Girolamo Casanate

Girolamo Casanate (historic spelling variations include Casanata and Casanatta) (13 February 1620 in Naples – 3 March 1700 in Rome) was an Italian Cardinal.

Biography His father, Tommaso Casanatta, was a member of the supreme council of the Kingdom of Naples. Girolamo studied law at the university of his native town and practised in the courts for some time. Eventually he gave up the promises of a secular career and entered the service of the Catholic Church, in deference to the advice of Cardinal Pamphili whom he had met on a visit to Rome. When that cardinal became pope as Innocent X, Casanate was made private chamberlain and soon advanced rapidly in the ecclesiastical career, becoming in turn Governor of Sabina, Fabriano, Ancona, and Camerino. In the last-named city, he became a close friend of its bishop, Emilio Altieri, afterwards Pope Clement X. In 1658, Pope Alexander VII sent him as inquisitor to Malta, whence he was shortly recalled to Rome and made prelate of the Consulta and active member of the courts known as the Segnatura di Grazia and the Segnatura di Giustizia.

He was Consultor of the Congregation of Rites and of Propaganda, and governor of the conclave that chose the successor of Alexander VII; under Clement IX he was made assessor of the Holy Office (Congregation of the Inquisition). He was appointed secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars by Clement X, and 13 June 1673, was named Cardinal-Deacon of the Title of Santa Maria in Porticu, and later (1686) Cardinal-Priest of the Title of San Silvestro in Capite. In 1693, Innocent XII bestowed on him the office of Librarian of the Vatican (Bibliotecario di Santa Romana Chiesa).

He held many offices which required profound knowledge of numerous doctrinal, disciplinary, and political questions brought before the Holy See in the latter half of the seventeenth century. Among them were controversies concerning Quietism (Miguel de Molinos, Fénelon, Madame Guyon); the Gallican Liberties including Louis XIV 1673 assertion of the right of Régale and his Four Articles of 1682; and the Chinese Rites controversy between the Jesuits and the Dominicans and other orders.

College of St. Thomas To foster the study of Greek, Hebrew and Dogmatic Theology, Casanate also endowed 4 chairs of learning at the College of St. Thomas (the future Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum) which was at the times also attached to Santa Maria sopra Minerva.