Giulio Tonti

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Giulio Cardinal Tonti
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Port-au-Prince (emeritus)|

Giulio Cardinal Tonti (December 9, 1844—December 11, 1918) was an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Religious from 1917 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1915.

Biography

Giulio Tonti was born in Rome, and received the Sacrament of Confirmation on August 17, 1856. He studied at the Pontifical Roman Seminary, from where he obtained his doctorates in philosophy, in theology, and in canon and civil law.

Tonti was ordained to the priesthood on December 21, 1867, and then served as professor of theology and vice-rector of the Pontifical Urbanian Athenaeum "De Propaganda Fide" until 1879. He became an official of the Sacred Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs in the Roman Curia before serving as auditor of the nunciature to France (1879-1882) and to Portugal (1882-1892). He was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness as well.

On July 11, 1892, Tonti was appointed Apostolic Delegate to Santo Domingo, Haiti, and Venezuela and Titular Archbishop of "Samos" by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 25 from Vincenzo Cardinal Vannutelli, with Bishops Michele dei Baroni Zezza Zaponetta and Augusto Berlucca serving as co-consecrators. He was later named Apostolic Administrator of Port-au-Prince and of Les Gonaïves on February 24, 1893, and Titular Archbishop of "Sardes" on the following July 15.

Tonti rose to become Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, whilst retaining the administration of the Diocese of Les Gonaïves, on October 1, 1894. He was then appointed Nuncio to Brazil and Titular Archbishop of "Ancyra" on August 23, 1902, and Nuncio to Portugal on October 4, 1906. On October 25, 1910, Tonti resigned his diplomatic post in Portugal as a result of the country's revolution, and returned to Rome.

Pope Benedict XV created him Cardinal Priest of "Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti" in the consistory of December 6, 1915. The Cardinal was later named Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Religious on February 13, 1917, also becoming a member of the Council for the Administration of the Wealth of the Apostolic See on May 21 of that same year.

Tonti died in his native Rome, at age 74—only two days after his last birthday. He is buried in the tomb of the chapter of St. Peter's Basilica at the Campo di Verano cemetery in Rome.

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/btonti.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-t.htm#Tonti Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]