Andrea Ferrari (13 August 1850 – 2 February 1921) – later adopting the middle name "Carlo" – was an
cardinal and as the Archbishop of Milan from 1894 until his death.[1][2] Ferrari was a well-regarded pastor and theologian who led two dioceses before being appointed to the prestigious Milanese archdiocese which he led until his death. But he was later accused of Modernism which led to a strained relationship with Pope Pius X who finally reconciled with Ferrari in 1912.[3][4][5]
The cause for his canonization opened after his death in 1963 and he became titled as a
Andrea Ferrari was born on 13 August 1850 in Lalatta (now Palanzano) in the
Confirmation
in 1866.
He felt called to serve as a
Diocese of Parma where he served from 1874 until 1890. He also served as the archpriest of Fornovo di Taro from 1874 until 1875 when he was made the vicar curate for the San Leonardo church.[3][2]
Ferrari served as the
moral theological subjects in 1878. It was later that he published the "Summula theologiae dogmaticae generalis" in 1885 which proved to be a respected work in the field at that time and it was reprinted several times.[4]
Episcopate
In mid-1890 he was appointed as the
Diocese of Como in mid-1891 after a brief tenure in Guastalla. In Como, he was noted for his dedication to the people and made several pastoral visits to see all his parishes. In 1894 the newspaper Corriere della Sera noted his "meticulous visits" as proper diocesan management and attentiveness while noting that "he talks well with a good voice".[2] In 1893 he supported the appointment of Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto – future Pope Pius X – as Patriarch of Venice and was successful in securing the appointment.[1]
Cardinalate
Ferrari was elevated to the cardinalate in 1894 and
Rerum Novarum and espoused the core themes of social justice that the pope highlighted in that document. He also enlisted the aid of Giuseppe Toniolo to promote it and make it a theme of his professorship.[1]
His main mission in Milan was to preserve the faith of the people through catechesis and he made four pastoral visits as archbishop. He pushed for the publication of the Catechism of Pius X in Milan as a step towards this aim. He also visited all parishes in his archdiocese and was attentive to the social circumstances of each parish. In addition, Ferrari held several episcopal conferences to discuss matters of ecclesial life. In 1895 he held the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress from 1–5 September 1895.[1]
Ferrari participated in the
papal conclave in 1903 that elected Pope Pius X, and had been considered to be "papabile" for his pastoral qualities.[2][1] Ferrari petitioned the cardinals to support a pastoral candidate to become pope and began casting his votes for his old colleague Sarto. He tried to persuade Sarto to accept the election if chosen though the latter insisted that he should not be voted for and that he would not accept. But Ferrari insisted that the refusal could become harmful for the Church and painful for Sarto for the remainder of his life. But Francesco Satolli convinced Sarto of the ramifications of his refusal which prompted Sarto's acceptance of the pontificate.[5] Ferrari returned to Milan on 10 August and that month travelled to Cologne to meet with its archbishop Cardinal Anton Hubert Fischer
.
In 1908 he was in
Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro for his efforts.[4]
Ferrari was accused of "
conclave in 1914 that elected Pope Benedict XV. Ferrari was on good terms with Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli – the future Pope John XXIII. The two knew the other well and Roncalli was the one who celebrated his funeral. He was also close with Achille Ratti who was his successor in Milan and the future Pope Pius XI. Ferrari ordained as priests the future cardinals Camillo Caccia Dominioni (1899) and Carlo Confalonieri (1916) in addition to Bishop Giorgio Giovanni Elli (1903) and Archbishop Mario Giardini
(1904).
Death
Ferrari died in 1921 at 5:55pm after he finished the recitation of one of the
throat cancer, and was buried in the archdiocesan cathedral under the Sacred Heart altar.[1] The first sign of his ailment around 1918 was simple hoarseness, later diagnosed as throat cancer. His old friend Roncalli referred to him later as an "authentic saint".[2][4] In Legnano a church was constructed from 1987 to 1989 and dedicated to him. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini
consecrated the church in 1991.
Beatification
The Milanese came to revere Ferrari for his strong holiness and his old friend Pope John XXIII opened his cause for canonization on 10 February 1963. This came after his Milanese successor