CELESIA, MICHELANGELO. – Benedictine, cardinal, born in Palermo on 13 January 1814, died there on 15 April 1904. Prior of the monastery of La Maddalena in Messina (1846) and of S. Benedetto di Militello (1847), he was appointed (1850) general abbot of the Cassinese Congregation and, at the same time, Ordinary of the Abbey of Montecassino.
During the eight years of his government he carried out an exceptionally noteworthy activity. On 2 March 1866 he was appointed bishop of Patti and consecrated on 15 April. Having arrived in Palermo in July, on 17 September, because he had refused to take the oath, he was compelled to remain at the disposal of the civil authorities; in February 1862, invited by them to leave for Livorno, he succeeded in reaching Rome. Pius IX appointed him assistant at the Pontifical Throne and made use of him for important assignments. It was during this period that he wrote Lo spirito del cattolicesimo, addressed to the clergy of Patti. When, by decree of 22 November 1866, Minister Ricasoli granted amnesty to all those who were absent from their sees for political reasons, C. returned to his diocese. On 27 October 1871 he was transferred to the archbishopric of Palermo, and in 1884 Leo XIII created him cardinal. On 17 August 1877 he had obtained the establishment of the theological college in the seminary; in 1880 he inaugurated the church of SS. Pietro e Paolo and introduced the pious institute of the Figlie di S. Anna.