Merry del Val, Raphael. Pontifical secretary of state. Was born in London of Spanish parents, 1865. Educated in England, where he resided for some length of time at different periods in his career. He was at first attached to the diocese of Westminster, acted for many years as Camerieri Segreto to Pope Leo XIII, and was appointed president of the Academia Pontificia in 1899, and Italian Archbishop of Nicosia in 1900. He visited England as papal envoy on the occasions of Queen Victoria's Jubilee and King Edward's coronation, and went to Canada on an educational mission. In July, 1903, on the death of Leo XIII, he was nominated consistorial secretary, and in October succeeded Cardinal Rampolla as secretary of state. Was afterwards created a cardinal. Appointed, 1914, archpriest of St. Peter's to succeed Cardinal Rampolla.

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