Michele Lega

Michele Lega S.T.D. J.U.D. (1 January 1860 – 16 December 1935) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Discipline of Sacraments.

His Eminence Michele Lega
Prefect of the Congregation of Sacramental Discipline
Cardinal Lega pictured in 1922.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	20 March 1920
Term ended	16 December 1935
Predecessor	Filippo Giustini
Successor	Domenico Jorio
Other posts	Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati (1926–35) Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals (1931–35)
Orders
Ordination	13 September 1883
Consecration	11 July 1926 by Pope Pius XI
Created cardinal	25 May 1914 by Pope Pius X
Rank	Cardinal-Deacon (1914–24) Cardinal-Priest (1924–26) Cardinal-Bishop (1926–35)
Personal details
Birth name	Michele Lega
Born	1 January 1860 Brisighella, Papal States
Died	16 December 1935 (aged 75) Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Previous post	Dean of the Roman Rota (1908–14) Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Eustachio (1914–24) Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1914–20) Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Eustachio pro hac vice (1924–26)
Alma mater	Pontifical Roman Athenaeum Saint Apollinare
Motto	Ut unum sint

Styles of Michele Lega
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Frascati (suburbicarian see)

Early life and priesthood

Michele Lega was born on 1 January 1860 in Brisighella, Italy. He was educated at the Seminary of Faenza and the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare, where he earned doctorates in theology, philosophy and a doctorate utriusque iuris (in both canon and civil law in 1888.

He was ordained on 13 September 1883 in the diocese of Faenza. He served as a faculty member of the Pontifical Urbanian Athenaeum "De Propaganda Fide" in Rome from 1887 until 1889. He then held the position of professor of philosophy until 1890 as well as being assistant professor of canon law from 1888 to 1889. He was a faculty member of the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare from 1889 to 1893. He was made Privy Chamberlain on 11 August 1897. He was a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Codification of Canon Law and thus helped edit the 1917 Code of Canon Law. He was the Dean of the Roman Rota from 1908 until 1914.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Eustachio in the consistory of 25 May 1914. He was one of the cardinal electors in the conclave of 1914 that elected Pope Benedict XV. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Discipline of Sacraments on 20 March 1920. He also participated in the conclave of 1922 that elected Pope Pius XI. After ten years as a cardinal-deacon he opted for the order of cardinal priests and his deaconry was elevated pro hac vice to title in 1924.

Episcopate

He opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Frascati on 21 June 1926. He was consecrated on 11 July of that year in the Sistine Chapel by Pope Pius XI. The cardinal's brother, Antonio Lega, archbishop of Ravenna and the bishop of Cervia, attended the ceremony.

Death

He died in 1935. The funeral took place on 20 December, in the basilica of Ss. XII Apostoli, Rome.

References

External links

• Works by or about Michele Lega at Internet Archive
• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}