Roman Catholic Cardinal. Sora born Cesaro Baronio came from a rich Neapolitan family. Receiving his early education in Veroli, he moved to Naples in order to study law and successively to Rome. There he met Saint Philip Neri who soon became his spiritual father. Moving into his Oratory at the church of San Girolamo della Carità, he resigned a captainship in Parma and an abbey in Sora in order to remain with him. Ordained priest on May 27, 1564, he eventually took up residence adjacent to the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella when the Congregation of the Oratory was canonically approved on July 15, 1575. Entrusted with the revision of the "Roman Martyrology" by Pope Clement XIII, in 1593 he succeeded the then-aged Philip Neri in the superiorship of the Oratory. Pope Clement VIII, whose confessor he was, created him cardinal with the title of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo on June 5, 1596. Librarian of the Holy Roman Church between May 1597 and his death, he authored the the monumental work in twelve volumes of "Annales ecclesiastici," the history of the church from its origins until 1198, undertaken by order of Neri as an answer to the anti-Catholic "Magdeburg Centuries". Passing away in his room at Santa Maria in Vallicella, he was laid to rest at the left of the high altar of the church along with Cardinal Francesco Maria Tarugi Orat., whose epitaph he also shares. Leaving behind a reputation of profound sanctity, Pope Benedict XIV proclaimed him venerable on January 12, 1745. His cause for beatification was reopened on April 15, 2007 on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his death, which saw among others the transportation of his remains from the said vault to the Spada chapel of the same 'Chiesa Nuova.'
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Sora born Cesaro Baronio came from a rich Neapolitan family. Receiving his early education in Veroli, he moved to Naples in order to study law and successively to Rome. There he met Saint Philip Neri who soon became his spiritual father. Moving into his Oratory at the church of San Girolamo della Carità, he resigned a captainship in Parma and an abbey in Sora in order to remain with him. Ordained priest on May 27, 1564, he eventually took up residence adjacent to the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella when the Congregation of the Oratory was canonically approved on July 15, 1575. Entrusted with the revision of the "Roman Martyrology" by Pope Clement XIII, in 1593 he succeeded the then-aged Philip Neri in the superiorship of the Oratory. Pope Clement VIII, whose confessor he was, created him cardinal with the title of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo on June 5, 1596. Librarian of the Holy Roman Church between May 1597 and his death, he authored the the monumental work in twelve volumes of "Annales ecclesiastici," the history of the church from its origins until 1198, undertaken by order of Neri as an answer to the anti-Catholic "Magdeburg Centuries". Passing away in his room at Santa Maria in Vallicella, he was laid to rest at the left of the high altar of the church along with Cardinal Francesco Maria Tarugi Orat., whose epitaph he also shares. Leaving behind a reputation of profound sanctity, Pope Benedict XIV proclaimed him venerable on January 12, 1745. His cause for beatification was reopened on April 15, 2007 on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his death, which saw among others the transportation of his remains from the said vault to the Spada chapel of the same 'Chiesa Nuova.'
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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