Niccolò Marini

Niccolò Marini (20 August 1843 – 27 July 1923) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches from 1917 to 1922, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1916.

Biography

Marini was born in Rome, and was a relative of Pietro Cardinal Marini. He studied at the Collegio Capranica; the Pontifical Gregorian University, from where he obtained his doctorates in philosophy, in theology, and in canon and civil law; and the Royal University of Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on 26 June 1866, and then did pastoral work in Rome.

Founder of the Catholic daily Il buon senso, he also worked with Catholic Action in creating the women's club Gaetana Agnesi. He was later named vicar general of Cardinal Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano. He became an official of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation in 1878, and a Privy Chamberlain de numero participante on 20 July 1881. On 27 March 1882, he acted as ablegatus in delivering the red galero to the newly created cardinal Joaquín Lluch y Garriga. After being appointed a canon of the chapter of the Lateran Basilica, Marini was an attaché in the nunciature to Spain from 1882 to 1889. He was then named a canon of St. Peter's Basilica on 11 July 1889, Substitute (or deputy) of the Secretariat of Briefs on 18 March 1892, and both Domestic Prelate of His Holiness and Protonotary apostolic ad instar participantium two days later.

Marini recovered from his illness. One of his last appointments was as Protector and Visitor of all the Oriental Institutes of Rome on 28 July 1922.

Cardinal Marini died in Rome. He is buried in the Campo Verano cemetery.