Venerable Raffaele Rossi

Raffaele Rossi, OCD, born Carlo Rossi, (28 October 1876 – 17 September 1948), was an Italian Discalced Carmelite and cardinal. Rossi served in the Sacred Consistorial Congregation in the Roman Curia from 1930 until his death and as a friar had the religious name "Raffaele of Saint Joseph". Pope Pius XI elevated him into the cardinalate in 1930. His cause of beatification began three decades after his death and he is known as a Servant of God. Rossi served as an investigator into the stigmata of Pio of Pietrelcina at the behest of Pope Benedict XV and reported back to him with a favourable view on the Capuchin. He viewed the stigmata and spoke with the friar while noting that he was "sincere" and concluding that there was no fraud or deceit on the friar's part. Carlo Rossi was born in Pisa in 1876 to Francesco Rossi and Maria Palmidessi. His parents were descended from noble families. Rossi felt called in 1891 to enter the religious life despite the opposition of his father who instead enrolled Rossi for a philosophical course at the college in Pisa where one of his mentors was Giuseppe Toniolo. Rossi entered the Discalced Carmelites on 3 October 1887 and later made his first vows on 19 December 1899. His solemn vows were made on 20 September 1901. Rossi was ordained to the priesthood on 21 December 1901 in Pisa after he completed his ecclesial studies at the Carmelite International College and at the Carmelite Scholasticate in Rome. He then taught at Carmelite houses from 1902 until 1920 after having studied at the Pontifical Gregorian for further studies. One of his lecturers at the Gregorian was Cardinal Louis Billot and he made friends with Father Eugenio Pacelli - future pope. Rossi also served at some stage at the order's house of San Paolino in Florence.