Camillo Laurenti

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cardinal name=Camillo Cardinal Laurenti
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
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Camillo Cardinal Laurenti (November 20, 1861—September 6, 1938) was an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1929 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1921.

Biography

Camillo Laurenti was born in Monte Porzio Catone, and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, from where he obtained his doctorates in philosophy and in theology. He attended the Capranica College as well. Laurenti was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1884, and became an official of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith on the following September 1.

Whilst serving as professor of philosophy at the Pontifical Urbanian Athenaeum "De Propaganda Fide" (1892-1908), he was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain Supernumerary on August 3, 1889. Laurenti returned to the Roman Curia on October 20, 1908 as Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. He was later named Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on June 12, 1909, and Secretary of the Propagation of the Faith on August 12, 1911. As Secretary, he served as the second-highest official of that dicastery, successively under Cardinals Girolamo Gotti, Domenico Serafini, and Willem van Rossum.

Pope Benedict XV created him Cardinal Deacon of "S. Maria della Scala" in the consistory of June 21, 1921. Laurenti participated in the 1922 papal conclave, which selected Pope Pius XI, who thence appointed him Prefect of Sacred Congregation of Religious on July 5 of that same year.

The Cardinal, after six years as the Vatican overseer of all religious orders, was made Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on December 17, 1928, rising to become full Prefect on March 12, 1929. He opted for the order of Cardinal Priests on December 16, 1935, and retained his titular church.

Laurenti died in Rome, at age 76, and is buried at the Campo di Verano cemetery.