147 cardinals Pope Leo created, 85 were Italian.[c] Only three were not Europeans: Gibbons (United States), Moran (Australia), and Taschereau (Canada).
Pope Leo's appointments also included the first Australian,[6]Moran, the first Canadian,[7]Taschereau, the first Slovenian,[8]Missia, and the first Armenian,[9]Hassoun, who was also the first prelate of an Oriental rite made a cardinal since 1439.[10] Cardinals who died before visiting Rome to be assigned their titular churches included Guilbert, Lluch, and Rotelli.
Of the 147 cardinals Leo appointed, 63 survived him and 61 of them, along with one cardinal appointed earlier,[11][d] participated in the 1903 conclave that elected Pius X.[e]
12 May 1879
After waiting more than a year, on 12 May 1879, Pope Leo created cardinals for the first time, six of the order of cardinal priests and four of the order of cardinal deacons, including among the latter his brother, Giuseppe Pecci.[14] On 22 September he gave red galeri to three of them (Desprez, Haynald, and Pie), as well as to János Simor, whom Pope Pius IX had made a cardinal in 1873.[15] Von Fürstenberg joined his cousin Friedrich Prince zu Schwarzenberg, a cardinal since 1842.[4]
Pope Leo announced the creation of one cardinal on 13 December 1880, reserving the names of three others in pectore.[10] Hassoun was the first Armenian cardinal[9] and first Oriental-rite cardinal since 1439.[10] Ricci Paracciani's cousin Salvatore Nobili Vitelleschi was made a cardinal in 1875, just five months before he died.
On 27 March 1882, Pope Leo announced the names of two cardinals he had created in pectore in December 1880 and created another five, revealing the names of all but one (Lavigerie).[18] Angelo Jacobini joined his cousin Luigi, then Secretary of State, who was made a cardinal in 1879.[19]
On 10 November 1884, Pope Leo announced the creation of eight cardinals and announced the name of one, Carlo Laurenzi, made a cardinal in pectore in December 1880.[17]
Pope Leo created seven cardinals on 7 June 1886.[24] The two cardinal deacons Pope Leo created on 7 June 1886, Theodoli and Mazzella, were assigned their deaconries on 10 June;[25] the other five cardinal priests were given their titular churches on 17 March 1887.[26][27]
Pope Leo created two cardinal deacons on 23 May 1887.[29] Bausa was not yet a bishop and was only consecrated in March 1889. Pallotti was never consecrated a bishop.
Pope Leo created seven cardinals on 24 May 1889.[31] Guilbert died less than three months later without having visited Rome to be assigned his titular church.[32]
Pope Leo created three cardinals of the order of cardinal priests on 23 June 1890 and announced he had created Vincenzo Vannutelli a cardinal in pectore the previous December.[33]
Pope Leo created two cardinals on 1 June 1891.[34] Rotelli received his red hat from French President Sadi Carnot,[35] but died before being invested by the pope with the other symbols of his new rank.[36]
Pope Leo created five cardinals in May 1894, four cardinal priests and one cardinal deacon (Segna). He announced that he had made Andreas Steinhuber a cardinal in pectore previously.[40]
Pope Leo created eight cardinals on 29 November 1895[42][43] and announced that he had made Adolphe Perraud a cardinal in pectore in 1893.[39] Francesco Satolli, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, did not travel to Rome for the ceremony, but received his insignia of office from Cardinal James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore,[44] on 5 January 1896.[45]
Two cardinals were created on 30 November 1896;[47] they received their red galeri on 3 December.[48] Neither was a bishop when made cardinal; Prisco was consecrated in 1898.
Pope Leo announced the creation of 11 new cardinals on 19 June 1899[50] and created two in pectore, Alessandro Sanminiatelli Zabarella and Francesco Salesio Della Volpe, whose names were published in 1901.[51] Missia was the first Slovenian to enter the College of Cardinals.[8]
Pope Leo created ten cardinals on 15 April 1901, assigning eight to the order of cardinal priests and two to the order of cardinal deacons (Tripepi and Cavagnis).[52]
At his last consistory held less than a month before his death, Pope Leo created seven cardinals and assigned them all to the order of cardinal priests. Only Nocella, Cavicchioni, and Fischer were present to receive their red hats from the pope and be assigned their titular sees on 25 June.[53][54] The others participated in the conclave that elected Pope Pius X and it was from him that Herrero received his red galero and titular church assignment on 27 August,[55] as did Aiuti, Taliani, and Karschthaler theirs on 12 November 1903.[56]
^Two cardinals created by Leo did not participate in the 1903 conclave: Celesia was too sick to travel from Palermo and Moran unable to reach Rome from Australia in time.[13]
^Apparently not related to the two other Jacobinis made cardinal by Leo XIII.
^Noonan, James-Charles (2012). The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church, Revised Edition. New York: Sterling Ethos. pp. 8–9. ISBN978-1-40278730-0.
^ abLukács, Lajos (1981). The Vatican and Hungary, 1846–1878: Reports and Correspondence on Hungary of the Apostolic Nuncios in Vienna. Akadémiai Kiadó. p. 108.
^ abcActa Sanctae Sedis(PDF). Vol. XIII. 1880. pp. 199–200. Retrieved 30 January 2021. Pope Leo mentioned the last Oriental rite cardinal, Bessarion, when he announced Hassoun's name in the consistory.
^"Notizie". La buona settimana (in Italian). Turin: Speirani e Tortone. 28 March 1886. p. 155. Retrieved 7 February 2021. cugino del cardinale Segretario di Stato
^"Roman Catholic Church". The American Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1891. New Series XVI: 685, 773. 1891. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
^Acta Sanctae Sedis(PDF). Vol. XXIV. 1891–92. pp. 323–4. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
^Acta Sanctae Sedis(PDF). Vol. XXV. 1892–93. p. 387. Retrieved 24 January 2021.