Alfonso Carafa
Alfonso Carafa (born July 16, 1540 in Naples ; † August 29, 1565 ibid) was an Italian clergyman, Archbishop of Naples and cardinal .
Life
Origin, childhood and youth
He came from the line of Montebello of the extensive noble family of the Carafa and was the eldest child of Antonio Carafa, marchese of Montebello, Count of Bagno, and his wife Brianna Beltrano from the family of the Counts of Mesagne. Alfonso Carafa was a great-nephew of Pope Paul IV and related to a number of other cardinals: Carlo Carafa was his uncle, Antonio Carafa (1568), a cousin; Furthermore, he was related to the Cardinals Filippo Carafa , Oliviero Carafa , Gianvincenzo Carafa , Diomede Carafa , Decio Carafa , Pier Luigi Carafa seniore , Carlo Carafa della Spina , Fortunato Ilario Carafa della Spina , Pierluigi Carafa iuniore , Francesco Carafa della Spina , Marino Carafa di Belvedere and Domenico Carafa della Spina .
Alfonso Carafa received his first lessons of the Greek and Latin languages from Giovan Paolo Flavio and already attracted attention in the literary circles of Naples in his youth. At the age of eight he was accepted into the court of his great-uncle, Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa, who later became Pope Paul IV. Alfonso Carafa's spiritual education included knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church , imparted to him by his great-uncle, the Cardinal. He became a cleric of the Archdiocese of Naples.
Cardinalate
After his great-uncle had become Pope as Paul IV, he created him in the consistory of March 15, 1557 as a cardinal deacon ; He received the red hat and the title diaconia of San Nicola fra Imagini on March 24th of the same year.
On April 9, 1557, Alfonso Carafa was elected Archbishop of Naples. Since he had not yet reached canonical age at the age of 17 , he was appointed administrator without episcopal powers until he reached the age limit . He was ordained deacon by Cardinal Scipione Rebiba on April 15, 1557 together with Cardinals Carlo Carafa, his uncle, Vitellozzo Vitelli and Giovanni Battista Consiglieri . Alfonso Carafa was from 1557–1558 legate to King Philip II of Spain and from November 28, 1558 head of the Apostolic Chamber . On December 16, 1558, he opted for the title diaconia Santa Maria in Portico Octaviae and on March 6, 1559 for the title diaconia Santa Maria in Domnica . In 1559 he met as Apostolic Librarian . He was a participant in the conclave of 1559 , from which Pius IV emerged as Pope. On April 26, 1560 he opted for the cardinal class of cardinal priests and the titular church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo .
Alfonso Carafa was falsely accused on June 7, 1560 of having embezzled items from the Apostolic Chamber. He was imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo for several months and removed from his position as regent. He was fined 100,000 golden scudi and expelled from the city of Rome. He was released on April 2, 1561. After winning back the favor of Pope Pius IV, he was allowed to return to his diocese of Naples. Alfonso Carafa participated in the Council of Trent from 1562 to 1563 .
Last years and death
He was ordained priest on April 16, 1564 in Naples by Cardinal Niccolò Caetani di Sermoneta . Alfonso Carafa asked the Pope for a dispensation from the requirement of the canonical age in order to receive episcopal ordination at the age of 24 . After the Pope had given his consent, Antonio Scarampi , Bishop of Nola and Nuncio in the Kingdom of Naples , gave him episcopal ordination on June 30, 1565; Co- consecrators were Giulio Pavesi OP , Archbishop of Sorrento , and Paolo Emilio Verallo , Bishop of Capaccio .
Alfonso Carafa died of a severe fever just two months later at the age of 25. He wrote his will the day before his death. He was buried in the Cathedral of Naples .
literature
- Adriano Prosperi: CARAFA, Alfonso. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 19: Cappi-Cardona. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1976.
Web links
- Carafa, Alfonso. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed June 28, 2019.
- Entry on Alfonso Carafa on catholic-hierarchy.org ; accessed on June 28, 2019.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Pietro Carafa |
Archbishop of Naples 1557–1565 |
Mario Carafa |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Carafa, Alfonso |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian clergyman, Archbishop of Naples and cardinal |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 16, 1540 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Naples |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 29, 1565 |
| Place of death | Naples |