Monday, February 11
I Wish My Title were Marquess of the Baldacchino, or, Empowering the Laity, Baroque-style
The old aristocrats of the Papal States, today called the Black Nobility (aristocrazìa nera) after going into mourning after the fall of Rome in 1870 to the Piedmontese monarchy, have effectively faded from Catholic consciousness, along with the Papacy's role as a fons honorum of noble titles. The Pope doesn't hand out titles any longer--though there's a dorm at Notre Dame named after a papal count--but the wonderfully eccentric collection of hereditary offices abolished largely by Paul VI still has a few remnants extant today. For one thing, I discovered that the titles are themselves still extant, and apparently still used, even if the offices themselves no longer exist; furthermore, the office as well as the title of Prince Assistant to the Papal Throne is still around. His duty is, as far as I know, no longer liturgical (he used to sit next to the senior Cardinal-deacon), but he does help out when a Head of State visits.
A listing of the Great Officers of the Papal Court, with the current incumbents of each title:
Hereditary Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne: Prince Don Alessandro Torlonia, Prince of Fucino etc - present holder; Prince Don Marcantonio Colonna, Prince and Duke of Paliano, Duke of Mariano etc - alternate.
Marshal of the Holy Roman Church and Sacred Conclave: Prince Don Sigismondo Chigi-Albani della Rovere, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Farnese, Campagnano, and Soriano, Duke of Ariccia and Formello, etc.
[Why this very useful post was abolished, I have no idea: what progressive could object to having a non-cleric involved in the mechanics of electing the Pope?]
Grand Master of the Sacred Apostolic Hospice: Prince Alessandro Ruspoli, Prince of Cerveteri.
[Actually, this title is a bit out of date: the supremely wacky Prince Ruspoli, who I once heard speak at the strangest political rally I have ever attended, died in 2005 and was replaced by Prince Francesco Ruspoli, Tenth Prince of Cerveteri].
Hereditary Foriere Maggiore - Quartermaster General: Marquess Giulio Sacchetti, Marques of Castel Romano, who is now the highest ranking laymen in the Vatican service as "Delegate of the State of the City of the Vatican."
[Our century certainly has no lack of snappy new titles to replace the old ones.]
Hereditary Cavallerizzo Maggiore - superintendant of the stables of the Palaces: Marquess Dr. Gregorio Serlupi Crescenzi - a Roman psychologist.
[Insert Bob Newhart reference here.]
Hereditary Superintendant of the Posts: Prince Don Filippo Massimo, Prince and Lord of Arsoli, Duke of Anticoli Corrado.
[On second thought, perhaps the abolition of this post is understandable, the Italian postal system being what it is. Vatican Mail is now routed through Switzerland.]
And, among the Papal Guards:
Hereditary Standard Bearer of the Holy Roman Church, with the rank of Lieutenant-General: Marquess Patrizio Patrizi Naro Montoro, Marquess of the Baldacchino [!!!].
[1. This has always been my dream-job, with Swordbearer to the Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster being my second choice, and Colonel of the Papal Zouaves after that. 2. I will be happy all afternoon now, thinking that somewhere in the world is a man whose ancient hereditary title commemorates an enormous bronze piece of furniture shaped like a mosquito net canopy.]
Now this is the sort of lay empowerment I can support.
A listing of the Great Officers of the Papal Court, with the current incumbents of each title:
Hereditary Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne: Prince Don Alessandro Torlonia, Prince of Fucino etc - present holder; Prince Don Marcantonio Colonna, Prince and Duke of Paliano, Duke of Mariano etc - alternate.
Marshal of the Holy Roman Church and Sacred Conclave: Prince Don Sigismondo Chigi-Albani della Rovere, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Farnese, Campagnano, and Soriano, Duke of Ariccia and Formello, etc.
[Why this very useful post was abolished, I have no idea: what progressive could object to having a non-cleric involved in the mechanics of electing the Pope?]
Grand Master of the Sacred Apostolic Hospice: Prince Alessandro Ruspoli, Prince of Cerveteri.
[Actually, this title is a bit out of date: the supremely wacky Prince Ruspoli, who I once heard speak at the strangest political rally I have ever attended, died in 2005 and was replaced by Prince Francesco Ruspoli, Tenth Prince of Cerveteri].
Hereditary Foriere Maggiore - Quartermaster General: Marquess Giulio Sacchetti, Marques of Castel Romano, who is now the highest ranking laymen in the Vatican service as "Delegate of the State of the City of the Vatican."
[Our century certainly has no lack of snappy new titles to replace the old ones.]
Hereditary Cavallerizzo Maggiore - superintendant of the stables of the Palaces: Marquess Dr. Gregorio Serlupi Crescenzi - a Roman psychologist.
[Insert Bob Newhart reference here.]
Hereditary Superintendant of the Posts: Prince Don Filippo Massimo, Prince and Lord of Arsoli, Duke of Anticoli Corrado.
[On second thought, perhaps the abolition of this post is understandable, the Italian postal system being what it is. Vatican Mail is now routed through Switzerland.]
And, among the Papal Guards:
Hereditary Standard Bearer of the Holy Roman Church, with the rank of Lieutenant-General: Marquess Patrizio Patrizi Naro Montoro, Marquess of the Baldacchino [!!!].
[1. This has always been my dream-job, with Swordbearer to the Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster being my second choice, and Colonel of the Papal Zouaves after that. 2. I will be happy all afternoon now, thinking that somewhere in the world is a man whose ancient hereditary title commemorates an enormous bronze piece of furniture shaped like a mosquito net canopy.]
Now this is the sort of lay empowerment I can support.
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