Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte

Who was Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte?

Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a prominent member of the Roman Curia.

Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte was born in Naples. He was ordained a priest on June 7, 1879 in Naples. He worked in the archdiocese in various roles, amongst which as secretary to Archbishop Guglielmo Sanfelice D'Acquavella. He was appointed a domestic prelate to the Pope on April 4, 1884 and joined the Roman Curia in 1892, where he was attached to the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, concerned with foreign affairs of the Holy See. As attaché and counselor, he held posts in the Paris nunciature from 1893 to 1896.

In 1899 Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte was appointed Titular Archbishop of Edessa, consecrated by Mariano Rampolla, Cardinal Secretary of State, in Rome. Concurrently, he became nuncio to Belgium, later to Austria-Hungary. In 1909 the nuncio stood as godparent, representing Pope Pius X, to Don Carlos de Austria y de Borbón, son of Archduke Don Leopold Salvator of Habsburg-Lorraine and Infanta Doña Blanca de Borbón y de Borbón.

Pius X created him Cardinal-Priest with effect from November 27, 1911 giving him the title of Santa Maria degli Angeli. He was appointed a papal legate to the Eucharistic Congress of Lourdes July 12, 1914. On December 6, 1915 he was promoted to Cardinal Bishop of Albano. From December 4, 1916 to March 16, 1919 he held the post of Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals. He was appointed a papal legate to the Eucharistic Congress of Palermo on August 6, 1924. On February 25, 1930 he was appointed vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, becoming Dean on July 9, 1930, when he was chosen as Cardinal Bishop of Ostia in 1930. On July 14 of the same year the new Dean was appointed Prefect of the Congregation of Ceremonies by Pope Pius XI.