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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 posts | Dean of the College of Cardinals (1761–63) Cardinal-Bishop ofOstia e Velletri (1761–63) |
| Previous posts | 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 byClement XII |
| Rank | Cardinal-Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 February 1694 |
| Died | 12 April 1763 (aged 69) |
| Buried | Santi XII Apostoli, Rome |
Giuseppe Spinelli (1 February 1694 – 12 April 1763) was an Italiancardinal. He wasPrefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
A native ofNaples, 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 CardinalLorenzo 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, CardinalGiuseppe Renato Imperiali, while attending the seminary. In 1717, he was awarded a doctorate in civil and canon law fromLa Sapienza University.[1]
He was named privy chamberlain ofPope Clement XI, and ordained apriest in 1724. The following year he was appointedpapal nuncio to Flanders and consecratedtitular archbishop of Corinthus byCardinal d'Alsace. He wasarchbishop of Naples from 1734 until 1754. In this capacity, he conducted a search for the relics ofAgrippinus, an early bishop of the city. He found amarble vase with the following words written: "Indeterminate relics that are believed to be the body of Saint Agrippinus."[1] He also summonedStefano Pozzi to decorate the cathedral at Naples.
His clandestine attempt to introduce theInquisition to Naples in 1746, resulted in a violent popular uprising, whereuponCharles 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 becameBishop of Palestrina in 1753,Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina in 1759, andBishop of Ostia in 1761. He belonged to the conservativezelanti faction in the College of Cardinals. He becameDean of the Sacred College in June 1761. He was alsoCardinal protector of theScottish nation from 1753 until his death.[3]
Spinelli died atRome in 1763.
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| Preceded by | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana 14 March 1735 – 25 September 1752 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere 25 September 1752 – 09 April 1753 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina 09 April 1753 – 13 July 1759 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina 13 July 1759 – 13 July 1761 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia 17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763 | Succeeded by |
| Dean of the College of Cardinals 17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763 | ||
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