TREVISANATO, GIUSEPPE LUIGI

TREVISANATO, GIUSEPPE LUIGI. - Cardinal, born in Venice on Feb. 15, 1801, died there on Apr. 28, 1877.

Ordained a priest in 1824, he became professor of Sacred Scripture at the Patriarchal Seminary and dedicated himself with commitment to biblical exegesis and the study of Oriental languages. After having held with honor the offices of theological canon of the Basilica of St. Mark, pro-synodal examiner, and patriarchal censor, and having distinguished himself as an orator, he was elected bishop of Verona by Pius IX on March 15, 1852. But even before he took possession of the see, he was called by the same Pontiff to succeed Zaccaria Bricito to the archiepiscopal chair of Udine (Sept. 27, 1852).

In the seminary he renewed ecclesiastical studies, taking upon himself the teaching of Oriental languages. Under his episcopate took place (1854) the solemn translation to Fagagna of SS. Fabio and Vincenzo, holy bodies extracted from the cemetery of St. Hermes and donated ten years earlier by Gregory XVI to Card. Asquini.

Pius IX, on April 7, 1862, promoted him to patriarch of Venice and in the Consistory of March 16, 1863 created him cardinal of the title of SS. Nereo and Achilleo. In the difficult circumstances that characterized the final period of Austrian rule, he worked tirelessly to assist the patriots and to petition for and obtain quite a few pardons for political prisoners. During the transition of regime, he once again demonstrated qualities of marked prudence and fervent charity. He immediately understood the importance of the new Catholic Action movements: he was generous with advice and assistance to Giovanni Battista Paganuzi and in 1874 presided in Venice over the great assembly of the Opera dei Congressi.