Giulio Bevilacqua

Giulio Bevilacqua, Orat (14 November 1881 – 6 May 1965) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who devoted himself to pastoral work in Brescia and served as a military chaplain, known for his opposition to fascism. A few weeks before his death he was made an auxiliary bishop of Brescia and a cardinal. He was a teacher and spiritual confidant of Pope Paul VI.

Biography Giulio Bevilacqua was born in Isola della Scala to a family of merchants. He studied at the University of Louvain in Belgium and the seminary in Brescia, and later entered the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri.

Bevilacqua was ordained to the priesthood on 13 June 1908, and then did pastoral work in Brescia until 1914. During World War I, he served as a chaplain to the Italian Army and was captured by Austrian forces in 1916.

He was made an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State for his protection against Fascist threats and lived in the Vatican from 1928 to 1933.

On 15 February 1965, Bevilacqua was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Brescia and Titular Archbishop of Gaudiaba by Paul VI, in advance of his elevation to the College of Cardinals. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 18 February from Bishop Luigi Morstabilini, with Bishops Giuseppe Carraro and Carlo Manziana, Orat, serving as co-consecrators, in the basilica of Saints Faustus and Jovita.

Pope Paul created him Cardinal Deacon of San Girolamo della Carità in the consistory of 22 February of that year. By the special permission of the pope, Bevilacqua continued to serve as pastor of Sant'Antonio parish in Brescia. He assured his parishioners that he would also continue to wear a simple black cassock.

He died fifteen weeks later in Brescia on 6 May at the age of 83. He is buried in the church of Santa Maria della Pace.