Giuseppe Spinelli

A native of Naples, he was the son of Giambattista Spinelli, marquis of Fuscaldo, prince of Sant'Arcangelo and duke of Caivano. His mother was Maria Imperiali. He was the grand-nephew of Cardinal Lorenzo Imperiali, cousin of Cardinal Cosimo Imperiali, and uncle of Cardinal Ferdinando Spinelli.[https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1735.htm Miranda, Salvador. "Spinelli, Giuseppe (1694-1763)", The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Florida International University, 2018]

At the age of thirteen, he was sent to Rome to live with his maternal uncle, Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, while attending the seminary. In 1717, he was awarded a doctorate in civil and canon law from La Sapienza University.

He was named privy chamberlain of Pope Clement XI, and ordained a priest in 1724. The following year he was appointed papal nuncio to Flanders and consecrated titular archbishop of Corinthus by Cardinal d'Alsace. He was archbishop of Naples from 1734 until 1754. In this capacity, he conducted a search for the relics of Agrippinus, an early bishop of the city. He found a marble vase with the following words written: "Indeterminate relics that are believed to be the body of Saint Agrippinus."[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90317] He also summoned Stefano Pozzi to decorate the cathedral at Naples.

His clandestine attempt to introduce the Inquisition to Naples in 1746, resulted in a violent popular uprising, whereupon Charles III forced him to renounce his see and leave the capital. He did so with the greatest of reluctance, attempting first to remedy the situation from Rome, but finally resigned the Archbishopric in early 1754.{{cite book|last=Acton|first=Harold|title=The Bourbons of Naples (1731-1825)|year=1957|publisher=Faber and Faber|location=London|isbn=9780571249015}} {{page needed|date=October 2016}}

In 1756, he became prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He later became Bishop of Palestrina in 1753, Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina in 1759, and Bishop of Ostia in 1761. He belonged to the conservative zelanti faction in the College of Cardinals. He became Dean of the Sacred College in June 1761. He was also Cardinal protector of the Scottish nation from 1753 until his death.{{Cite book |title=The Scots College Rome 1600-2000 |publisher=John Donald |year=2000 |isbn=0 85976 524 5 |editor-last=McCluskey |editor-first=Raymond |location=Edinburgh |pages=168}}

Spinelli died at Rome in 1763.

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{{s-ttl| title=Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana | years=14 March 1735 – 25 September 1752}}

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{{s-ttl| title=Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere | years=25 September 1752 – 09 April 1753}}

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{{s-ttl| title=Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina | years=13 July 1759 – 13 July 1761}}

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{{s-ttl| title=Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia | years=17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763}}

{{s-aft|rows=3|after=Carlo Alberto Guidoboni Cavalchini}}

{{s-ttl| title=Dean of the College of Cardinals | years=17 July 1761 – 12 April 1763}}

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• [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsping.html Catholic Hierarchy] Wikipedia:SPS
• [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1735.htm#Spinelli Biography]

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Category:1694 births

Category:1763 deaths

Category:Archbishops of Naples

Category:18th-century Italian cardinals

Category:Deans of the College of Cardinals

Category:Cardinal-bishops of Ostia

Category:Cardinal-bishops of Palestrina

Category:Cardinal-bishops of Porto

Category:18th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops

Category:Members of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith

Category:Latin archbishops of Corinth

Category:18th-century Neapolitan people