Camillo Caccia Dominioni

Camillo Caccia-Dominioni (7 February 1877 – 12 November 1946) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Pontifical Household from 1921 to 1935, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935.

His Eminence

Camillo Caccia-Dominioni
Cardinal Protodeacon
Appointed16 December 1935
Term ended12 November 1946
PredecessorCamillo Laurenti
SuccessorNicola Canali
Other postsCardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Domnica
Orders
Ordination23 September 1899
by Andrea Carlo Ferrari
Created cardinal16 December 1935
by Pope Pius XI
RankCardinal-Deacon
Personal details
Birth nameCamillo Caccia-Dominioni
Born(1877-02-07)7 February 1877
Milan, Lombardy, Kingdom of Italy
Died12 November 1946(1946-11-12) (aged 69)
Rome, Italy
BuriedBasilica of Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo
NationalityItalian
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous postPrefect of the Pontifical Household (1921–1935)
Coat of arms
Styles of
Camillo Caccia-Dominioni
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Biography

Born in Milan, Camillo Caccia-Dominioni studied at the seminary in that same city before attending the Pontifical Gregorian University (from where he obtained his doctorate in canon law) and the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles (from where he graduated in 1898[1]) in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Andrea Ferrari on 23 September 1899. Caccia-Dominioni did pastoral work in Rome until 1921, and finished his studies in 1902. In 1903, he was appointed Coadjutor-Canon of St. Peter's Basilica.

Named Protonotary Apostolic on 27 June 1921, Caccia-Dominioni was raised to the rank of Monsignor on 24 September 1914. He was appointed Prefect of the Pontifical Household, the papal majordomo, by Pope Benedict XV on 16 June 1921. Upon the death of Pope Benedict on 22 January 1922, Caccia-Dominioni and all other major Vatican officials, in accord with custom, automatically lost their positions during the sede vacante. He was later confirmed as Prefect of the Pontifical Household by Pope Pius XI on the following 7 February and succeeded to the post of Canon of St. Peter's Basilica on 14 February 1924. Caccia-Dominioni was considered to be a protege of Pius XI,[2] at whose final hours the former was present in his bedchamber.[3]

Caccia-Dominioni was created Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria in Domnica by Pope Pius XI in the consistory of 16 December 1935. He was one of the cardinal electors in the 1939 papal conclave, which selected Pope Pius XII. In virtue of his position of Protodeacon (the senior Cardinal Deacon), Caccia-Dominioni announced Pius XII's election and later crowned him on 12 March 1939.

According to David Kertzer, Caccia-Dominioni was a pederast.[4] The OVRA had a file on him, which detailed that he often lured young males to his apartment in Rome for sex, and that the Pope had been aware of this.[5]

The Cardinal died from a heart ailment in Rome, at age 69.[2] He is buried in the crypt of the Basilica of Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo.

Trivia
  • It was falsely speculated that Caccia-Dominioni had been elevated to a cardinal in pectore by Pius XI in the consistory of 13 March 1933.[6]

References
  1. Holy See. Ex-alunni 1850-1899, Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica
  2. TIME Magazine. Milestones November 25, 1946
  3. TIME Magazine. Death of a Pope February 20, 1939
  4. David I Kertzer: "The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe"
  5. Kertzer 2014, p. 94.
  6. TIME Magazine. 1900th Passion April 3, 1933

Media
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Giovanni Tacci Porcelli		 Prefect of the Pontifical Household
16 June 1921 – 16 December 1935		 Succeeded by
unknown
Preceded by
Camillo Laurenti		 Cardinal Protodeacon
16 December 1935 – 12 November 1946		 Succeeded by
Nicola Canali
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