# Clemente Micara

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Catholic cardinal

His Eminence Clemente Micara Vicar General of Rome Church Roman Catholic Church Appointed 26 January 1951 Term ended 11 March 1965 Predecessor Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani Successor Luigi Traglia Other posts Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in commendum (1946–65) Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri (1946–65) President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology (1951–65) Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals (1951–65) Apostolic Administrator of Ostia (1962–65) Previous posts Apostolic Nuncio to Czechoslovakia (1920–23) Titular Archbishop of Aparnea in Syria (1920–46) Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium (1923–46) Apostolic Internuncio to Luxembourg (1923–46) Prefect of the Congregation for Religious (1950–53) Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for Rites (1950–53) Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals (1960–61) Orders Ordination 20 September 1902 Consecration 8 August 1920 by Pietro Gasparri Created cardinal 18 February 1946 by Pope Pius XII Rank Cardinal-priest (1946) Cardinal-bishop (1946–65) Personal details Born Clemente Micara 24 December 1879 Frascati, Kingdom of Italy Died 11 March 1965(1965-03-11) (aged 85) Rome, Italy Buried Santa Maria sopra Minerva Alma mater Pontifical Roman Seminary Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Lateran University Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy Motto In Domino confido Coat of arms

Styles of Clemente Micara Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Informal style Cardinal See Velletri-Segni (suburbicarain)

**Clemente Micara** (24 December 1879 – 11 March 1965) was an [Italian](/source/Italian_people) [prelate](/source/Prelate) of the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church). He worked in the diplomatic service of the [Holy See](/source/Holy_See) from 1909 to 1950 and was [Vicar General of Rome](/source/Cardinal_Vicar) from 1951 until his death.

[Pope Pius XII](/source/Pope_Pius_XII) made him a [cardinal](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) in 1946.

## Biography

Born in [Frascati](/source/Frascati), Micara attended the [Pontifical Roman Seminary](/source/Pontifical_Roman_Seminary), the [Pontifical Gregorian University](/source/Pontifical_Gregorian_University), the [Pontifical Lateran University](/source/Pontifical_Lateran_University), and the [Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy](/source/Pontifical_Ecclesiastical_Academy). He was [ordained](/source/Holy_Orders) to the [priesthood](/source/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church)) on 20 September 1902, and finished his studies in 1904. After entering the [Roman Curia](/source/Roman_Curia), in the [Secretariat of State](/source/Secretariat_of_State_(Vatican)), in 1904, Micara was named [secretary](/source/Secretary) of the [nunciature](/source/Nunciature) to [Argentina](/source/Argentina) in 1909. He was raised to the rank of [Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness](/source/Monsignor) on 5 January 1910, and later [Domestic Prelate of His Holiness](/source/Monsignor) on 21 August 1918. Micara was made [auditor](/source/Auditor_(ecclesiastical)) of the [Belgian](/source/Belgium) nunciature on 16 April 1915, and of the [Austrian](/source/Austria) nunciature in 1916.

On 7 May 1920, he was appointed by [Pope Benedict XV](/source/Pope_Benedict_XV) as the first [Nuncio](/source/Nuncio) to [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia) and [Titular Archbishop](/source/Titular_bishop) of Apamea in Syria. He received his [episcopal consecration](/source/Bishop_(Catholic_Church)) on the following 8 August from Cardinal [Pietro Gasparri](/source/Pietro_Gasparri), with Bishops Antonio Valbonesi and Karl Kašpar serving as [co-consecrators](/source/Consecrator), in the [chapel](/source/Chapel) of the [Bohemian College](/source/Bohemian_College) in [Rome](/source/Rome). After being named Nuncio to [Belgium](/source/Belgium) and Internuncio to [Luxembourg](/source/Luxembourg) on 30 May 1923, Micara bestowed the [Golden Rose](/source/Golden_Rose) on [Queen Elizabeth of Belgium](/source/Elisabeth_of_Bavaria_(1876-1965)) as a papal representative on 10 December 1925. He resided in Rome during the [Nazi](/source/Nazi_Germany) [occupation](/source/Military_occupation) of Belgium from 1940 to 1944, at which time the nuncio resumed his post.

[Pope Pius XII](/source/Pope_Pius_XII) named Micara [Cardinal-Priest](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)) of [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](/source/Santa_Maria_sopra_Minerva) in the [consistory](/source/Papal_consistory) of 18 February 1946, and then [Bishop of Velletri-Segni](/source/Bishop_of_Velletri-Segni) on 13 June. On 11 November 1950, he was made [Prefect](/source/Prefect) of the [Sacred Congregation of Religious](/source/Congregation_for_Institutes_of_Consecrated_Life_and_Societies_of_Apostolic_Life), and Pro-Prefect of the [Sacred Congregation of Rites](/source/Congregation_of_Rites) in the Roman Curia. In 1953, he resigned as Prefect of Religious (17 January) and Pro-Prefect of Rites (26 January). Micara was also President of the [Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology](/source/Pontifical_Commission_for_Sacred_Archaeology) from 1951 until his death.

Micara was appointed Vice-Dean of the [College of Cardinals](/source/College_of_Cardinals) on 13 January 1951 and [Vicar General of Rome](/source/Cardinal_Vicar) on the following 26 January. As Vicar General, Micara governed the [Diocese of Rome](/source/Diocese_of_Rome) on behalf of the [Pope](/source/Pope), the Bishop of Rome. Ahead of the [1953 Italian general election](/source/Italian_general_election%2C_1953), Micara urged the Catholics of Rome to "[v]ote well, vote as Catholics, vote as Romans".[1]

He served as a [cardinal elector](/source/Cardinal_electors_in_Papal_conclave%2C_1958) in the [1958 papal conclave](/source/Papal_conclave%2C_1958) that elected [Pope John XXIII](/source/Pope_John_XXIII), and [voted](/source/Cardinal_electors_in_Papal_conclave%2C_1963) in the [conclave of 1963](/source/Papal_conclave%2C_1963) that elected [Pope Paul VI](/source/Pope_Paul_VI). He was called the "Grand Elector" among the Curia because of his influential role in securing the votes of [conservative](/source/Conservatism) cardinals' for Pope Paul, with whom he was friends, in the latter conclave.[2] In 1959 John XXIII paid tribute to his work in his speech announcing the proposed [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council).[3] Seen as a [progressive](/source/Liberalism),[2] the Cardinal attended the first three of the four sessions of the Council in 1962, 1963 and 1964.

He died in Rome on 11 March 1965 after a long illness,[2] at age 85, and was buried in the [basilica](/source/Basilica) of [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](/source/Santa_Maria_sopra_Minerva).

## Connection to [Marcial Maciel](/source/Marcial_Maciel) case

According to the documentary "Marcial Maciel: El Lobo de Dios" (Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God), a claim is made that in 1958 the cardinal was allegedly paid $10,000 to reinstate Marcial Maciel's as the head of the [Legionaries of Christ](/source/Legionaries_of_Christ).[4]

## Honours

- **1924**: Grand Cross of the [Order of the White Lion](/source/Order_of_the_White_Lion)

- **1925**: Grand Cordon [Order of Leopold](/source/Order_of_Leopold_(Belgium)).[5]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*. ["On the Eve"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080516022740/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,935918,00.html). June 8, 1953.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Milestones_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Milestones_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Milestones_2-2) *Time*. ["Milestones"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080513093235/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,833591,00.html) May 19, 1965.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Pope John XXIII, [Allocuzione del Santo Padre Giovanni XXIII con la quale Annuncia il Sinodo Romano, il Concilio Ecumenico e l'Aggiornamento del Codice di Diritto Canonico](https://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/it/speeches/1959/documents/hf_j-xxiii_spe_19590125_annuncio.html), in Italian, delivered on 25 January 1959, accessed on 11 April 2025

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [*Marcial Maciel: El Lobo de Dios*](https://www.imdb.com/es-es/title/tt36122460/) (Documental), Anima Films, 2025-08-14, retrieved 2025-09-01

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Royal Decree of 1925/Mémorial du centenaire de l'Ordre de Léopold. 1832-1932. Bruxelles, J. Rozez, 1933.

## External links

- [Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church](https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios-m.htm#Micara)

- [Catholic-Hierarchy](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmicara.html)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by none Apostolic Nuncio to Czechoslovakia 1920–1923 Succeeded by Francesco Marmaggi Preceded by Angelo Dolci Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium 1923–1950 Succeeded by Fernando Cento Preceded by Achille Locatelli Internuncio to Luxembourg 1923–1946 Succeeded by Fernando Cento Preceded by Carlo Salotti Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites 1950–1953 Succeeded by Gaetano Cicognani Preceded by Luigi Lavitrano Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Religious 1950–1953 Succeeded by Valerio Valeri Preceded by Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani Vicar General of Rome 1951–1965 Succeeded by Luigi Traglia Preceded by Francesco Marchetti-Selvaggiani President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology 1951–1965 Succeeded by Cesario D’Amato, OSB

v t e Cardinals created by Pius XII 1946 Agagianian Glennon Masella Micara Sapieha Mooney Saliège McGuigan Stritch Parrado y García Roques de Jong Vasconcellos Motto Petit de Julleville Gilroy Spellman Caro Rodríguez de Gouveia de Barros Câmara Pla y Deniel Arteaga y Betancourt Frings Guevara Griffin Arce y Ochotorena Mindszenty Ruffini von Preysing von Galen Caggiano Tien Ken-sin Bruno 1953 Constantini da Silva Cicognani Roncalli Valeri Ciriaci Borgongini Duca Feltin Mimmi de la Torre Stepinac Grente Siri D'Alton McIntyre Lercaro Wyszyński de Arriba y Castro Quiroga y Palacios Léger Luque Sánchez Wendel Ottaviani Gracias Catholic Church portal

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National France BnF data Italy Czech Republic Vatican

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clemente Micara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemente_Micara) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemente_Micara?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.