OPPITZONI CARLO. — Cardinal, b. in Milan on 15 Apr. 1769, d. in Bologna on 13 Apr. 1855. After completing his studies in his native city and being ordained a priest, he devoted himself zealously to parochial ministry. Toward the end of 1801 he took part in the assemblies of Lyon, strenuously defending the rights of the Church.
Elected on 20 Sept. 1802 Archbishop of Bologna, he was created and publicly proclaimed a cardinal by Pius VII in the Consistory of 26 Mar. 1804. In 1809 he was one of the cardinals who refused to attend Napoleon’s marriage to Maria Luisa and for this reason was exiled to Vincennes, where he remained until 1813. Upon his return to Bologna, he was triumphantly welcomed by the populace, and during his long episcopate of fifty-three years he left lasting marks of untiring apostolate and rare gifts of governance. He consecrated the high altar of the church of the Madonna di S. Luca, restored the characteristic feast of the “addobbi,” also called “decennale” because it was celebrated with great solemnity every ten years in rotation by each parish, and devoted every care to the formation of the clergy. As archchancellor of the University, he gave new life to the ancient Studium, establishing chairs of political economy, natural history, and agrarian science.
As legate a latere for the four Legations from 21 Mar. to 31 May 1831, during a particularly delicate period, he carried out a political action inspired by great serenity and a legislative work that was wise and enlightened. In the events of 1848 he showed great prudence and at every moment courageously defended his diocesans. On 16 May 1849, the last day of the resistance of the Bolognese against the besieging Austrians, the ailing cardinal, after two unheeded embassies, went with Senator Zanolini to the camp of General Wimpfen and succeeded in obtaining honorable terms of surrender. He died leaving the poor as his heirs and directing that no eulogy of his life be made.