Saturday, December 23, 2006

Papal Tombs and Monuments (1800-2005) Part I

Pope Pius VII

His Eminence Gregorio Barnaba Cardinal Chiaramonti, O.S.B.Cas., Cardinal Priest of San Callisto, Bishop of Imola, was elected Bishop of Rome on 14 March 1800 in Venice, taking the name Pius VII, and was crowned on 21 March.

Pius VII died on 20 August 1823 in Rome. He was buried on 25 August in the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica. His monument in St Peter's is the work of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. It is the only sculpture in the Basilica that was executed by a Protestant.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This worthy successor of St. Peter was one of the most courageous, gifted, and Christ-like pontiffs in the history of the papacy. He suffered greatly at the hands of the egocentric Napoleon, but always bravely defended the rights of the Church. He preserved the dignity of his Petrine office and accomplished much for the advancement of Christianity. Without a doubt, here is a pope worthy of beatification and canonization on the basis of his outstanding pontificate and his profound Benedictine spirituality. His colossal monument in St. Peter's is one of the most impressive in all of Rome. God bless you, Byron Hoover