Marco Antonio Colonna (16th-century cardinal)

Marco Antonio Colonna (1523–1597) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.

Portrait of Cardinal Marco Antonio Colonna

Biography

A member of the Colonna family, Marco Antonio Colonna was born in Rome in 1523, the son of Roman nobles Camillo Colonna and Vittoria Colonna.[1] He was the grand-nephew of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna.[1] He studied philosophy and Christian theology under Felice Peretti, who became Pope Sixtus V in 1585.[1]

On 9 July 1560 he was elected to be Archbishop of Taranto.[1] He was active in the Council of Trent in 1562-63.[1]

Pope Pius IV made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of 12 March 1565.[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of Santi Apostoli on 15 May 1565.[1]

He participated in the papal conclave of 1565-66 that elected Pope Pius V.[1] On 13 October 1568 he was transferred to the metropolitan see of Salerno.[1] In 1572 he participated in the papal conclave that elected Pope Gregory XIII.[1] He resigned the government of the Archdiocese of Salerno sometime before 25 June 1574.[1]

During the Jubilee of 1575, he opened the holy door of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.[1] He was the Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from 8 January 1579 to 8 January 1580.[1] On 5 December 1580 he opted for the titular church of San Pietro in Vincoli.[1] He was named papal legate in Marche on 25 October 1581.[1]

He participated in the papal conclave of 1585 that elected Pope Sixtus V.[1] On 13 October 1586 he opted for the titular church of San Lorenzo in Lucina upon became cardinal protopriest.[1] Under Pope Sixtus V, he was a prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Index.[1] On 11 May 1587 he opted for the order of cardinal bishops, taking the suburbicarian see of Palestrina.[1] He was named papal legate to the Campagne and Maritime Province on 13 May 1587.[1]

He was a participant in the 1st papal conclave of 1590 that elected Pope Urban VII; the 2nd papal conclave of 1590 that elected Pope Gregory XIV; the papal conclave of 1591 that elected Pope Innocent IX; and the papal conclave of 1592 that elected Pope Clement VIII.[1] He was the Librarian of the Vatican Library from 1591 to 1597.[1]

He died in Zagarolo on 13 March 1597.[1] He was buried in the Franciscan church there.[1]

While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Lelio Giordano, Bishop of Acerno (1570) and César Alamagna Cardona, Bishop of Cava (1572); and the principal co-consecrator of Gabriele Paleotti, Bishop of Bologna (1566).[2]

References

1. Miranda, Salvador. "COLONNA, seniore, Marco Antonio (1523-1597)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
2. Cheney, David M. "Marcantonio Cardinal Colonna (Sr.)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved February 14, 2019. ^{[self-published]}