Editing Pope Pius VI (section)

==Biography==
[[File:IOANNES ANGELUS BRASCHIUS.jpg|thumb|160px|Cardinal Braschi c. 1773]]

===Early years===
Giovanni Angelo Braschi was born in [[Cesena]] on [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] in 1717 as the eldest of eight children to Count Marco Aurelio Tommaso Braschi and Anna Teresa. His uncle was Cardinal [[Giovanni Carlo Bandi]].<ref>[https://popehistory.com/popes/pope-pius-vi/ Pope History website, ''Pope Pius VI'']</ref> His nephew was [[Romoaldo Braschi-Onesti]], the penultimate [[cardinal-nephew]].  

Braschi was baptized in Cesena two days later on 27 December and was given the baptismal name of Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio.<ref name=Miranda>{{cite web|last=Miranda|first=Salvador |title = Braschi, Giovanni Angelo (1717–1799)|url=http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1773-iii.htm|publisher=Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church|access-date=14 April 2015}}</ref> After completing his studies in the [[Jesuit]] college of Cesena and receiving his doctorate of both [[Canon law|canon]] and civil law in 1734, Braschi continued his studies at the [[University of Ferrara]].<ref name=Ott>{{catholic|title=Pope Pius VI|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12131a.htm|last=Ott|first=Michael|volume=12|access-date=30 May 2018|inline=1}}</ref>

===The priest===
Braschi became the private secretary of [[papal legate]] [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] [[Tommaso Ruffo]], [[bishop of Ostia|Bishop of Ostia and Velletri]]. Cardinal Ruffo took him as his [[conclavist]] at the [[1740 papal conclave]] and when the latter became the [[Dean of the College of Cardinals]] in 1740, Braschi was appointed as his [[auditor (ecclesiastical)|auditor]], a post he held until 1753.<ref name=EB1911/>

Braschi's skill in the conduct of a mission to the [[Kingdom of Naples|court of Naples]] won him the esteem of [[Pope Benedict XIV]].<ref name=EB1911/> In 1753, following the death of Cardinal Ruffo, Benedict appointed Braschi one of his own secretaries.<ref name=Duffy>Eamon Duffy, ''Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes'', 251.</ref> In 1755, the pope appointed him as a [[canon (priest)|canon]] of St Peter's Basilica.

In 1758, putting an end to an engagement to be married, Braschi was ordained to the priesthood. He was also appointed in 1758 [[Referendary]] of the [[Apostolic Signatura]] and held that position until the following year. He also became the auditor and secretary to  Cardinal [[Carlo Rezzonico (cardinal)|Carlo Rezzonico]], the nephew of [[Pope Clement XIII]]. In 1766, Clement XIII appointed Braschi treasurer of the [[camera apostolica]].<ref name=Duffy/>

===The cardinal===
Braschi was a conscientious administrator, which was not good news for some. The latter managed to convince [[Pope Clement XIV]] to curb his zeal by promoting him to the cardinalate and accordingly on 26 April 1773 he was made Cardinal-Priest of [[Sant'Onofrio, Rome|Sant'Onofrio]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Richard P. |last=McBrien |title=Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI |location=San Francisco |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1997 |page=[https://archive.org/details/livesofpopespont00mcbr/page/328 328] |isbn=978-0060653033 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/livesofpopespont00mcbr }}</ref>  For a brief period of time this rendered him innocuous to the less scrupulous. Left without any specific task, Braschi retired to the [[Abbey of Saint Scholastica, Subiaco]], of which he was [[commendatory abbot]].<ref name=Ott/>