Aloisi-Masella, Gaetano - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 556

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

ALOISI-MASELLA, GAETANO. – Cardinal, born in Pontecorvo on 30 September 1826, died in Rome on 22 November 1902. Having entered the papal diplomatic service, he was secretary and auditor of the nunciature in Naples, then auditor in Munich and Paris; in 1877 he was appointed nuncio in Bavaria, and in that capacity had a memorable meeting with Bismarck to persuade him to desist from the Kulturkampf. From 1879 to 1883 he was nuncio in Lisbon, where he energetically defended the rights of the Church in the appointment of bishops. In 1887 he was raised to the cardinalate, and subsequently served as prefect of various Congregations, including that of Rites for nearly ten years. As pro-datary, he implemented the important reforms desired by Leo XIII.

BIBL.: G. Goyau, Bismarck et l'Église-Le Kulturkampf, II, Paris 1911, p. 293; P. Silva, in La Civiltà Cattolica, 18th series, VIII, (1902, iv), pp. 610-12; Cronaca Contemp., no. 5, pp. 610-12; P. Richard, s. V. in DHG, II, cols. 666-68.