SEDE VACANTE

(October 9, 1958—October 28, 1958)

Cardinal Benedetto Aloisi Masella

 

 

SEDE VACANTE

(June 3, 1963—June 21, 1963)

BENEDETTO CARDINAL ALOISI MASELLA (1879-1970) was born in Pontecorvo on June 29, 1879, the nephew of of Gaetano Card. Aloisi Masella. He studied in Rome at the Gregorian University, the Athenaeum S. Apollinare, and the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He was ordained in 1902, and began a diplomatic career, first in the Secretariat of State and then in Portugal (1908-1919). He was named Archbishop and Nuncio to Chile (1919-1927); he was Nuncio to Brazil from 1927 until 1946. He became Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Valicella on February 18, 1946, and in 1954 became Archpriest of the Lateran Basilica. In that capacity he received the body of Pius XII in his cathedral as it was returned to Rome from Castel Gandolfo on October 10, 1958. In Rome he was Prefect for the Congregation of the Sacraments (1953-1968). He was elected Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church by the cardinals assembled at the first meeting of the Interregnum on October 9, 1958, after the death of Pius XII. An autocratic administrator, Pius had preferred subordinates to collaborators, and had been notorious for leaving important posts unfilled; there was no Camerlengo between the death of Lorenzo Card. Lauri in 1941 and the election of Aloisi Massella in 1958. He held the office until his death on September 30, 1970. He became Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina in 1966.

Federico Callori was born at Vignale, Monferrato, in 1890. He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and at the Academy for Noble Ecclesiastics. Ordained in December, 1917, he became a Papal Chamberlain (participant) in July, 1919. In 1935 he was named a Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius XI, and shortly thereafter a Canon of the Basilica of St. Peter's; a few days later he was appointed Protonotary Apostolic. In 1950 he was appointed Pro-Master of the Papal Household by Pope Pius XII, and finally Master (Majordomo) in 1958, at the beginning of the reign of John XXIII (Roncalli). He became a titular Archbishop on February 15,1965, and a week later was named Cardinal by Pope Paul VI (Montini). He died in 1971.

 

Prince Sigismondo Chigi (1894-1982), Hereditary Marshal of the Holy Roman Church, was the son of Prince Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere (1866-1951) and Donna Anna Aldobrandini, princess of Sarsina. He had one son, Don Agostino Chigi Albani della Rovere (1929-2002) and one daughter, Princess Francesca. He was the Marshal of the Conclave both in 1958 and 1963. The office, to which the Chigi had succeeded after the extinction of the Savelli in 1712, was finally abolished by Pope Paul VI in a motu proprio, Pontificalis Domus, of March 28, 1968. [His medal: Calo, p. 136 #3.]

 

	AE 29 mm The arms of Prince Don Sigismondo Chigi, Hereditary Marshal of the Holy Roman Church, surmounted by a ducal crown; mantle with the Ombrellone and crossed keys, the shield flanked by two keys.
	SIGISMVNDVS | PRINCEPS | CHISIVS S R E | MARESCHALLVS | PERPETVVS MCMLVIII Calo, p. 136 #3

The Secretary of the Conclave was Msgr. Alberto di Jorio, a career Curialist and a die-hard ultra-conservative.  He was made a Cardinal by John XXIII on December 15, 1958, and spent the rest of his life opposing the policies of Pope John. He died on September 5, 1979.

The Master of Ceremonies and Secretary of the Congregation Ceremonial was Msgr. Enrico Dante (1884-1967)  [Prefect, June 13,1947–February 21, 1965].  He had already served as a ceremoniere in the Conclave of 1914.  He was a professor, first of philosophy and then of theology, at the Propaganda from 1911-1947.  He was created a Cardinal at the age of 80, on February 22, 1965, as Cardinal Priest of S. Agata dei Goti.  He died on April 24, 1967.

 

1958

The Conclave of 1958 began on October 25. On the third day of balloting, October 28, Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Patriarch of Venice (John XXIII), was elected on the 12th ballot.

1963

The Conclave of 1963 began on June 19. For the first time, in accordance with instructions of John XXIII, only one conclavist was allowed, and he had to be a cleric. Francisco Franco, the Spanish Caudillo (Dictator), attempted to impose a sort of veto against Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini of Milan by sending the College of Cardinals some "advice" through Cardinal Arcadio Larraona (Il Messagero June 13, 1963; Burkle-Young, 160). The strategy backfired. Montini, the pre-conclave favorite, led on the four ballots taken on June 20, but did not succeed in getting the 2/3 + 1 number of votes required for election. He was elected on ballot 5 on the morning of June 21.

 

 

 

 

F. A. Burkle-Young, Passing the Keys (Lanham MD: Madison Books 1999) 73-119; 142-180.   Luigi Casatelli, Benedetto Aloisi Masella: Camerlengo, Diplomatico di Cristo (Roma: Sogogen Editore 2007).

© 12/05/2006, 05/11/2007