Enrico Dante

His Eminence Enrico Dante
Papal Master of Ceremonies Cardinal-Priest ofSant'Agata dei Goti
Appointed	22 February 1965
Term ended	24 April 1967
Predecessor	John Francis D'Alton
Successor	Silvio Angelo Pio Oddi
Orders
Ordination	3 July 1910 byGiuseppe Ceppetelli
Consecration	21 September 1962 byPope John XXIII
Created cardinal	22 February 1965 byPope Paul VI
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	(1884-07-05)5 July 1884 Rome,Kingdom of Italy
Died	24 April 1967(1967-04-24)(aged 82) Rome,Italy
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post(s)	Prefect of Pontifical Ceremonies(1947–1965) Titular Archbishopof Carpasia (1962–1965) Secretary of theCongregation of Rites(1960–1967)
Coat of arms

Styles of Enrico Dante
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Sant'Agata dei Goti

Enrico Dante(5 July 1884 – 24 April 1967) was an Italiancardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.He served asPapal Master of Ceremoniesfrom 1947 until his death, and was elevated to thecardinalatein 1965.

His face became very familiar after assisting the popes at theirMassesand other ceremonies for nearly twenty years.

Biography

The coat of arms of Cardinal Dante

Enrico Dante was born in Rome to Achille Dante, a devoted supporter ofGiuseppe Garibaldi,and Zenaide Ingegni (died 1892). He had two sisters, and a brother who was amissionaryinBrazil.Dante studied in Paris and then atCollegio CapranicainRome.He also attended thePontifical Gregorian University,from where he received doctorates in philosophy,theology,canon lawandcivil law;from theSacra Rota Romanahe obtained a diploma ofavvocato rotale.

He wasordainedto the priesthood on 3 July 1910 byPatriarchGiuseppe Ceppetelli.Dante taught philosophy at thePontifical Urbaniana Universityfrom 1911 to 1928, and then theology until 1947. He began work as an official in theApostolic Penitentiaryin 1913, and became a member of the College of Pontifical Ceremoniers on 25 March 1914. In 1923, along with his duties as a papal ceremoniere, he entered theCongregation of Rites,of which he was later named substitute on 28 September 1930. He was raised to the rank ofdomestic prelate of his holinessandundersecretaryof the Congregation of Ceremonies in 1943.

AppointedprefectofPontifical Ceremonieson 13 June 1947, Dante was entrusted with assisting and overseeing the sacred functions performed by the pope and othercardinals.In 1953, he assisted in the consistory of Pope Pius XII, whom he deeply revered.In 1959 he was named pro-secretary of the Congregation of Rites, and later its secretary in 1960. In 1960,Timemagazine named him a likely candidate for membership in the College of Cardinals, a speculation, which was prompted by the announcement ofPope John XXIII,that he had named three persons in pectore cardinals.As papal ceremoniere, he participated in theconclavesof1914,1922,1939,1958,and1963,and thecoronationsofPopes Benedict XV,Pius XI,Pius XII,John XXIII,andPaul VI.

On 25 January 1959, he organised the extraordinary consistory which announced the Vatican council.On 28 August 1962, he was appointedTitular Archbishopof Carpasia. Dante received hisepiscopal consecrationon the following 21 September from John XXIII himself, with ArchbishopsFrancesco CarpinoandPietro Parenteserving asco-consecrators,in theLateran Basilica.He then attended theSecond Vatican Council(1962–1965), of whose reforms Dante did not approve.

Dante was createdCardinal-PriestofSant'Agata dei Gotiby Pope Paul VI in theconsistoryof 22 February 1965. During the ceremony, Pope Paul accidentally bestowed thebirettaofLawrence Shehanon Dante, causing the biretta to fall over his ears.

He died in the early morning of 24 April 1967 in Rome, at age 82, and was buried in his cardinalatial church of S. Agata dei Goti.

Tomb in Sant'Agata dei Goti (Rome)

External links

• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
• Catholic-Hierarchy