WILLIAM SEBASTIANELLI. — Canonist, born at Castro dei Volsci, diocese of Veroli, on 4 Dec. 1855, died in Rome in April 1920.
He took degrees in philosophy (1875), theology (1879) and canon law (1882) at the Roman Seminary, where he later became professor of canonical institutions (1885) and subsequently of canon law (1888). He was made a prelate and canon of S. Maria Maggiore (1898), resigned teaching for reasons of health, remaining honorary professor (1901) and later prefect of studies; he also served as Auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota (1902), consultant to the Sacred Congregations, member of the Commission for the Codification of Canon Law (1904), and finally dean of the Sacred Roman Rota (1914).
He published his Praelectiones iuris canonici (Rome 1886 and 1905), in addition to his Rotal sentences printed in the S. R. Rotae Decisiones seu Sententiae (Rome 1908 ff.).