Remembering Cardinal Consalvi

The Venerable English College in Rome, together with the British Embassy to the Holy See, has announced a series of events for the 200th anniversary of the death of the renowned papal diplomat, Cardinal Ercole Consalvi. Cardinal Consalvi was the papal diplomat known for his negotiations with Napoleon. To mark the bicentenary of his death, the Venerable English College in Rome, together with the British Embassy to the Holy See, have been hosting a number of events, aiming to highlight Consalvi’s engagement with the United Kingdom. The first of these events was an invitation-only symposium entitled Consalvi and the United Kingdom held last week on 24th January. The Cardinal’s diplomatic skills during his visit to Britain are often credited with a crucial role in advancing the Catholic campaign for civil rights in this country. The symposium was followed by a concert at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso, where recently-discovered music from Cardinal Consalvi’s era was given its first modern performance. Meanwhile, some of Consalvi’s manuscripts from the Archives of the Secretariat of State have been placed on display in the Vatican Museums.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference to announce the events, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, said that Cardinal Consalvi was a “really a fascinating figure”. He stressed the Cardinal’s “openness to negotiation” and the fact he had “achieved many things for the Church in relatively few years”. Archbishop Gallagher also noted that Consalvi made many sacrifices in order to serve the popes, and stressed his ability to understand and put into practice the worldview of each of the pontiffs that he worked under.
Image: The Catholic Weekly