CELESIA, MICHELANGELO. — Benedictine, cardinal, b. in Palermo on 13 Jan. 1814, d. there on 15 Apr. 1904. Prior of the monastery of the Maddalena in Messina (1846) and of S. Benedetto in Militello (1847), he was named (1850) Abbot General of the Cassinese Congregation and at the same time Ordinary of the Abbey of Montecassino.
During the eight years of his governance, he carried out an exceptionally notable activity. On 2 Mar. 1860 he was named Bishop of Patti and consecrated on 15 Apr. Having arrived in Palermo in July, on 17 Sept., having refused to take the oath, he was forced to remain at the disposal of the civil authorities; in Feb. 1862, invited by the same authorities to depart for Livorno, he managed to reach Rome. Pius IX named him Assistant to the Pontifical Throne and employed him on important missions. It was during this period that he wrote the work *Lo spirito del cattolico sìmo*, addressed to the clergy of Patti. When, by decree of 22 Nov. 1866, the minister Ricasoli granted amnesty to all those who were away from their sees for political reasons, C. returned to his diocese. On 27 Oct. 1871 he was transferred to the archbishopric of Palermo, and in 1884 Leo XIII created him cardinal. On 17 Aug. 1877 he had obtained the establishment of the theological college in the seminary; in 1880 he inaugurated the church of SS. Peter and Paul and introduced the pious institute of the Daughters of St. Anne.