Donato Sbarretti

Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal

Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina e Poggio Mirteto (1928–39)
Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals (1935–39)

OrdersOrdination12 April 1879
by Raffaele Monaco La VallettaConsecration4 February 1900
by Sebastiano MartinelliCreated cardinal4 December 1916
by Pope Benedict XVRankCardinal-Priest (1916–28)
Cardinal-Bishop (1928–39)Personal detailsBorn

Donato Raffaele Sbarretti

12 November 1856

Montefranco, Spoleto, Papal States

Died1 April 1939(1939-04-01) (aged 82)
Rome, Kingdom of ItalyParentsAgostino Donato Flavio Sbarretti
Caterina TazzaPrevious post(s)

Bishop of La Habana (1900–01)
Titular Archbishop of Gortyna (1901)
Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines (1901–02)
Titular Archbishop of Ephesus (1901–16)
Apostolic Delegate to Canada and Newfoundland (1902–10)
Secretary of the Congregation of Religious (1910–16)
Assessor of the Congregation of the Holy Office (1914–16)
Cardinal-Priest of San Silvestro in Capite (1916–28)
Prefect of the Congregation of the Council (1919–30)
Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals (1926–27)

Alma mater Pontifical Roman Athenaeum Saint ApollinareMottoRespice stellam voca MariamCoat of arms

Styles of Donato Raffaele Sbarretti Tazza

Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Albano (suburbicarian see)

Donato Raffaele Sbarretti Tazza (November^[1] 1856 – 1 April 1939)^[2] was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal whose career included pastoral service in Italy and Cuba, diplomatic service in America and the Pacific, and ultimately high office in the Roman Curia.

Biography

Born in Montefranco di Spoleto, Sbarretti was educated and first served in the archdiocese of Spoleto.

His uncle, Enea Sbarretti, was named a Cardinal in 1877, two years before Donato was ordained a priest at the age of 22. However, Donato Sbarretti's career advancement cannot be ascribed to nepotism; his uncle's longtime patron Pope Pius IX had died before Donato even became a priest, and his uncle died in 1884, when Donato's career was barely underway.

In 1893, after pastoral work, teaching, and minor curial staff positions, such as a minutante at Propaganda, Sbarretti was made canon of a church in Rome and posted to the United States as auditor in the apostolic delegation. In 1895 he was named a privy chamberlain, then the lowest grade of monsignor.

His next postings were results of the aftermath of the Spanish–American War, as he was named Bishop of Havana in 1900, serving only briefly, before the Holy See named him Apostolic Delegate Extraordinary to settle an urgent matter in the Philippines. The United States Government refused to allow him to take up this posting because they wanted to negotiate this issue with their own special mission to the Vatican under William Howard Taft. Before the end of 1902 Sbarretti was sent to Canada as Apostolic Delegate and remained there until recalled to Rome in 1910.

In 1916 Pope Benedict XV elevated Sbarretti to the cardinalate as Cardinal-Priest of San Silvestro in Capite. Then serving as Assessor of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, he became Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the council (predecessor of today's Congregation for the Clergy) in 1919. A Cardinal Bishop after 1928, he finally became Secretary of the Holy Office (today's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), of which the Pope then personally served as Prefect in 1930, and Vice-Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1935.

He died less than a month after participating in the conclave that elected Pope Pius XII, and according to his will was buried in the parish church of Montefranco, where he had been born.

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donato Sbarretti.

^ Sources differ as to whether he was born on 10 or 12 November.
^ (2 April 1939). Donato Sbaretti, Cardinal, 82, Dead, The New York Times

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Placide Louis Chapelle	Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines 1901–1902	Succeeded by Giovanni Battista Guidi
Preceded by Diomede Falconio	Apostolic Delegate to Canada and Newfoundland 26 December 1902 – 29 October 1910	Succeeded by Pellegrino Francesco Stagni
Preceded by Rafael Merry del Val	Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office 4 July 1930 – 1 April 1939	Succeeded by Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani