Latino Malabranca Orsini (died 10 August 1294, Perugia) was a Roman noble, an Italian cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and nephew of Pope Nicholas III. Though revered as 'blessed' by the Order of Preachers, his cause for beatification is still within preliminary stages.
Early life Latino was son of Roman senator Angelo MalabrancaJochen Johrendt, Die Diener des Apostelfürsten: Das Kapitel von St. Peter im Vatikan (11.-13. Jahrhundert) (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2011), pp. 191-192. Angelo Malabranca was Senator of Rome in 1235: Francesco Antonio Vitale, Storia diplomatica de' senatori di Roma I (Roma 1791), pp. 95-100 and p. 110; 1248: Luigi Pompili Olivieri, Il senato romano I (Roma 1886), pp. 191-192 and 194. and Mabilia Orsini, the daughter of Matteo Rosso Orsini 'Il Grande'. Mabilia was therefore sister of Giovanni Gaetano Orsini (Pope Nicholas III), Cardinal Giordano Orsini (died 1287), and eight other siblings.The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Biographical Dictionary (Salvador Miranda) Accessed 21 May 2014 The Malabranca family were once said to be a branch of the Frangipani, but this hypothesis has been contradicted.George L. Williams, Papal Genealogy: The Families and Descendants of the Popes (Jefferson, NC USA: McFarland, 2004), p. 36. Marco Vendittelli, "MALABRANCA, Latino," Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 67 (2006). On the Malabranca, see Robert Brentano, Rome before Avignon: A Social History of Thirteenth Century Rome (Berkeley-Los Angeles: U. California Press 1990), pp. 113-115.
His uncle, Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, a Roman, Cardinal Deacon of S. Niccolo in Carcere, was created a cardinal by Pope Innocent IV (Fieschi) on Saturday, May 28, 1244.Augustin Demski, Papst Nikolaus III, Eine Monographie (Münster 1903), p. 8 and n. 2.
Education Latinus studied at the University of Paris, and became Doctor in utroque iure. He obtained the title Magister in theology.César du Boulay, Historia Universitatis Parisiensis III (Paris 1666), p. 697. It is not clear whether the title Master in theology was a university degree, or the title of a lecturer on the Sentences in a Dominican studium. Some biographers even posit two periods in Paris, one for each degree. He entered the Order of Preachers in his youth, at Santa Sabina, in the reign of Pope Alexander IV (1254-1261).A. Touron, Histoire des hommes illustres de l' Ordre de Saint Dominique Tome premier (Paris 1743), p. 543. It is not known where, when, or whether he became a priest before his elevation to Cardinal Bishop.
The Dominican Friar Frater Latino was appointed a lector at the studium conventuale at the convent at Santa Sabina on the Aventine in Rome.Marco Vendittelli, "MALABRANCA, Latino," Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 67 (2006): "Divenne lector della provincia romana e, successivamente, priore del convento romano di S. Sabina." Accessed 21 May 2014 He subsequently became Prior of the Dominican convent of Santa Sabina. Thomas Aquinas was moderator of studies at Santa Sabina from 1265-1267, before his return to Paris.Aurora Cantini, S. Tommaso ad Orvieto: Profili laici e spirituali del Dottore Angelico all’ombra della città del tufo (Librosì Edizioni, 2014), p. 24. Jean-Pierre Torrell, Amico della verità: vita e opere di Tommaso d'Aquino (Bologna 2006), chapter 8, pp. 200ff. In 1263, Thomas had been diffinitor of the Roman Province at the General Chapter, held in London: V. Fontana, Monumenta Dominicana (Roma 1675), p. 85. Fr. Latino served as definitor (elected delegate) to the Provincial Chapter in Orvieto (September 14, 1261).Torrell, p. 167. Williams, p. 36. Under Pope Urban IV (1261-1264), he was Inquisitor General, a not uncommon assignment for a Dominican friar. He succeeded his uncle in the post of head of the Papal Inquisition in 1278, a position he occupied until his death in 1294.
Papacy of Nicholas III (1277-1280) Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini was elected pope at Viterbo on November 25, 1277. His predecessor, John XXI, had died suddenly when the roof of a room he was in fell in upon him. There had been only seven cardinals in Italy at the time (an eighth, Simon de Brion, was Legate in France), and the Conclave of 1277 was severely split into two groups of three, one composed of Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, Giacomo Savelli, and Matteo Rosso Orsini—all cardinal-deacons; the other of Ancher Pantaleoni, Goffredo d'Alatri, and Guillaume de Bray—all cardinal-priests. The sole cardinal-bishop, Bertrand de S. Martin, belonged to neither group. The regulations of the Constitution "Ubi Periculum" of Gregory X were not in effect, and therefore the discussions dragged on through the summer and fall of 1277. The major issue was whether Charles of Anjou would continue to be allowed to control the city of Rome and the Patrimony of St Peter. The Roman party finally succeeded in attracting two other votes, and Giovanni Gaetano Orsini was elected. This was a major setback for the Angevins.
On 12 March 1278 Fr. Latino Malabranca Orsini, OP, was created Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia e Velletri by his uncle, Nicholas III (1277-1280). He was one of ten created at the same time, with the object of diminishing the Angevin interest in the Sacred College, thereby giving the Papacy more independent counsel, and lessening the chances of indefinite control of the papacy by King Charles I. Five new cardinal-bishops were named, including Latino Malabranca, as well as two cardinal-priests and three cardinal-deacons. Five of the new cardinals were members of religious orders. Two were relatives of the new pope: Latino and the Pope's brother Giordano Orsini. One French appointee, Erhard de Lessines (Lesigny), son of Guillaume, Marshal of Champagne, died on July 18, 1278, of dysentery. Another, Robert Kilwardby, who had been Archbishop of Canterbury, died on September 12, 1279. The Franciscan Gerardo Cupalates, O.Min. also died in 1279.
The Pope, who was politically caught between the Emperor Rudolf I and King Charles I of Sicily, began to work to extricate himself and the Church from these two powerful forces, while at the same time keeping those two forces from confronting each other directly in a war which could ruin central Italy. First, he convinced the Emperor that the Romandiola (Romagna) and the Pentapolis (Cinque Terra) had once belonged to the Church, employing documents from the papal archives. He could not produce the alleged donation of Pipin III d'Heristal, but he did produce documents of Louis the Pious, Otto I, and Henry II.A. Theiner, Codex diplomaticus dominii temporalis S. Sedis I (Rome 1861), no. 362. These were accepted as proof by the Emperor and his officials, without even considering that they might be forgeries, like the Donations of Constantine. At the same time, the Pope demanded that King Charles resign his position as Rector of Tuscany, which allowed him to dominate Rome from both north and south. To overcome the Emperor's reluctance to part with such rich territories as the Romandiola, the Pope offered him the Rectorship of Tuscany. On May 29, the Emperor Rudolf authorized his ambassador Gottfridus to agree to the terms, which he did in the treaty of June 30, 1278.Theiner, no. 368. Rudolf confirmed the treaty on February 14, 1279 in Vienna: Theiner, no. 388. Cardinal Latino's cousin, Bertoldus Orsini (son of Gentile Orsini), another papal nephew, was named Rector of the Romandiola and of the City of Bologna, and Cardinal Latino was named Papal Legate to the Romandiola.Gregorovius, History of Rome in the Middle Ages, Volume V. 2, pp. 480-484. Another nephew, Orso Orsini, was named Rector of the Patrimony of S. Peter in Tuscany.This took place before July 24, 1278, when he is named with his title in a letter of Nicholas III: Potthast, II, no. 21365.
On August 2, 1278, as the time for election of new senators for Rome was drawing near, Pope Nicholas, who was in Viterbo, sent a letter to Cardinal Latino and to Cardinal Giacomo Colonna, Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata, instructing them to use their influence, without seeming to manipulate the election, to ensure the right outcome. The Pope most certainly did not want to give the impression that he himself wanted the office. Whatever else might happen, they must be discreet.Kaltenbrunner, p. 134, no. 120. Nam ob id posset circa nos magnum scandalum populi formidari.... King Charles had been granted the Senatorship of Rome for a period of ten years by Clement IV, and the end of the term was coming on September 16, 1278.F. Bock, "Le trattative per la senatoria di Roma e Carlo d'Angiò," Archivio della Società romana di storia patria 77 (1954), pp. 69 ff. On July 18, 1278, after consultation with the Cardinals, Nicholas had issued a bull, Fundamenta militantis, instituting the rule that emperors, kings, princes, marquises, dukes, counts, and barons were ineligible for the office of Senator of Rome, and others were eligible for one-year terms only.Theiner, no. 371. On August 30, King Charles instructed his Vicar in Rome, Jean de Fossames, to surrender all the fortresses and prisoners into the hands of the Romans on the appointed day—though not into the hands of the Pope. But, what Roman would dare to stand for election and survive the wrath of King Charles? The two cardinals were in fact working in the interest of Pope Nicholas himself. He was the only person who could be elected without a loss of face on the part of King Charles, and he was the only person who would resist the blandishments and threats of the king. But the people would never have the Pope as their Senator. Instead, they voted to invest Signor Giovanni Gaetano Orsini (not the Pope) with the powers and privileges of the Senatorship for the term of his life, inviting him to name a Senator for Rome. Signor Orsini (not the Pope) named his brother Matteo Rosso Orsini “di Montegiordano” as Senator for the coming year.Gregorovius, p. 488-489. Cf. Luigi Pompili Olivieri, Il senato romano I (Roma 1886), p. 199. F. A. Vitale, Storia diplomatica de' senatori di Roma I (Roma 1791), pp. 175-179.
On the same day that King Charles was due to vacate the Senatorship, September 16, 1278, Cardinal Latino was ordered by Pope Nicholas to receive from the Royal Vicar in Tuscia all of the fortifications under his control, and that the Cardinal should hand them over to trusted agents.Theiner, no. 372. Potthast II, no. 21408.
But in the Fall of 1278, Bertoldus fell ill. Pope Nicholas named Cardinal Latino as Apostolic Legate and have him full powers to substitute for Bertoldus in all of his functions, including that of leading and provisioning the royal army of King Charles I of Sicily under the command of Guillaume d'Estendard. He immediately arranged peace in Florence and the Romandiola (Romagna) Giovanni Villani Cronica VII. lvi. M. Sanfilippo, "Guelfi e ghibellini a Firenze: la pace del cardinal Latino (1280)," Nuova Rivista storica 64 (1980), pp. 1-25. On November 7, Nicholas sent a letter to Cardinal Latino, commending his positive achievements in so short a time, even without the specific Instructions that the Pope had intended to send him. The Pope expressed his confidence that Cardinal Latino could carry on successfully without any additional instructions. On November 16, the Pope expressed his satisfaction that Guido de Montefeltro (the leader of the Ghibellines in the Romandiola) had been brought to obey his commands, but he conveyed as well the bad news that the Apostolic Camera (Treasury) was almost empty, and various expenses, including the payment of troops would have to be handled according to verbal instructions to be sent to Cardinal Latino through Giovanni Capucci, Canon of S. Maria Transtiberim.F. Kaltenbrunner, Actenstücke zur Geschichte des Deutschen Reiches unter den Königen Rudolf I. und Albrecht I. (Wien 1889), pp. 149-150, no. 134 (October 19, 1278); pp. 151-152, no. 137; pp. 152-153, no. 138.