Editing Pope Benedict XIV (section)

==Early life==
===Birth and studies===
Lambertini was born into a noble family of [[Bologna]], the third of five children of Marcello Lambertini and Lucrezia Bulgarini.<ref>Following his father's untimely death at the age of forty-two, his mother, aged twenty-four and a widow for only three months, married Count Luigi Bentivoglio. {{cite book|author=Giuseppe de Novaes|title=Elementi della storia de'sommi pontefici da San Pietro, sino al Pio papa VII|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=csQCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA4|volume=Tomo decimoquarto (14)|year=1822|publisher=Francesco Bourlie|location=Roma|language=it|page=4}} Pastor, Vol. 35, p. 23. {{cite book|author1=Mario Fanti|author2=Giancarlo Roversi|title=Papi a Bologna e papi bolognesi: giubilei e pellegrinaggi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unFOAAAAYAAJ|year=1999|publisher=HitStudio|location=Bologna|language=it|page=28}}</ref> At the time of his birth, Bologna was the second largest city in the [[Papal States]]. His earliest studies were with tutors, and then he was sent to the Convitto del Porto, staffed by the [[Somaschi Fathers]].<ref>Pastor, Vol. 35, p. 24.</ref>  At the age of thirteen, he began attending the [[Collegio Clementino]] in Rome, where he studied rhetoric, Latin, philosophy, and theology (1689–1692). During his studies as a young man, he often studied the works of St. [[Thomas Aquinas]], who was his favorite author and saint.  While he enjoyed studying at Collegio Clementino, his attention turned toward civil and canon law. Soon after, in 1694 at the age of nineteen, he received the degree of [[Doctor of Sacred Theology]] and [[Doctor Utriusque Juris]] (both ecclesiastical and civil law).<ref name=Healy>{{catholic|title=Pope Benedict XIV|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02432a.htm|last=Healy|first=Patrick|volume=2|year=1907|access-date=3 September 2014|inline=1}}</ref>

===Ecclesiastical career===
Lambertini became an assistant to Alessandro Caprara, the [[Dean of the Roman Rota|Auditor of the Rota]].  After the election of [[Pope Clement XI]] in November 1700, he was made a [[consistorial advocate]] in 1701.<ref>Pastor, Vol. 35, pp. 24–25.</ref>  Shortly after, he was created a Consultor of the [[Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition]], and then in 1708 [[Promoter of the Faith]].  As Promoter of the Faith, he achieved two major successes.  The first was the canonization of [[Pope Pius V]].  The second was the composition of his treatise on the process of the [[beatification]] and [[canonization]] of saints.<ref>Pastor, pp. 25–26. {{cite book|title=Benedicti XIV pont. opt. max. Doctrina de servorum dei beatificatione et beatorum canonizatione|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5kbkkZ9eFFUC|edition=novissima|year=1765|publisher= Jacobus Caroboli et Dominicus Pompeati|location=Venice|language=la}}  The first edition was published in Bologna in four volumes: ''De servorum Dei beatificatione et beatificatorum canonizatione'', Bononiae 1734–1738.</ref>

In 1712, Lambertini was named Canon Theologus of the Chapter of the Vatican Basilica and member of the [[Sacred Congregation of Rites]]; in 1713 he was named [[monsignor]]; and in 1718 secretary of the [[Sacred Congregation of the Council]].<ref>Schulte, p. 503.</ref>

On 12 June 1724, only two weeks after his election, [[Pope Benedict XIII]] appointed Lambertini [[titular bishop]] of [[Theodosiopolis in Arcadia]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ritzler|first1=Remigius|last2=Sefrin|first2=Pirminus|title=Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi|volume=Tomus V (1667–1730)|date=1952|publisher=Messagero di S. Antonio|location=Patavii|url=https://archive.org/details/hierarchiacathol05eubeuoft|page=375}}</ref> Lambertini was consecrated a bishop in Rome, in the [[Cappella Paolina]] of the Vatican Palace, on 16 July 1724, by Pope Benedict XIII.  The co-consecrators were [[Giovanni Francesco Nicolai]], titular Archbishop of [[Myra]] (Vicar of the Vatican Basilica), and Nicola Maria Lercari, titular Archbishop of [[Nazianzus]] (Papal Maestro di Camera).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nagy|first1=Ferenc|title=La comune genealogia episcopale di quasi tutti gli ultimi papi (1700–1978)|journal=Archivum Historiae Pontificiae|date=1979|volume=17|pages=433–453, at 439|jstor=23563928}}</ref> In 1725, he served as the Canonist at the Roman Synod of [[Pope Benedict XIII]].<ref>Mario Rosa, [http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/benedetto-xiv_%28Enciclopedia-dei-Papi%29/ "Benedetto XIV,"] in: ''Enciclopedia dei Papi'' (Treccani 2000). {{in lang|it}} L. Fiorani, ''Il concilio romano del 1725'' (Roma 1978), pp. 144–146, 209.</ref>

In 1718, the ''Istituto delle scienze ed Arti Liberali'' in Bologna had begun construction of a chapel for everyday convenience dedicated to the Annunication of the Virgin Mary.  In 1725, Bishop Prospero Lambertini of Theodosia, who was working in the Roman Curia but was mindful of his origins, ordered the chapel to be painted. He handed over the work to Carlo Salarolo, who had the walls of the chapel adorned. Lambertini also ordered and paid for the painting above the main altar, an image of the Virgin being greeted by the angel, the work of [[Marcantonio Franceschini]].<ref>{{cite book|author=[Anonymus AC09784421]|title=De Bononiensi Scientiarum Et Artium Instituto Atque Academia Commentarii|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jyFSAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1|year=1731|publisher=Laelii A Vulpe|language=la|page=24}}</ref>

He was made [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ancona–Osimo|Bishop of Ancona]] on 27 January 1727, and was permitted to retain the title of Archbishop, as well as all the offices which he had already been granted. He was also allowed to continue as Abbot Commendatory of the [[Camaldolese]] monastery of S. Stefano di Cintorio (Cemeterio) in the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pisa|diocese of Pisa]].<ref>Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 83 with note 3.</ref> In 1731, the new bishop had the main altar and the choir of the cathedral restored and renovated. Once he became pope, Lambertini remembered his former diocese, sending an annual gift to the Church of Ancona, of sacred vessels of gold or silver, altar appointments, vestments, and other items.<ref>{{cite book|author=Giuseppe Cappelletti|title=Le chiese d'Italia: dalla loro origine sino ai nostri giorni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hjg8AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA131|volume=settimo|year=1848|publisher=G. Antonelli|location=Venezia|language=it|pages=131–138}}</ref>

====Cardinal====
Bishop Lambertini was created a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] on 9 December 1726, though the public announcement of his promotion was postponed until 30 April 1728.<ref>Ritzler-Sefrin, p. 37 no. 18.</ref> He was assigned the [[titular church]] of ''[[Santa Croce in Gerusalemme]]'' on 10 May 1728.<ref>Ritzler-Sefrin, p. 45.</ref> He participated in the [[Papal conclave, 1730|1730 conclave]].

On 30 April 1731, Cardinal Lambertini was appointed [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna|Archbishop of Bologna]] by [[Pope Clement XII]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ritzler|first1=Remigius|last2=Sefrin|first2=Pirminus|title=Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi|volume=Tomus VI (1730–1799)|date=1958|publisher=Messagero di S. Antonio|location=Patavii|url=https://archive.org/details/hierarchiacathol06eubeuoft|page=126}}</ref> During his time as archbishop, he composed an extensive treatise in three volumes, ''De synodo dioecesana'', on the subject of the diocesan synod, presenting a synthesis of the history, Canon Law, practices, and procedures for the holding of those important meetings of the clergy of each diocese.<ref>{{cite book|author=Pope Benedict XIV|title=Sanctissimi domini nostri Benedicti papae XIV De synodo dioecesana libri tredecim in duos tomos distributi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyo5AQAAMAAJ|volume=Tomus I|year=1760|publisher=Joannes Manfre|location=Ferrara|language=la}}</ref> He was in fact preparing the ground for the holding of a synod of his own for the diocese of Bologna, an expectation he first announced in a ''Notificazione'' of 14 October 1732. When the first edition of the ''De Synodo'' was published in 1748, however, the synod still had not taken place.<ref>Fattori, p. 444, with note 86: ''chiesa. Quando uscì la prima edizione del ''De Synodo'', nel 1748, Lambertini dichiarò di non avere potuto celebrare il sinodo diocesano per alcune difficoltà.'' {{cite book|author=Prospero Lambertini|title=Raccolta di alcune notificazioni, editti, ed istruzioni, pubblicate pel buon gouerno della sua diocesi dall'eminentissimo e reverendissimo signor cardinale Prospero Lambertini ... ora Benedetto 14. sommo pontefice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UfswMnoaZycC|volume=Tomo primo|year=1760|publisher=Francesco Pitteri|location=Venezia|language=it|pages=32–38}}</ref> He continued in the office of Archbishop of Bologna even after he became Pope, not finally resigning until 14 January 1754.<ref>Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 126, note 2.</ref>