Aristide Rinaldini

His Eminence Aristide Rinaldini
Camerlengo Emeritus of the College of Cardinals
Rinaldi pictured as an archbishop in 1899.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	2 December 1912
Term ended	25 May 1914
Predecessor	Rafael Merry del Val de Zulueta
Successor	Pietro Gasparri
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio (1907-20)
Previous post(s)	Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium (1896-99) Titular Archbishop of Heraclea (1896-1907) Apostolic Nuncio to Spain (1899-1907)
Orders
Ordination	6 June 1868
Consecration	30 August 1896 by Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro
Created cardinal	15 April 1907 by Pope Pius X
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	Aristide Rinaldini 5 February 1844 Montefalco, Spoleto, Papal States
Died	11 February 1920(1920-02-11) (aged 76) Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Buried	Campo Verano
Alma mater	Almo Collegio Capranica Pontifical Gregorian University

Styles of Aristide Rinaldini
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	none

Aristide Rinaldini (5 February 1844 – 11 February 1920) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Apostolic Nuncio to Spain from 1899 to 1907. He was made a cardinal in 1907.

Biography

Born in Montefalco, Aristide Rinaldini studied at the seminary of the Vatican (1860–1862), Almo Collegio Capranica in Rome (1862–1868), and the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained his doctorate in philosophy and licentiate in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on 6 June 1868 and then served as secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature to Portugal until 1872.

Within the nunciature to Belgium, Rinaldini served as secretary from 1872 to 1880. He remained in Belgium as a "private agent" after the liberal cabinet of Prime Minister Walthère Frère-Orban broke diplomatic relations with the Holy See and Nuncio Serafino Vannutelli left for Rome. Rinaldini served as chargé d'affaires from 1880 to 1885 and auditor in 1887.

Following his elevation to a protonotary apostolic ad instar participantium, he was the Internuncio to the Netherlands from 1887 to 1893. He also became Internuncio to Luxembourg in January 1891 and handed over his credentials to Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg on 9 February 1891. He returned to Italy when made Substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State on 31 May 1893 and remained in that position for three years.

On 14 August 1896 Rinaldini was appointed Nuncio to Belgium and Titular Archbishop of Heraclea in Europa by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on 30 August from Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, with Bishops Guglielmo Pifferi, OSA and Vincenzo Veneri (Rinaldini's own cousin) serving as co-consecrators. He was named Nuncio to Spain on 28 December 1899. He acted as the papal legate to the baptism of the Prince of Asturias on 18 May 1907.

Pope Pius X made him Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio in the consistory of 15 April 1907. Rinaldini was Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals on 2 December 1912 to 25 May 1914 and was one of the cardinals who participated in the 1914 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XV.

He died in Rome at the age of 76. He is buried in the chapel of the Reverend Fabric of St. Peter's at the Campo Verano cemetery.

Honours

Foreign Honours

Spain:

• Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Charles III (30 May 1906)

External links

• Aristide Rinaldini at Find a Grave
• Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
• Catholic-Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}