Giacomo Filippo Fransoni

His Eminence Giacomo Filippo Fransoni
Titular Archbishop of Nazianzus
Kardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni
Appointed	27 September 1822
Term ended	20 April 1856
Predecessor	Michele Belli
Successor	Giacomo Luigi Brignole
Other post	Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (1834–1856)
Previous posts	Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal (1823–1834) Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (1826–1855)
Orders
Ordination	14 March 1807
Consecration	8 December 1822 by Pietro Francesco Galeffi
Created cardinal	2 October 1826 by Pope Leo XII
Rank	Cardinal Priest
Personal details
Born	10 December 1775 Genoa, Republic of Genoa
Died	20 April 1856 (aged 80) Rome, Papal States
Denomination	Roman Catholic

Giacomo Filippo Fransoni (10 December 1775 – 20 April 1856) was an Italian prelate and cardinal who served from 1834 to 1856 as prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. He was the cardinal priest of the Church of San Lorenzo in Lucina at the time of his death.

Life

Born in Genoa, Fransoni was ordained a priest on 14 March 1807, at 31 years of age, by Cardinal Pietro Francesco Galeffi. On 7 September 1822, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Nazianzus and ordained to the episcopate three months later. On 21 January 1823, aged 47, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal. On 2 October 1826, aged 50, he was elevated to the cardinalate and named cardinal priest of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

On 21 November 1834, Fransoni was appointed prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in the Curia. On 28 September 1855, aged almost 80, his titular church was changed to that of the Church of San Lorenzo in Lucina.

Fransoni died on 20 April 1856, aged 80. He had been a priest for 49 years, a bishop for 33 and a cardinal for almost 30.

Fransoni is in the episcopal lineage of Pope Francis. Among those whom he ordained as priests was the English convert, John Henry Newman, Cong.Orat.