Product Code Database
Pietro Maffi (12 October 1858 – 17 March 1931) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Florida International University, The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church website, Biographical Dictionary; Pope Pius X (1903-1914) Consistory of April 15, 1907 (III) He served as Archbishop of Pisa from 1903 until his death, Thinking Faith website, The Universe, Without and Within, article by Guy Consolmagno SJ dated 21 March 2012 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1907.
He was also a scientist and astronomer. European Journal of Science and Theology website, A Mediterranean meeting for the dialogue, article by Professor Ludovico Galleni published in the EJST Vol.4, No.4, 1-4 in December 2008
On 9 June 1902 Maffi was appointed Auxiliary bishop of Ravenna and Titular bishop of Caesarea in Mauretania by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 11 June from Cardinal Lucido Parocchi, with Archbishops Felix-Marie de Neckere and Diomede Panici serving as Consecrator, at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Maffi was later advanced to Archbishop of Pisa on 22 June 1903.
In addition to his pastoral duties, he was named director and administrator of the Vatican Observatory on 30 November 1904.
Pope Pius X created him Cardinal Priest of San Crisogono in the Papal consistory of 15 April 1907. Maffi participated in and was a chief candidate in the 1914 papal conclave, which selected Pope Benedict XV.
During World War I, Maffi was known as the "War Cardinal" for his support of a fight-to-the-finish policy. Taylor And Francis website, ‘Reckless youth’ Cardinal Maffi and Fascism (1919–31), article by M. Giovanni Cavagnini, published in the Journal of Modern Italian Studies Volume 19, 2014, Issue 2, pages 99-118, 05 Feb 2014 ResearchGate website, The Quintessential Italian Bishop Cardinal Maffi and World War I, article dated April 2013
He also participated in the 1922 conclave, which selected Pope Pius XI. In a 1925 pastoral letter, the Archbishop issued a scathing attack on the Fascist government, which subsequently halted the letter's publication.TIME Magazine. Enemy of Fascism March 23, 1925
A close friend of the Royal Family, in 1930, he presided at the marriage of Crown Prince Umberto of Italy and Princess Marie-José of Belgium.
The Cardinal continued to write numerous scientific and Astronomy works, the best known of which is Nei cieli. His love for science once provoked Pisa's outrage, when Maffi proposed to erect a statue of Galileo Galilei, the scientist Galileo affair Inquisition as a Christian heresy. Maffi had authenicated a document as the work of Galileo, but this was later found to be incorrect. University of Michigan website, Library section, Lessons from Galileo, article by Alan Piñon and Lynne Raughley dated October 20, 2022 Live Science website, Document Supposedly Written by Galileo is a Fake, article by Stephanie Pappas dated August 22, 2022
Maffi died in Pisa, at age 72. He is buried at the Cathedral of Pisa.
|
|
