Quick Facts
Biography
Serafino Vannutelli JUD (26 November 1834 – 19 August 1917) was an Italian Cardinal.
Biography
Vannutelli was born at Genazzano, in the diocese of Palestrina, where he studied and graduated in philosophy before studying theology in the Capranica College, Rome. After teaching theology at the Pontifical Seminary, he was secretary to the Papal Nuncio in Bavaria.
He went to North America to become auditor to the Nuncio at the Court of Maximilian in Mexico, and apostolic delegate to Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Central America. He was made Papal Nuncio to Brussels in 1875. His stay in Brussels stopped abruptly when Belgian government broke off the diplomatic relations with the Holy See on 28 June 1880. Still in the same year, Serafino Vannutelli became Papal Nuncio to Vienna.
For the first six months of 1893 he served as Archbishop of Bologna until he was appointed Major Penitentiary. Serafino Vannutelli was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Girolamo dei Croati degli Schiavoni in 1887. From 1899 until his death in 1917 he was Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary.
At the conclave of 1903, which elected Cardinal Sarto (Pope Pius X), it was understood that Cardinal Serafino Vannutelli was the candidate of the Triple Alliance. He was the brother of Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli, who was made Cardinal in 1889.