Ernesto Ruffini

{{Short description|Italian cardinal}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific_prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Ernesto Ruffini | honorific_suffix = | title = [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]], [[Archbishop of Palermo]] | image = Ernesto Ruffini, Liceo Cannizzaro 1950 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | church = [[Roman Catholic Church]] | archdiocese = Palermo | province = | metropolis = | diocese = | see = Palermo | elected = | appointed = 11 October 1945 | term = | term_start = | enthroned = | term_end = 11 June 1967 | quashed = | retired = | predecessor = [[Luigi Lavitrano]] | successor = [[Francesco Carpino]] | opposed = | other_post = {{unbulleted list|[[Cardinal-Priest of Santa Sabina]] (1946-67)|[[Piana degli Albanesi|Apostolic Administrator of Piana degli Albanesi]] (1947-67)}}  | ordination = 10 July 1910 | ordained_by = Paolo Carlo Francesco Origo | consecration = 8 December 1945 | consecrated_by = [[Giuseppe Pizzardo]] | cardinal = 18 February 1946 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Pius XII]] | rank = Cardinal-Priest  | birth_name = Ernesto Ruffini | birth_date = {{Birth date|1888|01|19|df=y}} | birth_place = [[San Benedetto Po]], [[Kingdom of Italy]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1967|06|11|1888|01|19}} | death_place = [[Palermo]], [[Italy]] | buried = | tomb = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | religion = | residence = | parents = | spouse =  | children = | occupation = | profession = | previous_post = Secretary of the Congregation of Seminaries and Universities (1928-45) | education = | alma_mater = | motto = ''Firmiter stat'' | signature = | signature_alt = | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Ernesto Ruffini.svg | coat_of_arms_alt =  | feast_day = | venerated = | saint_title = | beatified_date = | beatified_place = | beatified_by = | canonized_date = | canonized_place = | canonized_by = | attributes = | patronage = | shrine = | suppressed_date =  | module = | other = }}

{{infobox cardinalstyles| cardinal name=Ernesto Ruffini| dipstyle=His Eminence| offstyle=Your Eminence| See=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo|Palermo]]| image = Coat of arms of Ernesto Ruffini.svg| image_size = 200px|}}

'''Ernesto Ruffini''' (19 January 1888 – 11 June 1967) was an Italian [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] of the [[Catholic Church]], who served as [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo|Archbishop of Palermo]] from 1945 until his death, and was elevated to the [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinalate]] in 1946 by Pope Pius XII.

==Biography== Ruffini was born in [[San Benedetto Po]] in the [[Province of Mantua]], and studied at the [[Diocese|diocesan]] [[seminary]] of Mantua, at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Northern Italy (obtaining his [[Licentiate of Sacred Theology|licentiate in theology]]), and the [[Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)]] (licentiate in [[philosophy]]) and [[Pontifical Biblical Institute]] (diploma to teach biblical science) in [[Rome]]. He was [[Holy orders in the Catholic Church|ordained]] to the [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priesthood]] on 10 July 1910, and finished his studies in 1912.

Ruffini taught at the Major Roman Seminary (1913–1930), and then the [[Pontifical Urbaniana University]] (1917–1929). Raised to the rank of [[monsignor]] in 1925, he was appointed secretary of the [[Congregation for Catholic Education|Congregation of Seminaries and Universities]] on 28 October 1928. Ruffini was made a [[protonotary apostolic]] on 15 June 1931. In 1930, Ruffini was made prefect of studies at the [[Pontifical Lateran University]], where he was named [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] ''magnifico'' in the following year. Noted for his interest in [[science]], Ruffini founded the Medical Biological Union of St. Luke, examining the relationships between [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and science, in 1944.

On 11 October 1945, he was named [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo|Archbishop of Palermo]] by [[Pope Pius XII]]. Ruffini received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal consecration]] on the following 8 December from [[Giuseppe Cardinal Pizzardo]], with Archbishop Francesco Duca and Bishop Domenico Menna serving as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]]. Ruffini was created [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal-Priest]] of ''[[Santa Sabina|S. Sabina]]'' by Pius XII in the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] of 18 February 1946. He was the first cardinal-designate to place his wardrobe order to the [[Gammarelli]] episcopal [[tailor]]s, which he did the same morning as the announcement of his elevation to the [[College of Cardinals|Sacred College]].<ref name="The Roads to Rome">''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524064243/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,797770-3,00.html "The Roads to Rome"]. January 7, 1946.</ref> He later [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1958|participated]] in the [[Papal conclave, 1958|1958 papal conclave]], which selected [[Pope John XXIII]]. Cardinal Ruffini was also among the ''[[Papabile|papabili]]'' at that [[Papal conclave|conclave]].<ref>''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071030090131/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863974,00.html "Papal Possibilities"]. October 29, 1958.</ref>

During his tenure as [[Palermo]]'s archbishop, he supported [[Francisco Franco]],<ref name="Milestones">''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930061647/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839565,00.html "Milestones"]. June 23, 1967.</ref> but protested against [[communism]]<ref>''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930070458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,937777,00.html "The Third Choice"]. June 22, 1959.</ref> and anti-Mafia activist [[Danilo Dolci]]. He also demanded that the Sicilian bandit [[Salvatore Giuliano]] cease murdering within Palermo,<ref name="The Roads to Rome"/> and was wary of implying that [[Sicilian Mafia|the Mafia]] was [[Sicily]]'s main problem. To a journalist's question of "What is the Mafia?" he responded: "So far as I know, it could be a brand of detergent."<ref name=ncr130902>[https://www.natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives/091302/091302e.htm Memory of anti-Mafia priest pervades summit], National Catholic Reporter, September 13, 2002</ref>

A stern opponent of [[Aggiornamento|reform]],<ref>''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524050425/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,874481-1,00.html "The Council's Prospects"]. September 14, 1962.</ref> he attended the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1962–1965), and sat on its Board of Presidency. Ruffini was also part of the conservative-minded study group [[Coetus Internationalis Patrum]] at the council. He was forced to intervene in a heated discussion between Cardinals [[Alfredo Ottaviani]] and [[Augustin Bea]] during the last [[Central Preparatory Commission|preparatory session of the Council]]. During the discussion on the Council's proposed declaration against [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitism]], Cardinal Ruffini accused the document of being overly kind to the [[Jew]]s, whom he saw as hostile to [[Christianity]].<ref>''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070222093036/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939536,00.html "A Test of Good Will"]. October 9, 1964.</ref> He also disapproved of ''[[Gaudium et spes]]'',<ref>''Time''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930041621/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,876333,00.html "The Bravest Schema"]. October 30, 1964.</ref> ''[[Sacrosanctum Concilium]]'', and ''[[Dignitatis humanae]]''.<ref name="Milestones"/>

Cardinal Ruffini was one of the [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1963|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[Papal conclave, 1963|1963 papal conclave]], which selected [[Pope Paul VI]].

He died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in Palermo, at the age of 79.<ref name="The Roads to Rome"/> Ruffini is buried in the shrine of ''Madonna dei Rimedi''.

==Miscellaneous== *While still a priest, Ruffini also served as president of the Academy of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. *He collaborated with John XXIII in deciding to convene the Second Vatican Council.<ref>The Whole Truth About Fatima. [http://www.catholicvoice.co.uk/fatima4/ch3.htm Vatican Council II and the Fatima Revelations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704080833/http://www.catholicvoice.co.uk/fatima4/ch3.htm |date=2007-07-04 }}</ref> *Ruffini was a [[Creationism|creationist]].<ref>McIver, Thomas Allen (1989). [https://ncse.com/files/pub/library/Theses/McIver%2C%20Tom%20-%20Creationism%20-%20Intellectual%20Origins%2C%20Cultural%20Context%2C%20and%20Theoretical%20Diversity.pdf ''Creationism: Intellectual Origins, Cultural Context, and Theoretical Diversity'']. University of California, Los Angeles.</ref>

==Publications== *''The Theory of Evolution Judged by Reason and Faith'' (Translated by Rev. Francis O'Hanlon, 1959)

==References== {{reflist|2}} *{{cite book|title=Cosa Nostra. Storia della mafia siciliana|publisher=Mondolibri |year=2005}} * Giuseppe Petralia: ''Il Cardinale Ernesto Ruffini, arcivescovo di Palermo.'' Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1989. * Angelo Romano: ''Ernesto Ruffini.'' Sciascia, Caltanissetta 2002.

==External links== * {{catholic-hierarchy|bishop|bruffini|Zugriff=2016-07-15}}

{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box | title=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo|Archbishop of Palermo]] | before=[[Luigi Cardinal Lavitrano]] | after=[[Francesco Cardinal Carpino]] | years=1945–1967 }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffini, Ernesto}} [[Category:1888 births]] [[Category:1967 deaths]] [[Category:Clergy from the Province of Mantua]] [[Category:20th-century Italian cardinals]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope Pius XII]] [[Category:Christian creationists]] [[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Palermo]] [[Category:Participants in the Second Vatican Council]] [[Category:Coetus Internationalis Patrum]] [[Category:Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education]] [[Category:Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni]] [[Category:Academic staff of the Pontifical Biblical Institute]] [[Category:20th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops]] [[Category:Italian anti-communists]]