BRIOSCHI, PIETRO ADAMO. - Missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions of Milan, archbishop of Cartagena (Colombia). Born at Tradate (Milan) on 7 April 1860, died in November 1943. He entered, as a student of theology, the Institute for Foreign Missions of Milan, from which he set out (1882), still a subdeacon, as secretary of Msgr. Eugenio Biffi (v.), bishop of Cartagena. He assisted his bishop with fidelity and intelligence, and on the latter's death (1896) he was elected vicar capitular and two years later bishop. He continued his predecessor's work of reconstruction, through preaching, synods, the press, works of worship, and educational activity, for which he called several religious orders to assist him.
In addition to numerous pastoral letters, he wrote apologetic pamphlets and books, among which we recall: La vita di s. Pietro Claver and Un apostolo di due continenti (Msgr. Biffi). He fought against Freemasonry, which in 1910 forced him into exile, but he soon returned to his field of work. He attended to the evangelization of the Indians, for whom he brought about, in 1924, the erection of the apostolic prefecture of Sinò, now s. Jorge. In 1932 he detached from the archdiocese the suffragan diocese of Barranquilla. For his zeal, in 1901 he was promoted archbishop and in 1917 assistant at the Pontifical Throne. The Italian government too recognized his merits, naming him (1933) grand officer of the Crown of Italy.
Bibliography
Raffaele Trotta