Girolamo Ghinucci

{{Short description|Italian papal administrator, diplomat and Cardinal}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Cardinal

| honorific-prefix = His Eminence

| name = Girolamo Ghinucci

| honorific-suffix =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| title = Cardinal Bishop Of Worcester

| image = 1535 HIERONYMUS DE GINUTIIS - GHINUCCI GIROLAMO.JPG

| image_size = 230px

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| church = Roman Catholic

| archdiocese =

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| diocese = Worcester

| see =

| elected =

| appointed = 26 September 1522

| term = 1522–1535

| term_start =

| quashed =

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| predecessor = Silvestro de' Gigli

| opposed =

| successor = Hugh Latimer

| other_post = Cardinal-Priest of San Clemente
Administrator of Tropea

| ordination =

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| cardinal = 21 May 1535

| created_cardinal_by = Paul III

| rank = Cardinal Priest

| birth_name =

| birth_date = 1480

| birth_place = Siena, Republic of Siena

| death_date = 3 July 1541

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| nationality = Italian

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| previous_post = Bishop of Ascoli Piceno (1512–1518)
Bishop of Malta (1523–1530)
Administrator of Cavaillon (1537–1540)

| education =

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| signature =

| signature_alt =

| coat_of_arms = Girolamo Ghinucci COA.jpg

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}}

Girolamo Ghinucci (additionally referred to historically as: Jerome de Ghinucci, Geronimo de Ghinucci, Hieronymus Ghinucci, and Girolamo Ginucci; 1480 in Siena – 3 July 1541) was an Italian papal administrator, diplomat and cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.

Life

Ghinucci was from a Sienese banking family and became a canon of the cathedral chapter there. He then became secretary to Pope Julius II. He was bishop of Ascoli Piceno from 1512 to 1518. He was an active participant in the Fifth Lateran Council.{{cite web|author-link=Salvador Miranda (historian) |last=Miranda |first=Salvador |title=GHINUCCI, Girolamo (1480-1541) |url= https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1535.htm#Ghinucci |work=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church |publisher=Florida International University|oclc=53276621}}

Pope Leo X named Ghinucci papal nuncio to England, where Henry VIII retained him for a period as advisor. Ghinucci advised on Henry's moves to divorce Catherine of Aragon.{{cite book|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20300/20300-h/20300-h.htm#page202 |last=Pollard|first= A. F.|title= Henry VIII|location= London|publisher= Longmans, Green and Co.|year= 1919|page=202}} Ghinucci's nephew, Augustine de Augustinis, served as personal physician to Cardinal Wolsey. Augustinis also performed some diplomatic and espionage services for the Cardinal. He later became physician-in-ordinary to Henry VIII.{{cite journal|last= Hammond|first= E.A.|title=Doctor Augustine, Physician to Cadinal Wolsey and King Henry VIII|journal=Medical History| doi=10.1017/S0025727300020251|date=July 1975|volume=5|issue=3|pages=215–249|pmid= 1095863|pmc= 1081639}}

In 1522, he succeeded Giulio de' Medici, the Cardinal protector of England as Bishop of Worcester (the last of the Italian absentees to hold the see).{{cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/mdh.1995.20.1.1?journalCode=ymdh20|doi=10.1179/mdh.1995.20.1.1|last= Down|first=Kevin|title=The Administration of the Diocese of Worcester under the Italian Bishops, 1427-1535|journal=Midland History|volume= 20|year= 1995 |issue=1|pages=1–20 }} In September 1525, Bishop Ghinucci was appointed one of Henry's ambassadors in residence in Rome. In November 1526, he was sent on an embassy from Henry to the Holy Roman Emperor in Spain. In October 1529, he was re-accredited to Rome.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJJZWOGp8zIC&dq=cardinale+girolamo+ghinucci&pg=PA187|title= Henry VIII and the Court: Art, Politics and Performance|editor1= Thomas Betteridge|editor2= Suzannah Lipscomb|publisher= Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|year=2013|page= 187|number=43|isbn=9781409411857}}

He held the bishopric until 1535 when he was deprived of the position by King Henry VIII; also deprived was the Bishop of Salisbury, Lorenzo Campeggio. In the same year, Ghinucci was made a Cardinal by Pope Paul III, and served on commissions to reform the Church.

He also served as Bishop Administrator of the Diocese of Malta from 1523 to 1538. He was Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from January 7, 1538, to January 10, 1539.

He was involved, with Silvester Prierias, in the papal reaction to Martin Luther after 1518.{{cite web |url=http://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/histcourse/reformat/theologo/luther3.htm |access-date=29 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021940/http://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/histcourse/reformat/theologo/luther3.htm |archive-date=28 September 2007 |first=Mark|last=Greengrass|publisher= University of Sheffield|title=Theologians' Reformation Case-study, Section 01a.44 Chronology: The Broadening Lutheran Conflict, 1518-9}}

He maintained English contacts through Richard Croke.Ghinucci's correspondence with Croke is quoted in {{cite book|url=http://www.art-science.com/Ken/Genealogy/PD/ch22_John.html|first1=Patrick |last1=Delaforce |first2=Ken |last2=Baldry|title =The Delaforce Family History|edition=2nd| chapter= Chapter 22 - King Henry VIII's troubleshooter}}

Ghinucci died in Rome July 3, 1541, Rome and was buried in the basilica of San Clemente al Laterano, where he was Cardinal protector from 25 January 1537 until his death. A prominent Latin inscription commemorating him is to be seen in the north aisle of the basilica (to the right of the entrance to the sacristy and excavations).